Interview with ClearForMe Founder & CEO Sabrina Noorani (FI New York)

Okay, my name is Dustin Betts. I'm the content editor at the Foundry Institute, and I'm here with Sabrina Narani. She's the founder and CEO of Clear For Me, a product discovery tool that empowers customers with clear and simple ingredient information so that they can shop with confidence. Sabrina Narani, thank you for joining me.

Thanks, Dustin. I'm happy to be here.

So before we kind of dive into your startup Clear For Me, I always like to kick it off with the question, just tell us a little bit about yourself, your own entrepreneurial journey, you know, professional or personal, what was it that led you to founding this ingredients transparency company?

Sure, so I, I guess to kind of take it back, I'm an Indian immigrant who's 4 generations from Tanzania in East Africa, and my family immigrated to Miami when I was 8, and that's where I had to really navigate a huge life change. And I think throughout my childhood, a core theme of my upbringing was trying to get comfortable with while being uncomfortable. So I took a bio out of everything. I was on the debate team. I participated in math competitions. I was the captain of my volleyball and basketball team, student government, kind of tried it all. And then when I was 17, I decided to move to New York by myself and go to NYU. And, you know, kind of just kept evolving. And when I graduated, I went on a really untraditional path there as well. I became an options floor trader. So I was a floor trader on the New York Stock Exchange floor. And then I worked for a hedge fund that was launching an institutional desk, which was kind of its first of its kind after the '08 crisis. So during that time, it's been a bit of a repeated— I guess a muscle memory I've been building of just getting used to always trying to get used to things and new things and throwing myself into things. And I unfortunately had a situation while I was a trader at Citadel. My lips started to puff up one day and it started, they started to puff up, itch, the skin tightened around my lips and was peeling around my entire mouth so much that I started to get staph infections. And that started my path to starting Clear For Me and getting really honed in on solving ingredient transparency.

Awesome, I love it. That's a really great kind of context for to kick it off. And so I know because I've spent time on your website, you know, reading that, that Clear for Me, you basically, it manages the most comprehensive ingredient database on the market. So you're mapping SKUs so that customers can actually find really easily the products that are kind of right for them. But let's kind of hear it from you in your own words as the founder. Kind of give us your, you know, 2-3 minute elevator pitch. What is Clear For Me?

Sure. So as consumers' desire for education, transparency, and personalization continues to increase in, you know, in today's world, Clear For Me essentially helps retailers and brands meet this demand with speed and innovation. So we are the cloud for cosmetic ingredients. We manage the most comprehensive database, like you mentioned. We have 180,000 ingredients on our platform, and we store fact-based information about these ingredients. And so what we do is we standardize ingredient information so we can make ingredients clickable, searchable, and shoppable wherever the consumer is engaging with them.

Awesome. I love that. And so one thing that I kind of learned, well, so just like food, you know, people rightfully, they're careful about what they put on themselves. It gets absorbed into your skin, into your body. And so it was a surprise to me, I guess, as a male, somebody who doesn't really use that many kind of cosmetic products, just how little transparency that there is in the market right now. So can you kind of talk about that a little bit? Like why this is such a big problem, like how prevalent it is in the industry?

Yeah, it's so prevalent. So there is no standardization of ingredient names in cosmetic products and how they're labeled. Quite simply, when I learned what was going on with my lips, I found out one of the things I'm allergic to is fragrance. And I thought, of course, like I'm motivated to not have what was going on on my mouth, so I can avoid fragrance. Then I learned when I was walking out the door from my dermatologist, there's 32 different synonyms that are used in ingredient names for fragrance. And I'm like, wait a minute. And even as I continue my journey and I was looking for good ingredients and things that could potentially be nourishing for my skin, something as basic as vitamin C, which is the most popular anti-aging ingredient out there, there's 35 different synonyms used in ingredient names. Ingredient labels. Salicylic acid 12. So that was kind of this, you know, the impetus behind this is that there is just no standardization, which creates two problems. One, consumers, no matter what it is that they're searching for, are in an impossible situation to try to navigate the product discovery experience for themselves to find what they need. And at the same time, because there is no standardization in ingredient names, it makes it very difficult for retailers and brands to deliver true personalization when they're trying to meet their customer's needs based on what their customers care most about.

Awesome. Yeah, so that really tees up kind of my next question quite well, actually. So I know your product and your database, there's kind of like an API that delivers this solution to the retailers, to the cosmetics companies. Can you just tell us a little bit about sort of how that works? And yeah.

Yeah, so it's simple. What we do is essentially when we work with a brand or retailer, We take their product inventory, their ingredient list specifically, we connect that to the information we have on our platform, you know, the fact-based information. So synonyms, common names, chemical names, and then we also have a very simple user-friendly definition for these ingredients. And then via our API, brands and retailers plug into our database to essentially create a wide range of front-end and back-end experiences tailored to this. So a really popular experience is what we launched with, was with Credo, Beauty, who is the largest clean beauty retailer in the US and the fastest growing. We are on their PDP. So when you think about, when you look at a product page on any site, you can always see an ingredient list. It's the standard. But that information, as I mentioned, is still hard to decipher and hard to navigate because it kind of looks like it's in a foreign language. What Clear For Me's API allows Credo to do is display the ingredient information but make it an immersive experience. So customer with our API can now click on each ingredient and see a definition. See other products that have this ingredient because we connect that information on our backend. So it makes it a clickable experience. But most importantly, it makes it a frictionless way for a customer to engage with the product on the PDP. For a retailer, it's great because their customer gets that and gets their questions answered immediately, and they don't leave the site. So it's twofold. It helps the customer understand and be able to feel confident about what they're buying. And it also allows a retailer to answer those questions in an automated and a really interactive, fun way for their customers.

Yeah, I love that, like them not having to leave the site and yet like the result is the consumer peace of mind and confidence that, you know, if they're trying a new product, like this is actually something that works for me. I want to ask you next about your big news. I know you have a new partnership with Ulta and I believe it's called like their Conscious Beauty platform. You want to unveil your big news for us?

Yes, so this Tuesday, July 14th, Ulta announced their incredible path to transform the industry, the Conscious Beauty at Ulta Beauty. And that really was built to educate, guide, and simplify product choices for all guests. And one of their key strategic partners is Clear For Me, and we are going to be the backend that helps them deliver that for their guests across, you know, 5 key pillars that they are launching with. And then also the ingredient data management on the backend to download down the road, like we mentioned, create the most incredibly immersive and educational way for customers to shop on their site, like interactive ingredient information, searchability across all of their channels. And so we're super excited. They're an incredible partner. And to now be on the face of something with the largest beauty retailer in the United States, it's an incredible honor for us and we're so proud.

I'm excited for you. As somebody who doesn't know much about the cosmetics industry, even I have heard of Ulta forever. That's really, really cool. And yeah, congratulations. We at Founder Institute are definitely excited for you. Thank you. Yeah. So I want to ask you about kind of big challenges, you know, specifically for you as a founder, maybe thinking back to pre-MVP before you had all this traction. What were some of the early big challenges that you faced and how did you go about kind of overcoming them?

Yeah. So I think in the really early stages, one of my challenges was Being able to be just, you know, I had a vision of where I wanted to go. But when you start to, you know, you have this idea and you share it with people that could be experts and mentors, like some people that you really look up to. Also, you find that your idea starts to get pulled in different directions, like you should do it like this, or I really see this happening like, you know, in this format, or it's, you know, I see, you know, and you're like, oh yeah. And so I think that was a really big challenge for me where I got wrapped up in that in the beginning and started chasing chasing ideas that I realized at the core wasn't my vision. And so I think, you know, taking the time to be really clear and then being really strong in the beginning and putting my foot down and saying no, like, I really believe I don't want to create an app. I want it to be where customers shop and go that channel so that way it's seamless for them. And I just, you know, it took me some time to get back there, but I think that was a key challenge for me in terms of being able to Take good feedback, but then really make, really, you know, take the time to just understand and then, and take what I can from it, but listen to my gut in terms of where I really wanted to go. Yeah.

I love that advice because I think it's so applicable for almost any founder. Like, you know, take it, you know, you're going to get a ton of good feedback. You're going to get some bad feedback, like take it with a grain of salt and like, yeah, true to your vision. Yeah. That's just like, it's applicable across for anybody. Love that. Yeah.

And it's easy for any founder, especially when you don't have the credit, you're not out there and you're not recognized as a leader in this and in terms of that market validation. And so you're looking to others for advice, which is great. And I've had some incredible mentors that have given me some incredible guidance and support to get me to where I am. But I think it's really important at the end of the day, whatever feedback you're getting is what feels right to you, because it's only going to come out the way you want it to come out if you're doing what you really want to do.

Awesome. Yeah. One other question I want to ask next is one that I also like to ask founders, which especially right now when you've got new impressive traction. So that might be the answer. But you've obviously worked really hard to get the company to where it is today, to build it. And what's one thing that you've accomplished, that you've achieved, that you're really proud of?

I mean, when I first started and I switched to the model I wanted to follow, which is the B2B model, I, at the top of my vision board, had always thought of Credo Beauty as like the leader. They were just the first one to really bring clean beauty to the masses, create a very strict standard around it. And I thought that they were just so innovative in how they were approaching it. To be able to, you know, I stalked Annie Jackson, who was the co-founder. Like, I really, you know, tried to get those meetings and get in front of her. And to have that moment where I was, you know, meeting with her and the CEO, Don, and just sitting there, it was like the biggest pinch-me moment ever, just to be able to do that and have them say, yes, like, your vision, like, we need that, and let's do it, and let's partner together. And I think that was something that I'm incredibly proud of because they were people that I was looking up to and then to be able to make it happen. And I'm so grateful because they are just an incredible team and a really good company and really good partner for us.

Do you think that Credo, like, they recognized your, I guess, you early, maybe like the value early because you are so well aligned with that part of it or just the really persistent, like, following on LinkedIn?

I think it was It was— there was persistence and it wasn't just with Annie. I started to try to get persistence around other key stakeholders at the company. And so that was one thing. But at the end of the day, it came into being aligned on the mission. And something that was really helpful is I brought it to life visually for them so they could see what it was that I was doing. And I think when I did that, it was a clickable demo and it was what looked exactly like on their site would look so they could really see exactly where I was going with this vision and what the capability could look like for them as a retailer, for their store associates, but more importantly, their customers. And I think at that moment, I remember feeling when I showed that, that it was like I just saw like the eyes kind of like, or the, you know, the chest kind of, it just felt like I could feel them. And it was actually a virtual meeting at the time. And it was an incredible experience. I think by being able to show them visually is what I think is what we connected to it. How we connected. Yeah.

I love that because that's also applicable for other founders who are building software products, whether it's an app or like yours is more of a B2B. So that's good advice for models and clickable demos. Yeah. Great. Other advice, the question I like to throw in is like other advice that you have for other early-stage entrepreneurs, maybe something that you wish you would have been told earlier on in your entrepreneurial journey, just generic sage wisdom. You want to dole out any?

Yeah, it's a really great question. Something that I realized is it's essentially putting a measurable measure around your goal and a deadline. I think, you know, sometimes there's this thing I've learned about living in the gap versus the gains. And so, you know, I always wanted to bring ingredient transparency to life. And that's something that is always like a goal I can meet, but it's on the horizon. I'm not measuring it anyway. So even if I, if I just say I want to do this, I want to bring ingredient transparency to life, but what does that look like to me and how would I define that as a success? And once, actually right before Credo, I said, you know, if I don't land this contract with Credo by the end of this year, I know, you know, that's my cue that this isn't, you know, it's time for me to move to something else or pivot. And when I then land, when I made that happen, I was then able to like say, I could actually look back and say, oh wow, like I actually then reached the goal I was setting versus just a general goal of like, I wanted to bring this to life for all customers. I think something that is the takeaway for this is essentially have a goal that you can actually measure and have a timeline on that or deadline really on that goal so that way you can make the decision to move forward versus being in a place where you're just spinning your wheels in the same area and just not finding a breakthrough from it.

I love that. That's also really, really applicable advice across. You've done really good with, I feel like, things that are applicable to lots of people. That's awesome.

I mean, it's a journey.

Yeah, yeah, definitely. And that's what I want to ask you about last. Final question is, you know, just where is Clear For Me headed next? Any other news or updates to share with the community or any asks for our audience or the FI network?

Oh yeah. So, you know, we just launched, we just, this partnership with Ulta just launched. So for, you know, the next 6 months right now is to focus on onboarding all of Ulta Beauty's brands that they have over you know, over 750 brand partners on their platform and growing quite fast. So our goal is to onboard them and get as many of their brands onto our platform to be able to certify to be and participate in conscious beauty. And so we can, on a collective mission, bring all customers, you know, on a journey to greater transparency, increased product choices when they're shopping, and at the end of the day, personalization. And so that's what we're up to. And, you know, It's kind of what we're going to be focused on. You might not see me for a while because I'm just going to be head down in execution mode now.

That's awesome. No, that's good to hear. Yeah, that's just really cool. I mean, this has been a really enlightening chat about consumer transparency in an industry that I didn't know that much about, but it just sounds like we're really all really excited about your solution and for keeping up with Clear for Me and where you're headed. So Sabrina Narani, thank you so much for joining me.

Thanks, Dustin. It was awesome. And we're super— I'm super excited to be a part of the FI community. This is where my idea got started and where I got the, you know, where I was able to actually create this idea into a company. So I'm forever grateful.

Awesome. Well, hey, so pleased to catch up with you. Thank you.

Yeah, same. Thanks.