# Live Episode! Dollar Shave Club: Michael Dubin

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2018-12-17
- Length: 49m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin

## Summary

Michael Dubin, founder of Dollar Shave Club, explains how he leveraged his background in improv comedy and video marketing to disrupt the razor industry dominated by Gillette. After meeting Mark Levine, who had 250,000 razors in a warehouse, Dubin launched a subscription service and created a viral video that secured $1 million in seed funding from Science Throughout. The company scaled rapidly, facing supply chain hurdles and legal challenges from Gillette, before being acquired by Unilever for $1 billion in 2016.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin#t=0) Introduction: Michael Dubin and Dollar Shave Club
- [1:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin#t=80) Early Funding and the $100 Check Incident
- [4:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin#t=296) Dubin's Background: Improv, Marketing, and NBC
- [15:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin#t=949) Meeting Mark Levine and the Warehouse Razors
- [25:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin#t=1514) Beta Testing and the First Customer
- [27:15](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin#t=1635) Creating the Viral Video with Lucia Aniello
- [33:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin#t=2027) Site Crash, Sold Out Inventory, and Fulfillment
- [38:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin#t=2296) Raising Capital and Competing with Gillette
- [44:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-12-17-live-episode-dollar-shave-club-michael-dubin#t=2666) The $1 Billion Acquisition by Unilever

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Dollar Shave Club (company)
- Gillette (company)
- Unilever (company)
- Science Throughout (company)
- Mark Levine (other)
- Lucia Aniello (other)
- Broad City (product)
- Harry's (company)
- Charlie's (product)
- Budwipe (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [170 - Wipes and Weenus Wednesday w/Sean Riley and AJ Peek](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-11-30-170-wipes-and-weenus-wednesday-w-sean-riley-and-aj-peek) (People of Packaging)
- [Founder Fundraising Journey: Craig Dubitsky, Happy Products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-04-18-founder-fundraising-journey-craig-dubitsky-happy-products) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#57 Shark Tank, Sea Moss, and an Ocean of Potential with Alexiou Gibson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2022-08-16-57-shark-tank-sea-moss-and-an-ocean-of-potential-with-alexiou-gibson) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [134: Kevin Kelly Remains Undefeated](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2026-06-24-134-kevin-kelly-remains-undefeated) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [008: Temporary Face Masks & Surviving Shark Tank, Doug Marshall of The Game Face Company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-05-17-008-temporary-face-masks-surviving-shark-tank-doug-marshall-of-the-game-face-com) (Product Startup)

## Citing this page

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