Startup Leader Spotlight: Greg Yeutter
Greg Yeutter
Founder, Bedtime Bulb
www.bedtimebulb.com
LinkedIn | @yeutter
Facebook | @bedtimebulb
Instagram | @bedtimebulb
Meet Greg Yeutter, the Philly Startup Leader committed to making lighting simple and healthy with Bedtime Bulb, a low-blue light bulb for healthy sleep.
Take one look at Yeutter’s history and it’s clear that he’s got a passion for lighting (and years of experience to back it up). Dig a little deeper and you’ll discover that this passion goes way back. Like, wayyyy back.
“My first word was ‘light’. Growing up, I built an animated holiday light show that won our city’s contest so many times, it was disqualified.”
Yeutter’s been working on “the blue light problem” since 2011, when he first studied and worked as a Circadian Lighting Researcher at a Drexel lab. This is where he first realized the negative impact that artificial light sources have on the human body and how important this issue really is. As a result, he started dlux LLC in 2014 – the first circadian lighting controls company – participated in the 2015/16 PSL Accelerator, sold the company at the end of the program and went on to lead healthy lighting strategy at LUXTECH until 2017. Of course, this wasn’t the end of Yeutter’s lighting journey; in January of 2018, he founded Bedtime Bulb.
“Bedtime Bulb grew out of my ongoing desire to make lighting healthy. My previous projects were ahead of their time, and I realized the market needs something much simpler and more affordable.”
Despite the fact that it took almost a year to get the product ready – “because most manufacturers thought I was crazy, that nobody would buy this” – Bedtime Bulb is now available on Amazon. Yeutter hopes to change our relationship with light through simple, healthy lighting products, and he claims that Bedtime Bulb is just the beginning.
“There are billions of lights in the U.S. alone. I see us as having made a significant dent in redefining people’s perception of light and to still be growing 5 years from now.”
Why did you choose to startup in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is a big city with a great community but without the exorbitant cost of living of NYC, SF, DC, and others. Our proximity to NYC means I can take advantage of the ecosystems of both cities. I live and work in Spruce Hill, a gorgeous, diverse neighborhood. We are a product of our environment and the people around us, and that extends to business.
What is the single-most valuable habit or tool you’ve used to set yourself up for success?
Mindfulness. Every day, I practice yoga, meditate, and take a long walk. I recently started wearing a rubber band on my wrist as part of a non-reactivity experiment.
What is your current work/life balance compared to your GOAL work/life balance?
For me, it’s not a question of efficiency or working a certain number of hours per week. It’s about doing the amount of work necessary to make something successful. I have no goal in this area other than to maximize impact while preserving my health and sanity.
What is something you struggle with?
Only recently have I realized the value of saying no to all but the most essential. I still struggle with this, but I feel that I’m getting better at it.
Name your Top 3 personal interests or hobbies… outside of work.
Minimalism.
Visiting cities worldwide—just got back from Seoul.
Reading. Top book recommendation: Essentialism by Greg McKeown
Paying it forward is important. What skill, service, or expertise would you like to share with the PSL Community?
A lot of founders struggle with the minimum in minimum viable product. Speaking from experience, this causes the product launch to be delayed as unnecessary features are implemented. I would love to grab coffee and talk through your target market, business goals, and product roadmap, with the goal of helping you minimize your MVP and get to market faster.
To get connected with Greg Yeutter – Founder of Bedtime Bulb – visit:
LinkedIn | @yeutter
Instagram | @gregyeutter
Website | gregyeutter.com
www.bedtimebulb.com
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Philly Startup Leaders is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization on a mission to help current and future founders succeed – in Philadelphia, and beyond.