# Founder Feature: Steph Nightingale of Stimmie

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2025-08-15
- Length: 33m
- Episode: 182
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-08-15-founder-feature-steph-nightingale-of-stimmie
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/579c2b00

## Summary

Steph Nightingale, founder of Stimmie, explains how her 13 years of dental practice and patient feedback led to a premium, reusable ergonomic toothpick designed to clean areas traditional floss misses. She details her bootstrapping journey, securing angel investment through cold outreach, and pausing development for 18 months to fund a critical cap based on community requests. Nightingale discusses her manufacturing strategy, retail merchandising tactics like single-pack testing, and her vision for high-profile collaborations with brands like Erewhon and KISS.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Steph Nightingale and the Stimmie Concept
2. Product Design: Ergonomics, Naming, and Patient Feedback
3. Funding Strategy: Angel Investors and Kickstarter
4. Manufacturing and Supply Chain Challenges
5. Retail Strategy: Merchandising, Singles vs. Multi-packs, and Displays
6. Product Lifecycle, Cleaning, and Sustainability
7. Regulatory Landscape and Dental Professional Sales
8. Dream Collaborations: Erewhon, KISS, and The Masters

## Topics

- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Stimmie (product)
- Kickstarter (other)
- Erewhon (company)
- KISS (company)
- Unfi West (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Stasher and Modern Twist: Kat Nouri](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-11-22-stasher-and-modern-twist-kat-nouri) (How I Built This)
- [Aviator Nation: Paige Mycoskie](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-01-01-aviator-nation-paige-mycoskie) (How I Built This)
- [SmartSweets: Tara Bosch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-08-05-smartsweets-tara-bosch) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Andrew Abraham of Orgain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-05-16-advice-line-with-andrew-abraham-of-orgain) (How I Built This)
- [Outdoor Voices: Tyler Haney](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-11-25-outdoor-voices-tyler-haney) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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