Antonio's Escape story: Launching a product startup
Antonio escaped from advertising and is now the cofounder of Wheelzzz: a product to help your baby to sleep.
What were you doing before launching Wheelzzz?
Before Wheelzzz I worked as a full time freelancer working in the wonderful world of advertising. Mainly as a Creative Director for different ad agencies around the US (LA, New York), most of the time remotely, before working in your pj’s was the only way to work ; )
I also did independent consultancy jobs, and created and produced commercials directly with clients.
Some of my clients from the past (such as Colgate- Palmolive, Beiersdorf AG (Nivea) or Hasbro), have been useful for the new project. And also the experience gained with all sort of clients such as Unicef, Toyota, Anheuser Busch (Budweiser), Schweppes, Danone, Penguin Random House, Land Rover or Virgin Atlantic.
Tell us more about Wheelzzz. How did the idea come about?
Before I moved to NYC in 2006, my current partner at Wheelzzz and I used to work in an advertising agency in Madrid. Since then we have stayed in contact sharing ideas and helping each other on creative and innovation projects.
A few years ago, Gil had a baby and mentioned to me that him and his wife were trying to figure out a gadget to replicate the sensation of walking around uneven surfaces (such as cobbled streets).
They said that after trying everything to get their babies to sleep, they found the solution on their way home. Emma, their youngest, would fall asleep almost instantly when they started walking on the old streets of their small town.
At the start of 2020, Gil already had a prototype and when he showed it to me I fell in love. He asked me to help him launch the project with global reach.
From there, things escalated pretty fast. The global pandemic helped us stay focused and work 24/7. Media and parents love it and I must admit that it helps validate the project. Now we are on Kickstarer getting ready to be in every parents' home! You can read about and support the campaign here.
What's the vision for Wheelzzz?
We’d like Wheelzzz to be a brand that helps babies and families. We want to help them get to sleep but not at any cost: we are sustainable and with purpose.
We produce locally, with 100% renewable energy, 100% recyclable materials, and using minimum packaging, 100% recycled, and using vegetable inks.
On the assembling process we employ people with intellectual disabilities, Down Syndrome and donate a $1 per Duo pack to paediatric research.
What has been one highlight and the biggest challenge of the Wheelzzz journey so far?
How about this for a challenge? Quitting your job and launching not only a self funded startup but “an invention” people don’t even know what it is, during the biggest pandemic in modern history? We aren’t the only ones out there struggling, but it has been a quite a challenge.
The biggest highlight, beyond some of the unexpected media coverage, is listening to the stories of parents who love Wheelzzz and use it to get their babies to sleep, especially those who were more skeptical from the beginning.
A tough challenge is having to learn quickly about professional areas that we weren’t used to: industrial design, intellectual property on different markets, distribution, finance, etc.
What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own product-based business?
The idea is extremely important, then executing it is a different story.
Try to learn from those who know and have experience, but don’t wait to be perfect, do it, jump! Don’t be afraid to fail, you’ll recover and learn. Be humble and not too hard with yourself. If you don’t fail it’s not real.
How has Escape and community helped you on your career journey?
Escape has helped me to understand basic concepts that I have put in use. A couple of specific examples could be understanding the importance on finding that MVP (minimum viable product) or helping me to overcome the “impostor syndrome”.
The importance of networking and hustling are also part of the learnings from Escape. Getting to know people with similar interests and ambitions helps you throughout the process.