A few months after Zsofi had her first baby girl, she found herself drowning in photos—hundreds of daily snapshots capturing every tiny moment. But between WhatsApp threads, text messages, and various albums, sharing those updates with family felt messy and overwhelming. She wanted one simple place to do it all, and that’s when she discovered Tinybeans. “Right away, I saw the value and joy it brought my mum and grandma, and I was hooked,” she says. That was four years ago, and she’s since moved homes, moved jobs, and added another little girl to the fold, but through it all, she’s posted new memories every day since. To mark International Women’s Day, we had a chat with the woman at our helm, CEO Zsofi Paterson, who was a Tinybeans super-user long before she ever imagined she’d one day be running the show.
What made you believe in Tinybeans so much that you essentially pitched yourself for the job? Tinybeans had already proven its ability to bring joy and connection to families—including mine. Having led another successful global subscription business in the health and wellness space, I saw incredible potential in Tinybeans. I believed I could help make the product even better, reach more families, and have a meaningful impact. So I did my research, introduced myself to the board, and made my case for why I’m the woman for the job.
How has your own experience as a parent influenced how you lead the company? I get to practice authentic leadership every day because I truly believe in what we’re doing. As a busy, working mum, I am our core customer. That means I show up as both CEO and parent—I’m willing to share the real moments, the challenges, and the joys. I know firsthand how important it is to have a safe, private space to share family memories, and that drives every decision we make at Tinybeans.
You took on the CEO role while deep in your sleep deprivation era. What was that transition like? It was hard. My oldest daughter was nearly three, and my baby was just six months old. My husband took six months of parental leave to support me, ensuring our kids were cared for while I stepped into the role. Even now, balancing work and parenting is tough—hats off to all working parents!
It’s not that common for partners to take extended paternity leave. How did that decision come about? We’re lucky in Australia to have more generous parental leave policies, and we talked about it extensively. When my husband offered, I had already taken six months with both girls—why shouldn’t he get some time, too? His leave allowed me to lean into the job fully, knowing that our daughters were cared for.
Part of being a successful working parent is knowing you can’t do everything. What have you given up to make more time for what matters? Honestly, I focus on having a happy house, not a perfectly neat one. If I can’t see the floor under scattered toys for a few nights, that’s okay. I’ve also given up weeknight drinks or dinners with friends—I just can’t sustain a full workweek and be present as a mum if I do that. Now, I only go out for special occasions or important events.
When you have time off with your family, what kinds of memories are you making (to share on Tinybeans, of course)? Living on the Northern Beaches in Sydney, we love spending time in nature, and we’re always at the beach—early morning or late afternoon to avoid the intense Australian sun. As our daughters grow, we can’t wait for more adventures, from camping trips to overseas travel.
How can parents make good choices to protect their children in the digital age? What parents sometimes forget is that our kids can’t give us permission to post their silliest moments and cute little tushies online, and we never know how it might come back to haunt them in the future. We think protecting your kiddo’s digital footprint starts from birth, and we call it digital nesting. When you’re busy preparing the nursery in that third trimester whirlwind of nerves and excitement, take some time to think about your digtal boundaries too: how and where you’ll share updates, who will see, and what kind of examples you want to set for them around tech as they grow.
One of your greatest career lessons came from being rejected. How did that moment shape you? After nine interviews, I was devastated when I didn’t get a job at Vessel, a highly anticipated video startup. Instead of walking away, I went back, addressed the feedback, and asked them to re-interview me. I proved why I deserved to be there and I got the job. That experience taught me the power of persistence and self-belief and the value of feedback. Today, I try to provide constructive feedback to my team to support their growth, just as that experience shaped mine.
If you could tell your younger self one thing about work, life, or leadership, what would it be? Don’t sweat the small stuff or take everything so seriously. It’s hard when you want to be your best, but your own mindset and expectations can be the hardest thing to manage.
What’s next for Tinybeans? Any exciting changes or innovations on the horizon? Absolutely! We’re evolving our product to support families at every stage—from the early years of frequent sharing to phases of preservation and reflection. We’re also partnering with amazing companies to bring Tinybeans to their employees and customers, expanding our reach in meaningful ways.
As more parents rethink their relationship with social media, where do you see the future of digital sharing for families? In five years, I don’t think new parents will share their kids’ photos on public social platforms. The next generation is more aware of the risks and will seek alternative ways to preserve memories and connect. When that time comes, we’ll be here, ready to welcome them all to the Tinybeans community.
