About this episode
In this episode of the Andrew Romeo, CEO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady ai, speaks with Sarah-Jane Kurtini, Co-Founder of Tinybeans, Founder of PitchSlap.Me and positioning specialist at S-J Kurtini Consulting. Sarah shares her journey from scaling a global parenting tech platform to helping founders sharpen their product positioning, pitch narrative and growth strategy. Best known for taking Tinybeans from startup to ASX listing, she now focuses on helping early stage and scaling companies achieve product market fit through clear storytelling and structured thinking. This episode is essential listening for startup founders, non-technical entrepreneurs and tech leaders looking to improve positioning, pitch clarity and sustainable growth.
Sarah begins by unpacking the origin story of Tinybeans, which started as a milestone tracking tool inspired by her co-founder’s experience supporting his son’s speech development. The real breakthrough came when photo sharing was combined with developmental tracking, creating a product families returned to daily. By personally managing customer service in the early years, Sarah and her team ensured they were building around real user feedback rather than assumptions. That close connection to customers helped drive strong product market fit and ultimately positioned Tinybeans for international expansion and a successful ASX listing.
The conversation then turns to the realities of startup life, including taking financial risks, backing the right co-founder and committing deeply to a product you genuinely believe in. Sarah reflects on the importance of conviction, timing and solving a problem you personally understand. After exiting Tinybeans, she found herself drawn to the power of positioning as the foundation of growth. She explains that without clear messaging around the problem you solve and why you are different, efforts across SEO, paid advertising, sales and investor outreach often stall because confused buyers default to no decision.
This insight led to the creation of PitchSlap, an AI powered tool designed to help founders refine their narrative and improve their investor pitch. Initially launched as a simple MVP using a Google Form connected to the OpenAI API, PitchSlap validates demand while delivering structured feedback across six core building blocks: market gap, context, solution, traction, vision and team. The tool not only critiques a pitch but rewrites and strengthens it, producing a usable document and optional pitch deck output. By focusing on narrative arc and clarity, Sarah helps founders move from scattered messaging to a compelling investor ready story
