Hardware Podcasts

Warby Parker: Dave Gilboa & Neil Blumenthal

How I Built This · 26 Dec 2016 · 30m

What this episode covers

Warby Parker co-founders Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal explain how they disrupted the eyewear industry by selling $95 glasses online, bypassing the monopoly held by Luxottica. They detail their bootstrapped launch, the creation of the home try-on program to overcome customer skepticism, and the operational chaos of selling out inventory on day one with no tracking system. The founders also discuss their early financing struggles, including securing an SBA loan and creative PR consulting deals, before eventually raising significant venture capital.

Most relevant to

founders before launch and early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Warby Parker, Luxottica, LensCrafters, GQ, Vogue, Vision Spring, Wharton School, U.S. Bank
Products
Ray-Ban, Oakley

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