Today we’d like to introduce you to Geetika Sinha.
Hi Geetika, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
How I Started SitByCare
I founded SitByCare out of a deeply personal experience — one marked by grief, isolation, and the overwhelming challenges of caregiving in an unfamiliar city during my daughter’s hospitalization. That time opened my eyes to the emotional and logistical gaps in care support systems, especially for people navigating healthcare and aging alone.
With a strong entrepreneurial spirit and no external funding, I bootstrapped SitByCare from the ground up. My mission was clear: build a compassionate, tech-enabled platform that connects people in need — especially seniors and families — with trusted, vetted companions who can “sit by” their side during critical moments.
I didn’t just build a product — I created a two-sided marketplace where empathy meets efficiency. I also recognized that AI could play a meaningful role in building scalable, personalized care solutions.
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Where We Are Today
Today, SitByCare is live — the platform has been launched, and although it’s currently pre-revenue, the foundations are solid:
• I have defined core value proposition and honed in on senior homes and care organizations as my key target audience.
•I am actively positioning AI as a differentiator in how SitByCare matches, supports, and communicates with care seekers and sitters.
• I have created strategic materials like mentor one-pagers and marketing plans (including Amazon Activate support) to fuel partnership conversations and growth.
• I am steadily building credibility — not just through tech, but through the authenticity of my story and the integrity of my mission.
SitByCare is now at a crucial early-stage growth phase: laying the groundwork for customer traction, mentor backing, and strategic collaborations — all while holding firm to the empathy that started it all.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Struggles Along the Way
• Born from personal grief: SitByCare started from the pain of losing my daughter while I was alone in a new city. Turning that grief into something meaningful has been both my drive and my heaviest burden.
• Bootstrapped : I built everything from the ground up without any funding. I’ve had to wear every hat — founder, builder, marketer, customer support — while carrying the emotional and financial weight alone.
• Marketplace challenges: Creating a two-sided platform meant solving the chicken-and-egg problem daily — finding sitters, earning user trust, and balancing both sides with limited resources.
• Balancing AI with compassion: I believe AI can enhance care, but introducing it into such a human, emotional space has taken care and sensitivity.
• A lot of “no’s”: I’ve heard more rejections than I can count — from mentors, partners, and accelerators — especially early on when all I had was a vision.
• Navigating alone: Without an ecosystem around me, I’ve had to navigate uncertainty, doubt, and tough calls mostly on my own.
• Pre-revenue pressure: SitByCare is still pre-revenue, so every step forward has required belief — in the mission, in the market, and in myself.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about SitByCare?
At SitByCare, I lead every part of the business as the founder and sole operator. I built and launched the platform from scratch, designing a two-sided marketplace that connects families and seniors with trusted sitters in moments of need. I set the vision and strategy, ensuring that every decision — from product design to messaging — stays true to our mission of human-centered care. I also lead our integration of AI, focusing on ways to personalize support and improve sitter matching while preserving the emotional sensitivity of caregiving. Day to day, I’m deeply involved in customer discovery, engaging directly with users and senior homes to refine our offering. I handle business development, partnerships, and outreach, while also managing operations, onboarding, and user support. Every part of SitByCare reflects my hands-on work and personal commitment to building a compassionate, trustworthy platform from the ground up.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
A glimpse into what inspires and supports me as I build SitByCare.
📚 Books
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things – on the realities of startup life
• When Breath Becomes Air – a profound reminder of why care matters
📱 Apps
• Notion – for staying organized and building with clarity
• Calendly – to simplify conversations with sitters and partners
🎧 Podcasts
• How I Built This – raw, real founder journeys
• Reboot Podcast – emotional insight for mission-driven leadership
Pricing:
- $15/hr for care companionship
- $5.99 for subscription fee for social companionship
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sitbycare.com/
