Startup Spotlight #33: Catch (YC W19)

Catch is creating a new safety net that is accessible, affordable, and effective.

Sep 24, 2020

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I got the chance to speak with Kristen Anderson, co-founder and CEO of Catch, about what she’s working on at her startup, and any advice she has for emerging entrepreneurs.

Kristen is the co-founder & CEO at Catch, a Y Combinator-backed startup combining savings, investment, and insurance for those without access to employer benefits. Early in her career, she worked with Commonwealth to design and scale innovative savings products that now serve more than 80 million consumers. Kristen also helped launch one of the first student loan repayment SaaS benefits platforms. Kristen has lived on four continents and has a Masters in International Business from Hult and Bachelors in Mathematics and Economics from Pepperdine University.

Startup Spotlight: Catch

Catch cofounder and CEO Kristen Anderson.

Problem: Independent workers don't have access to a system to manage their benefits: tax withholding, retirement, health insurance are fragmented and difficult to navigate by yourself.

Market: People who don't get benefits from an employer: freelancers, contractors, gigsters, part-time, and those at small businesses who don't offer comprehensive benefits.

Solution: An app that offers an automated paycheck experience. No matter how you get paid, or how often, automatically set aside for benefits. Get more affordable health insurance.

Team: What makes us special? We're solving the problem no one else was willing to.

Recent Success:

Anderson: We've been really successful at two things: understanding our customers and managing regulation. Not falling into stereotypical tropes but truly listening to customers is rare in venture-backed tech (especially when serving people who don't look like you). We are constantly interviewing, observing, and talking to our users with absolutely no goal other than learning. We also have the execution chops to overcome significant regulatory hurdles: we are the only company in the world with banking capabilities, investment management licensing, and insurance appointments with 174 insurance carriers in 39 states.

Recent Struggle:

Anderson: Human psychology makes it hard for people to plan for the future when our culture rewards short term thinking and addiction. Setting aside for your retirement in stable and proven investment vehicles is a lot less sexy than using a gamified day-trading app. We've had to make our product smooth, easy, and inevitable leaning on the fact that people don't *want* to think about taxes, retirement and health insurance. Outsourcing unpleasant tasks is a very different mindset from convincing someone to log in and "play" every day.

Founder Advice:

Anderson: Know the "why" of your entrepreneurship journey. Are you motivated by status and wealth or mission and vision? Taking the time to be clear on your motivation makes incessant decision-making easier. Coherent strategy and execution are dependent on consistent values. You'll feel it in your stomach when your motivation and your strategy aren't the same — be sure to listen to that voice.

Three Cool Founders You Should Know About:

Anderson: Here are three founders you should check out next!

Shannon Goggin, Founder of Noyo: Noyo is building the digital infrastructure to bring health insurance enrollment into the modern era.
Nick Soman, Founder of Decent: Decent provides affordable health insurance for self-employed people, and then for all.
Stefania Olafsdottir, Founder of Avo: Avo is a next-generation analytics governance tool improving how product managers, developers, and data teams plan, track, and govern product analytics across organizations.

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