{"id":1861,"date":"2022-06-10T10:45:48","date_gmt":"2022-06-10T10:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsosv.wpengine.com\/?p=1861"},"modified":"2023-12-27T19:31:54","modified_gmt":"2023-12-28T00:31:54","slug":"sleeping-beauty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sosv.com\/sleeping-beauty\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleeping Beauty"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cIt was a very organic need that bloomed into a venture,\u201d says Radhika Patil, chief executive officer of Cradlewise, underlining the adage that necessity is often the mother of invention. In a timeless dilemma for new parents, Radhika and her husband Bharath discovered early that their baby daughter was a fussy sleeper. The situation left them tired; being effective at work became a challenge. A search in the marketplace of ready-made solutions came up empty. Leap ahead six years, to 2020, when TIME magazine named Cradlewise\u2019s self-learning crib one of the year\u2019s best inventions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before Radhika and Bharath became parents, they were classmates at the elite Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, earning masters degrees in electronics. When they met, mutual admiration took hold. \u201cWe were both very entrepreneurial even back then,\u201d says Radhika. \u201cWe shared the feeling that one day we\u2019d own a startup.\u201d On campus, they tackled various technical projects together \u201cjust for the love of it.\u201d After school Bharath worked at Texas Instruments on the imaging team and Radhika worked at Qualcomm in power systems.<\/p>\n\n\n \r\n \r\n

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Their chemistry led to marriage. While their family grew, so too did their quest for entrepreneurial success.  \u201cEverything we do at Cradlewise is inspired by our kids,\u201d says Radhika, whose children are now 8 and 5. \u201cWe were trying to solve a problem at home: If the baby is moving and stirring, how could we detect that and help the baby go back to sleep without our intervention? Once she wakes up crying, you\u2019ve lost the battle. You just signed up for 45 minutes of pacing.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With no solution available, they designed one of their own. \u201cThe first version was pretty much a hack put together using development kits,\u201d says Radhika. \u201cSlowly the product grew and evolved along with my daughter\u2019s sleep needs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe accelerated learning that has happened because of meeting awesome people and networking with them has been incredible.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Cradlewise team developed and tested the electronics for their prototype, which led to their selection for SOSV’s HAX accelerator program, where product development was fast-tracked. \u201cAll the key members of the HAX and SOSV teams helped get the product to the level it is today,\u201d says Radhika. \u201cIf they see that you are well-intentioned and you are working towards your goals, they will go all the way to help you get to the metric that you’re choosing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Their flagship crib is equipped with audio monitoring, a high-def night-vision camera, and an app with which to listen in from anywhere. The crib is self-learning; it detects when a baby is stirring and counteracts that waking with sleep-inducing rocking or other motions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIts overall movement is designed to imitate the natural bounce of a parent\u2019s arms, and that\u2019s very soothing,\u201d says Radhika. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An array of sensors that feed into the built-in AI makes the smart cradle the hub of the connected nursery. \u201cWe want to be the Apple of baby products and services,\u201d says Radhika with a laugh. \u201cAt least that’s my one-liner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Entrepreneurship came with a unique set of challenges. The pace. The stress. The hours. Every day brought a slate of critical decisions. \u201cWhen you\u2019re in the thick of it, it\u2019s easy to make knee-jerk reactions and decisions,\u201d says Radhika, \u201cand there is a possibility that you will make a wrong decision under pressure. Honestly, sometimes it is overwhelming, but I don’t regret it a bit. The last thing we want new parents to be anxious about when they\u2019re taking care of a new baby is their crib.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of her concerns is that her children will have the wrong idea about entrepreneurship. \u201cI don\u2019t want them to think, \u2018Oh my parents are entrepreneurs, and they are always so stressed or working,\u2019” she says. \u201cWe are very mindful of that. As parents you don’t have a choice. With kids you must be disciplined enough to balance work and family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll the key members of the HAX and SOSV teams helped get the product to the level it is today. If they see that you are well-intentioned and you are working towards your goals, they will go all the way to help you get to the metric that you’re choosing.\u201d<\/p>Radhika Patil, CEO, Cradlewise<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

 <\/strong>\u201cWe\u2019ve discovered over time that we have skills that complement each other very well,\u201d says Radhika of her working relationship with Bharath. \u201cWe understand our blind spots, which I feel is our superpower.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re also learning to navigate the unsure footing of a startup.  Radhika is studying how other founders and companies have achieved success. \u201cI ask myself every day: How do we get everybody one level up, so that we can replace a few of the functions we are doing personally and take on other responsibilities? Answer those questions and we can take Cradlewise to the next level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n \r\n \r\n

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