---
title: 'International Expansion Lead at Tin Can'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/international-expansion-lead-tin-can-seattle-pj7hjmxgbvzy'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-09'
---

# International Expansion Lead at Tin Can

- **Company:** Tin Can
- **Location:** Seattle, WA
- **Compensation:** $190k–$220k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-03
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/tin-can/160f1fed-5d48-46a3-a533-936762d1afac

## Job description

## ABOUT TIN CAN

Tin Can is building a safer, simpler way for kids to connect — without smartphones. We're creating screen-free, delightful devices and services that let families call the people who matter most, free from the noise of today's digital world.

We're building a bold, authentic, nostalgic, and kinda quirky brand that resonates with folks who want something simpler & better for their kids than the tech-infused lives we're currently living (and who have a sense of humor about it). As we gear up to reach more families both at home and abroad, we're looking to bring on an International Expansion Lead to help make it happen.

## THE ROLE

A kid in another country wants exactly what a kid here wants: to call their best friend without a smartphone in the way. Our first international markets are close to launch — devices are on their way, the compliance work is underway, the phones will work when they arrive. What we don't have is anyone whose whole job is making families over there want one.

That's this role. On day one you pick up growth in our first expansion markets. As those markets find their footing, you'll take full ownership of them — not just demand, but everything it takes to operate there. Every country after that is yours end to end. You'll report to one of our co-founders and work alongside the people already deep in this: ops on fulfillment and hardware, engineering on making the service work abroad, legal on the regulatory maze. Early on, success will look less like a brilliant strategy and more like a willingness to run through walls.

## WHAT YOU'LL DO

- Own demand in our first international markets from day one, turning early traction into a base that compounds
- Build local go-to-market strategies and campaigns that make Tin Can land culturally, using some mix of your own two hands, partnering with our marketing teams, and outside resources
- Find the channels that actually work in each country — influencers, press, communities, paid, hollering at people from a street corner— and kill the ones that don't, quickly
- Grow into full ownership of those first markets, becoming the conductor that partners with fulfillment, support, compliance, product, engineering, and the rest of what it takes to operate there
- Quarterback every country launch after that end to end
- Turn the first markets into a written playbook, so the fifth country costs a fraction of what the first one did
- Determine what resourcing we need to be successful, both in the short-term and as international efforts scale.
- Keep the company honest about where international stands: what's working, what's stuck, and what you need

## WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

- Autonomy above all else. The first 6–9 months won't be won by a genius strategy; they'll be won by figuring out the top N things to test, and running at them as fast as you can.
- 6+ years in growth, general management, or international expansion at a consumer business—you've carried a number, not just written a plan
- You've led expansion into new countries and can speak to multiple versions of the problem: how do we sell more of these, how do we get them there, what needs to be different about the product/service and how we operate to succeed there?
- Real marketing instincts. This isn't a marketing role, but you'll live or die on GTM; you can partner closely with marketers and be dangerous enough to run something yourself when it comes to that
- An ownership mentality; you think about P&L, growth, and customer experience as one thing, and you're comfortable being the person accountable for the result
- Fluency using AI as a multiplier across research/analysis/execution, paired with the judgement to know when AI is not the solution.
- A global mindset; you know what doesn't translate, and you'd rather ask someone local than guess
- Low-ego and collaborative vibes; you share credit and pitch in on problems that aren't yours

## WHY JOIN TIN CAN

- We're building tech that enriches childhood: We're on a quest to give kids a more analog childhood — one with real conversations, real connection, and way less screen time. No doomscrolling, data mining, or dopamine traps — just a simpler, better way for kids to stay in touch. This is a rare opportunity to build something that truly matters.
- You'll own a country, then the map: You'll take over our first markets while the launch is still warm, and every country after that is yours to open — in whatever order you can make the case for.
- Small, high-trust team: Every company says "team," but at Tin Can it means something different. We're a small, mission-driven group that genuinely has each other's backs — professionally and personally. You'll be joining a tight-knit crew where your ideas and instincts matter from day one.
- Room to explore, not just execute: You'll have the space to explore new ideas, challenge assumptions, and shape a business that reflects our values of trust, simplicity, and care.

If you're excited by the idea of making Tin Can something families ask for in countries we haven't reached yet, please reach out. We can't wait to meet someone who's ready to jump in, draw the map, and help us grow.

## About Tin Can

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Tin Can builds a screen-free, Wi-Fi-enabled landline for kids that allows them to call approved contacts without the distractions of a smartphone.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: Seattle, Washington, United States
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Chet Kittleson, Max Blumen, and Graeme (last name not publicly available)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Consumer Services / Kids’ Communication Hardware
- **Target customers**: B2C – parents of children aged 4–13 who want a safe, screen-free phone option
- **Mission**: “Bring back the freedom of the old-school landline, updated for today’s families.”

## Products & Services
- **[Tin Can Device](https://tincan.kids/)**: A custom-designed, Wi-Fi-connected landline handset with no screen, no apps, no camera, and no browser. It plugs into a wall and connects over Wi-Fi. Parents manage contacts and quiet hours via a companion mobile app.
- **[Can2Can Plan](https://tincan.kids/)**: Free unlimited calling between two Tin Cans, no subscription required.
- **[Party Line Plan](https://tincan.kids/)**: $9.99/month subscription that allows the child to call any regular phone number (grandparents, parents’ cells, etc.) in addition to other Tin Cans. Includes 911 emergency calling.
- **Parent App**: iOS/Android app for approving contacts, setting quiet hours, and managing Do Not Disturb schedules.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Total Funding**: $5.75 M
  - Pre-Seed (May 2025): Led by PSL Ventures (9 investors)
  - Seed (Oct 2025): $3.5 M led by Data Tech Fund and PSL Ventures (8 investors)
- **Notable Investors**: PSL Ventures, Data Tech Fund, Greylock (participated in a prior round)
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Used by families in 30+ U.S. states with zero paid marketing (organic word-of-mouth)
  - Headcount grew from ~2 to 27 employees (+1,167% YoY)
  - Received 40 early prototypes hand-installed in one Seattle neighborhood; demand spread rapidly

## Competitive Advantages
- **True screen-free experience**: No apps, no texts, no browser – pure voice calling. Eliminates the risks of smartphones (social media, addictive apps, stranger danger).
- **Parental control without complexity**: Parents manage everything via a simple app; kids get independence without internet access.
- **Wi-Fi landline model**: Works with existing home Wi-Fi, no need for a cellular plan or smartphone.
- **Emergency calling**: 911 always available, even without a subscription.
- **Free Can2Can network**: Encourages peer-to-peer calling among friends who also have Tin Cans.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling production of the fully custom hardware (designed from the ground up)
- Expanding the user base beyond the initial 30 states through word-of-mouth and targeted marketing
- Building out the team (active job postings for engineering, design, marketing, and customer experience)
- Maintaining a mission-driven culture focused on intentional technology for kids

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Mission-driven startup focused on real human connection and “keeping childhood full of imagination, not notifications.” Team is passionate about intentional tech.
- **Work environment**: Hybrid/in-office options available. HQ is in Seattle with an in-office workspace; some roles are remote or hybrid.
- **Growth opportunity**: Early-stage company (27 employees) with rapid growth – employees can have outsized impact.
- **Perks**: Not detailed publicly, but typical startup perks (equity, flexible schedule) likely. The company emphasizes a “no surprises” approach to its product.
- **Team composition**: Small, cross-functional team with specialists in customer service, design, engineering, and operations.

## Sources
1. [tincan.kids](https://tincan.kids/)
2. [tincan.kids - About page](https://tincan.kids/pages/about-tin-can)
3. [Built In - Tin Can Careers](https://builtin.com/company/tin-can)
4. [LinkedIn - Tin Can](https://www.linkedin.com/company/tincankids)
5. [Jobs page - Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/tin-can)

## Other roles at Tin Can

- [PR Coordinator](https://feeny.ai/job/pr-coordinator-tin-can-seattle-mvqpms9y8k9p) — Seattle, WA
- [Senior Software Engineer, Reliability](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-reliability-tin-can-seattle-ahjjhenhwe6t) — Seattle, WA
- [Senior VoIP Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-voip-engineer-tin-can-seattle-w5dxw7d2wg59) — Seattle, WA
- [Growth and Brand Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/growth-and-brand-engineer-tin-can-seattle-2wpwwc20rty2) — Seattle, WA
- [Lifecycle Marketing Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/lifecycle-marketing-manager-tin-can-seattle-3cpz78792ak9) — Seattle, WA
- [Senior Product Designer, Acquisition & Conversion](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-designer-acquisition-conversion-tin-can-seattle-2he14k0estfj) — Seattle, WA
- [Principal Product Designer, Core Experience](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-product-designer-core-experience-tin-can-seattle-p18sm7qhpmd3) — Seattle, WA
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