Alasdair Bell is the brains behind “Yarda” – a tailored lawn nutrient subscription. He uses the analogy that Yarda is a little like “Hello Fresh”, but for your grass. He helps people get a great lawn, without the toxic stuff.
It all began when Alasdair was wanting to have a nice garden but realised he didn’t have a clue what he was doing – and that others didn’t have a clue either.
Customers are given a tailored lawn plan. Each solution uses climate and soil data from a group of experts to find the perfect mix for your patch of grass. Put simply, Yarda looks after your patch of grass, taking care of the science behind it, while all the customer needs to do is point and spray!
It sounds simple but Aladair says there were a few challenges when he started the business.
There is no-one doing what we do in Australia. And the majority of start-up folk you chat to don’t have a lawn. So you don’t have an instant connection with a potential team member / partner like you would in a more relatable startup. But the idea eventually sinks in and they get excited
Prior to working on Yarda, Alasdair was working on other startups; he launched cities for Uber, bikes for JUMP, and categories for Urban Company.
So far, the biggest success for Yarda has been the satisfaction of the customers.
“I love hearing from customers whose lawns have been transformed by the product. We’ve only really been trading for three months but the before / after photos are incredible and customers so happy!” Alasdair says.
“There are big plans for Yarda; we’ve got some exciting products in development which are totally new for Australia to help customers with their biggest issues – weeds and dry, patchy lawns.”
Being a part of the Fishburners community has been a huge help for Alasdair.
“The main thing has been keeping me sane. I joined after the final (four month long) lockdown, having started Yarda on day one from my kitchen table. Being able to talk to and learn from other start-ups every day is invigorating.”
“If I could give any advice to other startups, I’d say ‘Don’t worry. Keep pushing and you will find a way.’”