Learn how Tentang Anak founders CEO Dr Mesty Ariotedjo, Sp.A, MPH and COO Garri Juanda, MBA turned a massive social media following into an popular app for childcare and now top selling brands reaching more than 3 million children across Indonesia, with their vision to meet the needs of the 80 million (and growing) population of children in the country.

Recap the origins of Tentang Anak in our 2022 call with them!

Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction;
(01:54) Update on Tentang Anak in the last two years;
(05:30) Importance of Early Childhood Development in Indonesia;
(10:25) Innovative Skincare and Vitamin D products;
(16:04) Nationwide Reach and Future Goals;
(20:36) Entrepreneurial Growth and Personal Reflections;
(28:05) Dr Mesty talks about Tentang Anak’s books;

About our guests

Dr. Mesty Ariotedjo, Sp.A, MPH is CEO and co-founder of Tentang Anak. Mesty recently graduated from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is the recipient of Harvard T.H. Chan Fellowship Award. She was also included in Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 and a member of the World Economic Forum. Mesty brings her medical expertise and network to Tentang Anak.

Garri Juanda is COO and co-founder of Tentang Anak. He brings his 11 years of tech experience in product, growth, and M&A to the table. He previously oversaw Tokopedia’s marketplace, adstech, and logistics business verticals; and was one of Rakuten Japan’s first non-Japanese product managers. Garri earned his MBA from Harvard Business School.

The content of this podcast is for informational purposes only, should not be taken as legal, tax, or business advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security, and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Insignia Ventures⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ fund. Any and all opinions shared in this episode are solely personal thoughts and reflections of the guest and the host.

Transcript

The Latest on Tentang Anak

Paulo: For those hearing about you for the first time, I’m sure it will be an interesting conversation. Let’s start by catching up. Garri, maybe you can share a little bit about how the company has evolved since we last talked two years ago. Any highlights from the company and the business?

Garri: Sure. We basically started as a mom-and-baby-focused social media platform. We launched our app two years ago. After launching it, we realized there were still some categories that could be improved. Maybe later, Mesty can touch on that. But since last year, we’ve launched our private labels as well, and these are now available both online and offline.

In terms of company size, we’ve grown a lot. Two years ago, we were just five to ten people. Now, we’re more than a hundred employees. We’ve gone through a lot of internal changes, but our mission remains the same. When we started this journey, our goal was to help 80 million children in Indonesia become healthier and happier. That’s still our focus, and I think we’re getting closer every day to achieving it.

Paulo: Garri, to tee up my question for Mesty, can you share how adoption of the app has grown over the last two years? Also, what interesting features have been introduced since we last talked?

Garri: In terms of adoption, we’ve already had over a million downloads since launching. Secondly, we’re one of the highest-rated mom-and-baby apps, not just in Indonesia but possibly worldwide. We’re close to a 5.0 rating.

Paulo: Congratulations. Maintaining that is no small feat.

Mesty: Yes, we’re still at a 5.0 rating. Also, keep in mind that our app’s growth is organic. We haven’t done any advertising for it yet. We now have end-to-end features to support children’s growth and development—all for free. Our app is like a social impact project, offering healthy recipes, growth stimulation activities, and 24/7 “Ask the Expert” support at no cost.

Paulo: It’s a great way to introduce parents to the ecosystem you’ve built over the years, dating back to when you, Mesty, started sharing child-care information on social media. Now, I want to talk about the larger context in which this app exists. Dr. Mesty, could you describe Indonesia’s current situation and why an app like yours, offering free information and child-development tracking, is more important than ever?

Dr Mesty: Currently, our human resources fall below the global average, even below some Southeast Asian countries. Our national IQ is also below the regional average, which is concerning. We know that 90% of brain development happens in the first five years of life. If Indonesia wants to catch up to places like Singapore, we really need to focus on early-childhood growth and development.

That’s why Tentang Anak focuses on improving not only children’s intelligence but also their overall health and good character development. We want children to have grit and curiosity, which are essential for building a better future workforce for Indonesia.

Paulo: I appreciate that Tentang Anak’s approach is holistic, addressing not just physical health but the child’s overall development. Since the beginning, you’ve also been producing books, which you’ve brought here today. These address gaps in literacy and human-resource quality. How has this particular initiative evolved for Tentang Anak over time?

Dr Mesty: I’m a mom of two and a pediatrician, still practicing twice a week. I’ve found that ensuring optimal child growth isn’t just about providing information on growth and development. There are many products children need for their well-being, and some aren’t readily available in Indonesia.

For example, the literacy level here is low, partly because parents struggle to find high-quality, relevant books. I noticed this with my first child, and I realized many Indonesian parents face the same issue. That’s why we started creating books.

Another example is skincare. Many children under five develop conditions like atopic dermatitis, but local, high-quality lotion options are limited. In my clinic, I often have to prescribe expensive imported lotions. That’s why we developed our own expert-care skincare line, ensuring children have access to quality products that help them grow up healthy.

Innovative Products and Business Strategies

Paulo: Since you brought that up, Garri, you can talk a little bit from a business perspective about how you decided to create these brands, especially focusing on skincare, and how you’ve seen the adoption of this particular brand for children.

Garri: Basically, I think the problem statement is what Dr. Mesty mentioned. There’s a huge demand and a scarcity of products specifically for Indonesia. From a business standpoint, when we shifted from building IP products like books to starting skincare, it was largely due to frequency.

I think the retention for skincare is really good. The scalability of production is also strong, and the profit margin is good. These basic considerations led us to where we are today. The company has performed really well financially—we’ve been profitable since the middle of the year.

Going forward, we won’t just focus on profitability or creating good products. At the end of the day, we want products that have a positive impact on children’s daily needs in Indonesia. From when kids wake up until they go to sleep, those are the areas we aim to address.

Paulo: What I really like about Tentang Anak’s approach, at least from a business perspective, is the focus. Many marketplace platforms launch a lot of different products, but you focus on specific issues faced by children, as Dr. Mesty mentioned. Speaking of more opportunities and problems to address—beyond literacy and skincare—are there other gaps you think need solving in Indonesia, even if Tentang Anak doesn’t tackle them right away?

Mesty: The framework of Tentang Anak hasn’t changed. We want to provide all the necessary products from when kids wake up until they go to sleep. We identify real problems for parents and children in Indonesia and see what’s necessary but still unavailable.

I mentioned skincare and books. Now, in less than a year, we’ve already launched a vitamin D gummy product. The problem is that almost 80% of Indonesian children are deficient in vitamin D, leading them to get sick easily and not grow optimally. Many parents don’t realize this, even though the Indonesia Pediatric Society recommends a daily supplementation of 600 IU (international units) of vitamin D.

What’s on the market is 400 IU, 1000 IU, or even 5000 IU. So we felt an urgency, supported by strong recommendations, to create a product that meets that exact need. We don’t want to push people to buy it; rather, they’ll naturally buy it because it’s essential. That’s always been our thinking: create something that’s needed, not just what competitors are doing or what’s trending.

Paulo: That’s interesting. If I’m not mistaken, vitamin D also has implications for children as they grow up. Could you elaborate?

Mesty: Yes. Some studies indicate that even when adults consume vitamin D supplements, their future babies can grow taller and have higher IQs. Actually, the recommendation isn’t only for children but for the whole family, because it correlates with the immune system.

Paulo: Definitely. This type of product isn’t just for children, so to speak.

Nationwide Reach and Future Goals

Paulo: I was curious—since Indonesia is a very complex market, sometimes we confuse it with just Jakarta, but there are many other cities and provinces. Garri, you can speak about how you’re seeing adoption nationwide. To what extent has Tentang Anak reached different parts of Indonesia?

Garri: In terms of the app, we already have users from Sabang to Merauke, so it pretty much covers all of Indonesia. One of our internal motivations for creating the app was the difficulty many areas face in accessing doctors. Maybe Dr. Mesty can add more on that.

But the fact that the app is free, and you can actually chat with one of our experts 24/7, has been very powerful for us internally. Secondly, in terms of our physical products—like books, skincare, and nutritional items—they’re now available in almost all tier-one and tier-two cities in Indonesia. They’re also found online and offline in major drugstores and supermarkets.

Paulo: So it’s not just e-commerce, right?

Garri: Correct. We’re also in places like Guardian, for example. Our goal isn’t just to create a needed product, but to ensure it’s easily and readily available wherever parents need it.

Paulo: Dr. Mesty, did you want to add anything about how Indonesia might evolve over the next few years regarding childcare? I know there are many household or family traditions passed down through generations, and Tentang Anak aims to update certain practices with more science- and medicine-based knowledge.

Mesty: Exactly, Paulo. Right now, access to accurate information is better than when our parents were raising us. Millennials are in their parenting phase, and many of them experienced “tiger parenting” or “helicopter parenting.” You see a lot of talk on social media about “inner child,” etc.

So, millennial and “alpha” parents are more conscious and mindful. They want to be more scientific and ensure they raise their children well. Tentang Anak came at the right time, when these parents are open to scientific information and eager to learn from experts.

What differentiates Tentang Anak from other platforms is that our information is very scientific and also reviewed by experts. We have more than 30 in-house experts, including pediatricians and child psychologists, allowing us to be a trusted, end-to-end platform for parents and children.

Paulo: As you mentioned earlier, you’re really focusing on what children and parents need rather than just following trends. I’d like to wrap up by discussing how you’ve grown as entrepreneurs over these past two years. You only started Tentang Anak two years ago, and in startup terms, two years can feel like ten. Could you share some anecdotes on how you’ve grown, either about yourselves or each other? 

Garri: Sure. It’s not just about how we’ve grown as entrepreneurs, but also how we’ve grown as a married couple. Early on, it was tough—everything felt blurry between work and home, including what each of us excelled at.

Over time, we’ve figured out clear lines: you do this, I do that, and I’ll seek help if I need it. That’s helped us evolve as parents, as partners, and as leaders at Tentang Anak. That’s the highlight for me.

Mesty: It’s been challenging for me, because I’m a pediatrician with no experience managing people. Over the last three years, the toughest part has been handling everyone’s expectations—employees’ and consumers’. It’s really tough.

But as founders, as a couple, and as individuals, we’ve grown very fast—faster than we imagined—especially in terms of communication. I’ve learned that communication is a priority for building relationships and ensuring the company grows.

That’s why we need very clear company values. We recently refined our DNA and values so every “family member”—our term for employees—really embraces them. We also realize the benefit of me being a CEO is that I have no preconceived notions from corporate life, so we can be more creative.

We follow a “3G” concept: Growth, Grit, and Gratitude. Sometimes we don’t grow as expected in certain months, but we push forward to make a positive impact on many people’s lives. For gratitude, it’s important to remind the team to be thankful for what we have right now.

Paulo: I can see how your pediatrician background brings an extra level of care to this business and organization—something you might not see as much in a corporate context. It’s inspiring for professionals who may lack a business background but have the passion to solve a problem.

Speaking of that goal, Garri, you mentioned at the start that you remain focused on nurturing the more than 80 million children in Indonesia. It’s a population that probably continues to grow. Where would you say Tentang Anak is in that journey, and what can our listeners or viewers look forward to?

Garri: We’ve already helped three million children in Indonesia so far, which is a huge number for a four-year-old company that only launched private-label products a year ago. But there are still 77 million children under the age of seven we haven’t touched yet.

The journey continues, and we’re still very focused on this for the next hundred years. We want Tentang Anak to be here and remain relevant for future problems that may arise. Achieving that means building a sustainable company with good governance, strong management, and succession planning.

It’s not just about growth numbers like hitting five or ten million users by 2025. We want strong fundamentals, and we want to achieve our goals with the same team we have today. Our hope is that both the company and our “family members” grow at the same pace—or even faster. If we can do those two things, then we’re doing something good. 

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Paulo: And yeah, thank you so much, Dr. Mesty and Garri, for joining us on this episode. I would be remiss not to mention the books on the table. Just before we go, maybe, Mesty, you can share what is your favorite? That’s not the full collection, right?

Mesty: This isn’t the whole collection. We have more than 35 SKUs right now, ranging from birth up to early teenage years. This one is our number one best seller. I think there are similar books in the U.S. or other parts of the world, but not in Indonesia, especially ones that reflect Indonesian culture.

Like the house is very Indonesian, and the animals they see are very Indonesian. We want our books to be highly relevant to Indonesian children and also aligned with their developmental stage. That’s why our books are developed not only by pediatricians but also with child psychologists, early childhood practitioners, and Montessori experts. We really want every page to be meaningful and keep children engaged.

Paulo: As someone who grew up on books myself, I think it’s great that you continue pushing books for the future generation. A lot of people say folks don’t read that many books these days, so it’s great you’re nurturing that habit. This episode should come out around the holiday season, so if anyone is still thinking of gift ideas, a book could be a good one for relatives or others in your life.

Once again, thank you, Dr. Mesty and Garri, for joining us on this call. I hope to catch you again—maybe two years is too long, maybe next year—when there’s something new and exciting you’re working on. In any case, I hope our listeners and viewers have learned more about Tentang Anak and why it’s so important for a business or brand like yours to exist in Indonesia, and about the mission you’re working towards.

There are now 77 million more children to reach, since you’ve already made progress. Thank you very much, Dr. Mesty and Garri, for going on call with us.

Mesty: Thank you, Paulo. Thank you, Insignia, for your trust from the beginning. Alright, thank you.