Phoebe Gates, the youngest daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, recently launched her own e-commerce startup. She created the app, named Phia, with her former Stanford roommate, Sophia Kianni.
Phia is a web browser and app that helps people compare prices for both new and second-hand fashion items across over 40,000 websites. It uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to find the best deals, much like how Booking.com works for travel bookings.
When Phoebe first told her father, Bill Gates, about her business idea, he had mixed feelings. He thought, “Many people have tried e-commerce, and there are already big companies in this space.” He was also a little nervous, thinking she might ask him for money. Bill admitted, “I probably would have kept her on a short leash, checking her work constantly, which could have been tricky.”
On the other hand, her mother Melinda Gates was very encouraging. She told Phoebe that she should raise the money herself and learn from the experience, even if it meant making mistakes. Phoebe calls her mother her “rock” and appreciated her support.
Bill Gates also said that Phoebe is very different from him. While he tends to be more reserved, Phoebe is very social and loves meeting new people. He shared a sweet story: “During family vacations, while we stayed off to ourselves, Phoebe would go talk to strangers on the beach and bring them back to meet us!”
