Nancy Lublin (2017)

Text isn't new. Applying text to crisis, doing it 24/7 on a national scale? Thats pretty cool. But not our biggest innovation.

Stack ranking based on severity. Thats innovative...and important! Thanks to some fancy work by our data science and engineering teams, we're able to triage and take the most high-risk texters first. Those minutes mean more lives saved.

Ahhh! Hi!!!
Apparently it will be in October. Hoping to finalize the location in next two weeks.
Wheeeee!!!

All of our Supervisors have a masters degree in a relevant mental health field like psych, social work, human services, etc. (And we have 1 minister!)

People often think that money is the main barrier. And, indeed, its really really tough to raise seed capital for new things. (Many funders have "buckets" they like--and if your idea is truly innovative, it might not fit old buckets!)

I have found that the biggest obstacle is actually time. I dream up ideas every week. Why do some ideas become real things and other ideas die in my head? Time. Is it the right time for me to jump in it--or am I distracted? Is the world ready for this idea? Do other people have the mindshare to hear this idea now? Timing...and luck...are under-appreciated crucial hurdles.

Four main crisis areas: (a) ~30% of all our conversations are about depression. (b) The second most popular topic is anxiety. (c) Nearly 1 in 5 texters mentions self harm. (d) Another common topic is family issues.

Good question! We think of ourselves as a tech company (not-for-profit) that is focused on mental health.

Hi! Thanks for being a Crisis Counselor!!! (Maybe people will reply here asking you about that experience!)

International expansion: yes! We expect to launch in Canada and the UK in the fall. And, expect more countries in 2018 and 2019. We are very excited to bring our service to people around the world--especially to places where there are few options. We're also excited about the data from these countries! Imagine the things we will learn and be better able to impact!

My own professional success? My favorite moments as a leader are when I see an employee find his/her swim lane and nail it. Running startups, I tend to have a lot of twentysomethings on staff. They are experiencing so much for the first time--falling in love, losing a parent, living on their own, etc. They are figuring so much out--including what they're good at, how they like to set up their desk, what motivates them, etc. Its a privilege to work alongside with people as they navigate these life moments and work style. Seeing people find themselves? Oh! Those have been my fav moments.

I didn't have a background in mental health or tech! Now I do. When I hire people, I'm looking for 3 things (adapted from DJ Patil): (a) Would we want to be in a bunker with you? (So, are you boring or an asshole? Pass!) (b) Can you hit a homerun in 90 days? We move fast. You game? (c) Are you capable of doing something amazing in 4-6 years? Don't come here and coast--we want people who like to learn, ask questions, try new things.

So, I don't really care where you went to school (or if you went to school!) And it doesn't matter who your daddy is. We're looking for attitude, capabilities, and skills. In that order.

There are lots of entrepreneurs who fall in love with the product or the ability to make something--ie, you have the ability to make purple ketchup and so you ship it.

For me, I make things for people. I get inspiration from people. I dig solving actual people's problems.

Right now, that means making things for our Crisis Counselors. These volunteers are incredible people, using their free time to help strangers. If I could kiss every one of these volunteers on the mouth, I would! Instead, we spend most of our time thinking about products and policies to make this volunteer work more rewarding, more predictable, easier, etc.

Hi!!!
Volunteering isn't for everyone. It takes a special kind of person to be a Crisis Counselor. (Thank you!!) Since these people have unusual knack for empathy--they are also caregivers in their daily life. So, teachers, moms, that sister who takes care of everyone, that guy in your college dorm who just seems to always be there to help. So, these are busy people! And their lives can get messy. Sometimes, we lose them to "life things" and thats a bummer.

Breaking my heart. Sigh. Yoda. Miss you, buddy.
I mean, she mastered the force in like 6 minutes. THAT bummed me out. (Not a Force Awakens fan...)

We are essentially a marketplace--like Etsy, AirBnb, Lyft, etc... The key to marketplaces is nailing the supply-side. (Does Etsy have enough great sellers? Does AirBnb have lots of great inventory in key locations? Does Lyft have drivers at 2am in the rain?)

So, our challenge is making sure we have enough Crisis Counselors and that they have a terrific experience.

I have a one-touch rule. If I open it, I finish it.

What? Didn't hear that.

Remember that you are strong. You made a brave choice reaching out for help. That was a super step. Give yourself some credit for making that smart move!

First, thanks for entering the field of therapy! Yay!
Second, we are not therapy. We believe in it and sometimes refer people to other things and places for that kind of support. We are crisis intervention--we don't diagnose and we're not intending to be long-term care.
Sooo, we don't trigger many of the guidelines for mental health professionals.
However, there are state-specific things like local resources, mandatory reporting requirements, etc.

We need more on-the-ground resources!!! We send 4% of our texters to an offline referral. (Think rape kit, substance abuse clinic, hospital, etc.) Sometimes it is hard to find good options. There need to be more clinics, more professionals in schools, more options! And it all needs to be at low cost or no cost.

Without these resources, many people turn to emergency rooms. This is expensive for the individual (and our country!) And, the emergency room is often not the best care option for people with mental health issues.

Yeah, I think Luke is a pretty good guess. The film certainly is set up to be about him. But its pretty clear that Rey (and Kylo Ren) have that Jedi thing in them. (Please don't make me reference midichlorian counts...) So, it is possible that there are others...

Thank YOU!!
We have done zero marketing of our service. We just keep growing via word-of-mouth. So, the best thing you can do is share your authentic feelings about us!
A anonymous person once posted on Imgur that we saved his/her life. It went viral and sent a ton of traffic our way--how beautiful that one great experience resulted in other people finding help too!!!

Clint is my favorite CC named Clint. How much? From here to the moon...and back.
Obvi.

Hi! Thanks for volunteering!!
I found a genie lamp. I rubbed it. And with my 3 wishes I got Chris Johnson as founding CTO, Bob Filbin as founding Chief Data Scientist, and a lot of luck along the way.

Thanks for volunteering!
We want to help as many people as we can--in ways that make them feel stronger. We're already in Facebook Messenger and Kik. Expect us to expand to other messaging platforms.