Hardware Podcasts

M.M.LaFleur: Sarah LaFleur

How I Built This · 3 Feb 2020 · 1h 14m

What this episode covers

Sarah LaFleur, co-founder of MM LaFleur, explains how she pivoted from a failed private equity career to building a $100 million apparel brand for working women. Partnering with designer Miyako Nakamura, she initially struggled with a DTC website that failed to sell inventory, leading to a negative bank balance. The company found product-market fit by launching 'Bentos,' a curated clothing subscription box that allowed customers to try on garments before buying, driving revenue from $300,000 to $8 million in one year.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
MM LaFleur, Zach Posen, Bain, Starwood Capital, TechnoServe, Stitch Fix, Trunk Club
Products
Metaphor Dice
Also
Miyako Nakamura, Bob Deutsch

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Product Startup · 47m

    052: The business model behind custom window coverings, Alice Orozco of Pret-a-Portiere

    Alice Orozco, founder of Pret-a-Portiere, explains how she built a custom window covering business by reinventing the traditional drapery model through direct-to-mill sourcing and an online sales funnel. She details her journey from bootstrapping with no initial capital to iterating through multiple failed business models, including ready-made and traditional in-home sales, before finding success with a made-to-order online approach. Orozco highlights the critical importance of supplier relationships, sharing how she overcame a major quality failure by training overseas manufacturers and implementing strict quality assurance protocols. She also discusses her unique marketing strategy, which uses free physical samples as a lead magnet to achieve high conversion rates, and her focus on transparency and customer education to compete with larger, fragmented competitors in the Australian market.

    Validation & product-market fitSourcing & supply chain
    9 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 29m

    Founder Feature: Bar Bruhis of Boostcous

    Bar Bruhis, founder of Boostcous, explains how he formulated a better-for-you couscous using only chickpeas, lentils, and peas after a licensing deal with an Italian manufacturer collapsed due to tariffs. He details his decision to launch direct-to-consumer first, hitting 10,000 Shopify orders in six months to prove product-market fit and gather customer data. Bruhis shares the specific post-purchase survey question that led to a Costco buyer call and discusses his strategy for pitching Whole Foods and Walmart after his first trade show at Summer Fancy Food.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceValidation & product-market fit
    6 chapters

  • Product Startup · 49m

    006: Customizable swimwear with Kelsey Duffy of Versakini

    Kelsey Duffy, CEO of Versakini, explains how she pivoted from the failed Mix Bikini to launch her own interchangeable swimwear brand after appearing on Shark Tank. She details the challenges of manufacturing, including early errors with overseas factories and the importance of building personal relationships with reliable partners in Colombia. Duffy also discusses her strategy of collaborating with Project Runway alumna Amanda Perna to design collections while maintaining a lean team and focusing on direct-to-consumer sales to control brand identity.

    Industrial & consumer product designManufacturing partners & offshoring
    8 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 35m

    Founder Feature: Marilyn Yang of Popadelics

    Marilyn Yang, co-founder and CEO of Popadelics, explains how she and her husband pivoted their pandemic-era shiitake mushroom chip brand from a DTC model to a retail-focused business, now present in over 3,000 stores including Whole Foods and CVS. Yang details the rigorous product development process with R&D consultants, the strategic decision to hire a branding agency to create an edgy identity, and the operational challenges of reformulating the product for retail shelf life and natural market certifications. She also discusses the company's self-funded origins, the decision to seek outside capital only after proving traction, and the difficulties of managing the 'hot and cold' timeline of securing major retail placements.

    Validation & product-market fitPricing, margins & unit economics
    9 chapters

  • Product Startup · 28m

    159: Build a Community to Sell Your New Product Invention

    Ashley Black, founder of FasciaBlaster, explains how she built an $150 million direct-to-consumer business by leveraging a community of 8 million social media followers. She details her strategy of using paid Facebook ads to reach break-even, then lowering customer acquisition costs through authentic, founder-led content that drives organic engagement. Black emphasizes the importance of self-funding, being 'all-in' without a Plan B, and using the community to validate new product ideas before launch.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceMarketing & brand
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.