# Bonobos: Andy Dunn

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2019-01-21
- Length: 1h 09m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn

## Summary

Andy Dunn, co-founder of Bonobos, explains how he and Brian Spaly identified a gap in men's pants fit and launched an e-commerce brand from Stanford Business School. Dunn details the painful separation from Spaly, his struggle with depression, and critical strategic pivots like closing a failing Palo Alto tech office and launching the 'guide shop' retail model. The episode covers Bonobos' growth, fundraising challenges, and its eventual acquisition by Walmart for $310 million, followed by a brief segment on Amy and Brady King's Palette Shelter.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn#t=0) Introduction: Andy Dunn and Bonobos
- [4:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn#t=277) Stanford, Brian Spaly, and the Pants Idea
- [14:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn#t=857) First Sales, Seed Funding, and New York Launch
- [26:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn#t=1568) Co-founder Conflict and Dunn's Depression
- [37:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn#t=2264) Crisis Management, Fundraising, and Tech Office Failure
- [48:01](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn#t=2881) The Guide Shop Model and Retail Pivot
- [55:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn#t=3322) Walmart Acquisition and Reflections on Luck
- [1:06:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn#t=4007) Postscript: Amy and Brady King's Palette Shelter

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies, companies scaling up, large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Bonobos (company)
- Walmart (company)
- Jet.com (company)
- Nordstrom (company)
- Trunk Club (company)
- Palette Shelter (product)
- U.S. Bank (company)
- Mavron (company)
- Benchmark (company)
- Urban Daddy (company)
- Banana Republic (company)
- JCrew (company)
- Gap (company)
- Ralph Lauren (company)
- Facebook (company)
- Netflix (company)
- Monica and Andy (company)

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- [Founder Feature: Zoe Levin of Bim Bam Boo](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-03-21-founder-feature-zoe-levin-of-bim-bam-boo) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [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)
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## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2019-01-21-bonobos-andy-dunn. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.