Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem do you solve?
Tatiana Varchola: Hifamilies is an app for parents* that enables families to build a community for greater acceptance in parenting issues. In addition to parents, the app also addresses all caregivers of children – regardless of gender identity, cultural background, sexual orientation, and parenting style. Hifamilies offers users a variety of search functions to find their perfect match. This way, every caregiver of children experiences support and acceptance based on their individual circumstances. Our society often lacks acceptance, tolerance, and diversity – yet this is especially important when it comes to parenting issues.
Munich Startup: But that's been around for a long time!
Tatiana Varchola: There are also countless different types of bread to buy in the supermarket (dating apps), why should we parents only buy one App to choose from. We also deserve to have a choice of platforms and to choose the one that suits us best.
Hifamilies has chosen to be inclusive. We are tolerant people with big hearts, yet still share the normal parenting challenges and joys that unite us all.
Getting to know your child app for parents
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Tatiana Varchola: I was pregnant with my first daughter at the time and had been looking for an app for mothers, but hadn't found one. 2011, however, was a time when apps were popping up everywhere, so I was convinced there would soon be an app for parents to get to know each other. Fast-forward a few years to my second pregnancy with my son, and lo and behold, there was still no app that appealed to me, so I decided to launch my own app for parents during my pregnancy.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Tatiana Varchola: All because I had no prior knowledge of how or where to begin, or even how to start a business. However, I had a vision, and I wanted to see it realized.
Munich Startup: Where would you like to be in one year, where in five years?
Tatiana Varchola: Hifamilies aims to be a well-known platform for parents, used by thousands of users, so that as many families as possible can receive more support. I hope users will use features like group chat to share advice on a wide range of topics and be there for one another.
In 5 years, the app should be so well established in all DACH countries that we can go international.
“Acceptance in Berlin was higher”
Munich Startup: How have you experienced Munich as a startup location so far?
Tatiana Varchola: Difficult, indeed. I started in Berlin, as I was still living there, and the app was very well received there. It's also been enthusiastically adopted in Munich, but a bit too slowly and hesitantly for my taste. Acceptance in Berlin was higher.
Munich Startup: Risk or security?
Tatiana Varchola: The entire project was a risk from the beginning and was primarily privately funded because I didn't want to see my idea of an app for parents, which was built on tolerance from the very beginning, corrupted. It wasn't about making a quick buck, but rather about building something with value.
Note on the interview by Hifamilies: *Parents here refer to all persons who are responsible for children entrusted to them, whether biologically or legally. Parents/parents could also be used interchangeably with terms like "primary caregiver" or "main caregiver."
