How Tippy Type’s Keyboard Cover Took Over the Internet
In this episode of Above The Fold, I got to sit down with Sara Young Wang, Founder & CEO of Tippy Type, and their Chief Marketing Officer, Chloe Mae Loop. You know I love a founder story that’s equal parts genius idea and pure chaos. I knew we were about to get into some good stuff. These two have invented something that didn’t exist before: a silicone keyboard cover made for long nails. Yes, for the girlies with the almond, stiletto, coffin, and duck tips. Your nails? Protected. Your typing? Accurate. Your nail tech? Relieved.
Solving A Very Specific (And Very Real) Brand Problem
Tippy Type is not just another cute product (though it is very cute). It’s a whole moment. It started with Sara, who was trying to re-enter corporate life after running her own career coaching biz. She realized typing with long nails actually hurt—and not in a fun, beauty-is-pain way. She wanted to keep her nails but also, you know, have a job. So she got to work designing a keyboard cover with raised silicone pads that give your nails space to live their truth.
Chloe Enters The Chat
Meanwhile, Chloe had her own history with product entrepreneurship (including a Shark Tank win, casual) and was basically made in a lab to be Sara’s co-founder. A mutual connection introduced them, and the rest is nail-friendly, typo-free history.
A Viral Moment With Zero Ads
The wild part? They launched with zero paid ads. No VC money. No glossy campaigns. Just vibes, prototypes, and a lot of DMs. Their first viral moment came fast—millions of views, a completely sold-out first batch, and a flood of customer comments that basically turned into their product roadmap. People asked for black, they made black. People demanded pink, they delivered. Someone said it looked edible... they politely asked them not to try it.
Building A Brand By Listening (Even To the Trolls)
What I love most is how much Sara and Chloe listen. To their customers. To their community. Even to the trolls in their comment section. (Trolls, it turns out, are excellent market researchers.)
Slow Growth, Real Impact
They’re not trying to scale too fast. They’re not chasing every trend. They’re building intentionally—focusing on organic growth, influencer relationships that actually make sense (read: not just TikTok girlies with 7 million followers and no nails), and content that’s hilarious, low-lift, and deeply relatable. Their brand voice? Chaos meets competence. Girly pop with a Google Sheet open. Exactly how I like it.
The Emotional Side Of Inventing Something New
We also got into the real stuff: burnout, impostor syndrome, what it’s like to build a company from scratch with no safety net and a to-do list that never ends. Sara said something that stuck with me—how it’s actually weird to invent something, put it into the world, and have people love it. Like, genuinely love it. She still has to be reminded of that sometimes. (Cue Chloe sending her screenshots of glowing reviews like a proud mom.)
Why This Episode Matters
If you’re someone who types, loves nails, or loves watching women build something from nothing, you’re going to love this episode. And if you don’t have long nails? Honestly... you’ll probably want them after this.
You can find Tippy Type at tippytype.co, on TikTok, or on the hands of your coolest friend.
And yeah, you better believe we’re doing a part two.
—Jess
