Meghan Maupin — empire coven

Age || 29

Company Name || Atolla

Job Title || Co-Founder + CEO

Years Living In New York || 2

Social Handles || @m_maup, @atollaskinlab

Company Website || Atolla

What did you want to be while growing up?

I had two big career dreams as a kid: astronaut or marine biologist. Maybe that’s why I started a tech company and named it after a jellyfish. I think I always liked the idea of exploring the unknown, which is essentially what I do every day as an entrepreneur.

What’s the best piece of advice you were given when you were starting your company?

The execution is more important than the idea itself. We weren’t the first to imagine a personalized approach to skincare; the need for data-driven products and inclusivity in the skincare industry is pretty clear, how to accomplish it was less so. When we looked at our own experiences and the needs of the customer, we developed the innovative Atolla model—using physical skin testing and a feedback loop driven by machine learning.

What is your creative process like?

Although it’s never as linear as it might seem written down on paper, my creative process looks something like : 1. Observe, write notes. 2. Ask “why?” a ton of times. 3. Come up with some key assumptions and ideas. 4. Mock-up. 5. Test and refine continuously.

In the idea phase, I like the “Jobs to be Done” framework. There’s a difference between what people are buying and why they buy it. As a creative leader, I like to be collaborative during the observation and brainstorming phase, leave designers/creators (including myself) to execute and ideate on their own, and come back together for feedback and refinement. I think that for a personal creative process to take place, you need to build in dedicated, uninterrupted time to focus and create. The other reason why we never have team meetings on Fridays is so that people can create or learn new skills.

How do you define success?

I think success can be measured by your impact on others. I consider myself a successful manager if I help others on my team succeed. I consider myself a successful entrepreneur if my company can improve the quality of life for our customers.

What is the most important thing you’ve learned since starting out?

I’ve learned how universal Murphy’s Law is for any entrepreneurial venture, especially when you’re building an innovative product: anything that can go wrong will, so you can never have too many back-up plans. You have to keep going and finding a way forward; there’s a solution to every problem, sometimes you have to be more creative than others!

What is your go-to motivational quote?

There’s a Kerouac quote that goes something like, “At the end of your life, you’re not going to remember all the time spent mowing your lawn. Climb the goddamn mountain.” I’m generally not the biggest Kerouac fan, but I always think about that quote. Before starting a company, I thought about it as it pertained to my rock climbing and mountaineering hobbies. Now, it takes on a different meaning about why pursue an entrepreneurial idea you have—if you have the itch, it will itch at you your whole life. Climb that mountain, and give it your 100%.

What made you interested in starting your company?

I started Atolla because I had a problem I was trying to solve. In grad school at MIT when I started getting allergic reactions and breakouts, I had no idea what was causing them because skin is affected by so many things. I met my co-founder Sid, who was experiencing a similar problem with his eczema. Turns out, millions of people are suffering from skin issues and having a hard time finding a solution that is as adaptive as their skin. So we thought of a more scientific approach to skincare, where we could measure the impact of different ingredients and over time predict how someone’s skin was going to change.

Do you have a personal motto?

I was really inspired during the time I worked at Patagonia. Yvon Chouinard’s book “The Responsible Company” has had a huge impact on both my personal and professional life. Specifically the motto that we only need to create and consume things that have a purpose for existing and that are good for the people and the planet. The concept reminds me of a quote from the architect Glenn Murcutt: “Touch the ground lightly.”

As a CEO, I think about our footprint as we source ingredients, plan new product launches, and choose packaging. My thesis has been that a data-driven model can drive sustainability. Specifically by consuming a small amount of product, designed for your needs so nothing goes to waste. As a consumer, I try to shop local, sustainably, and second-hand whenever possible, and buy just what I need.

Which women inspire you?

I’m fortunate to have a great set of female mentors (previous bosses and colleagues) that I can go to for advice. Females working in the tech industry have a unique experience in such a male-dominated culture, which also plays out in venture funding. It’s inspiring to see women in tech fight for a more diverse workplace as women have been behind some of the most important technological inventions and companies of recent history (Grace Hopper, Annie Easley, Susan Kare, Megan Smith and many more).

How do you overcome moments of self-doubt?

Self-awareness is healthy as an entrepreneur to better understand your strengths and weaknesses. If I don’t think I can do something or I’m solving a problem that isn’t in my strength areas, can I find someone who is an expert? I do think there’s a lot of doubt that can come up through sharing your entrepreneurial ideas with people early on, especially being told what you want to accomplish isn’t possible. To me, I turn doubt into motivation, rather than letting it make me doubt myself. Every time I’ve been challenged about our new approach to skincare, it makes me think of the decades of status quo in the beauty industry and it motivates me to work even harder. Especially thinking about how we’ve been shown the same unrealistic beauty standards our whole lives and how that’s negatively affected so many women. Time for a change.

How do you balance your schedule?

I schedule everything and I follow the 80/20 rule. Getting burnt out isn’t good for you or your company. In the 80% of the time that I’m working, I’m trying to use my time as efficiently as possible. I give everyone Fridays off from meetings so that we can work on projects. And I try to schedule all my meetings in the morning to time-block my day.

In the 20% of time I’m not working, I love being outside hiking with my dogs or climbing, doing something that engages me both mentally and physically. I absolutely think that being a rock climber makes me a more effective entrepreneur, especially when it comes to thinking critically and problem solving, and most importantly being resilient (all my fellow climbers know what I’m talking about).

How do you handle situations where you feel overwhelmed?

I’m a list maker, so I always start there, whether it be a pro/con list or just writing down all the things I have going on so I can start to organize and prioritize. I found that once you start naming the stress, it becomes more manageable to think about it in smaller pieces. The times I feel most overwhelmed are the times I feel like I don’t have a plan yet. And you can’t underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep in bringing some clarity to important decisions.

What has been the most rewarding thing since starting out?

We started Atolla to help people who were struggling with their skin become more confident in their skin and skincare decisions. Nothing is better than hearing that you helped change a customer’s life. I think back to one customer who said that Atolla encouraged him to have a healthier lifestyle overall; after he started paying more attention to his skin, he started paying attention to other aspects of his health as well. I love hearing how Atolla is part of someone’s unique skin story, so we actually started a new blog series written by our users in their own words called “Skin Stories.”

What advice would you give to other women trying to create their own business or brand?

It’s hard for women to have their ideas be heard, whether by peers or by venture capitalists (who are predominately white males). It’s even harder when you’re talking to men about a female-focused industry. The best thing I’ve learned to do to get people to understand my idea is to come with the facts. Once you can convince them about the impact and size of your idea, you have a much better audience. On the flip side, I think it’s helpful for female entrepreneurs to help each other in whatever ways possible throughout their journey with advice, introductions, mentorship. So in that regard, I’m an open book about sharing my experiences and trying to help female entrepreneurs who are just starting out. To anyone reading this, feel free to email or message me at any time.

What are some of your goals moving forward for your company?

In the next year, I’m really excited about some product launches coming up, both in terms of our digital product (skin health tracking) and skincare products. I’m also excited to grow our team! Overall, our goal as a company is to build a robust data model that gives users the information they need to treat and more importantly, prevent skin issues. As we approach the first year anniversary of Atolla, I’d say we’re well on our way!

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.