I'm starting something new

Greetings from Brooklyn! If we haven’t met, I’m Ellie. I have 10+ years of experience at consumer startups like Away and Paperless Post and a long-time Brooklyn resident, currently in Clinton Hill. You can find me on LinkedIn or walking my dog around Fort Greene Park.

I’m starting a new babysitting matchmaking service in Brooklyn. What does that mean? How did I get here? Well, I wanted a place to share more context, thoughts in progress, and behind the scenes looks at building a company. So here we are.

I started babysitting last fall during a career break, and I quickly realized a few things: 1) babysitting is fun! I enjoyed getting to know so many new families and tiny humans, 2) it’s really hard for parents to find sitters they trust in a sea of online platforms, and 3) it’s not easy for sitters to find work—especially when just getting started. Coming of age in the school of “there must be a better way”, I’ve spent the last few months heads-down thinking about what that could be.

Here, in my mind, is the better way: a babysitting matchmaking platform, starting in Brooklyn. We’ll recruit sitters, current and new, to fit parents’ one-off babysitting needs. We do the legwork of vetting recommendations, initial interviews, and keeping track of sitters’ availability. You just text us when you have a need and we’ll send a great sitter your way—no app needed.

All of the sitters follow our code of conduct so that you receive consistent care, even when working with a sitter for the first time. We believe in engaging and age-appropriate play, staying away from screens, cleaning up after ourselves and the kids, and respecting your house rules.

Most sitter sites charge a membership fee both to the parents and the babysitters, and then take a cut of the sitter’s hourly pay on top of that. Instead, we’ll charge a per-booking fee so that you only pay when you need us, and sitters take home their full earnings. Win-win.

Here’s where you can help: I need help recruiting our first batch of sitters in Brooklyn so we can officially launch this summer. They don’t need to have years of professional experience with kids (although they can), but anyone who’s enthusiastic, responsible, a favorite of your cousins, and wants to make some extra cash fits the bill. Think students, those in creative fields, people like me in between jobs, or anyone with a non-traditional schedule who keeps asking you to hang out during the day. Send this link along to sign up.

If you’re a parent and would like to join now, you can be the first to know when we’re ready for bookings here.

I’m really excited to see how this platform works in the real world, but I need your support and referrals to make it happen. I’m grateful for anyone you send this to—this is just the beginning!