# Brooklinen: Vicki and Rich Fulop

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2020-04-20
- Length: 1h 09m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop

## Summary

Rich and Vicki Fulop, co-founders of Brooklinen, explain how a trip to a Las Vegas hotel inspired them to launch a direct-to-consumer bed linen brand that bypassed traditional retail markups. They detail their early struggles, including being rejected by investors, conducting manual market research, and navigating complex international supply chains to find a factory in Israel. The founders also discuss the operational chaos of fulfilling their Kickstarter campaign, specifically the logistical nightmare of customs seizures and manual assembly, and how they scaled from a garage operation to a $100 million revenue company.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop#t=0) Introduction: Rich and Vicki Fulop and Brooklinen
- [14:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop#t=847) The Vegas Hotel Inspiration and Initial Research
- [26:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop#t=1586) Building the Team and Validating the Market
- [32:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop#t=1944) Sourcing a Factory in Israel and Avoiding Tariffs
- [42:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop#t=2552) The Kickstarter Campaign and Customization Chaos
- [48:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop#t=2905) Customs Seizures and Manual Fulfillment Nightmares
- [57:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop#t=3432) Scaling Revenue and Raising Venture Capital
- [1:04:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop#t=3862) Expanding Beyond Sheets and Navigating Profitability

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

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

## Mentioned

- Brooklinen (company)
- Warby Parker (company)
- Kickstarter (company)
- NYU (company)
- Creative Artists Agency (company)
- Torrey Birch (company)
- Samsung (company)
- Gain Capital (company)
- LegalZoom (company)
- Neil Blumenthal (other)
- David Fortune (other)
- Ben Hyman (other)
- Guy Raz (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [024: Aligning passion & business with Terry Lin of Forever Home Blankets](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-10-25-024-aligning-passion-business-with-terry-lin-of-forever-home-blankets) (Product Startup)
- [Founder Feature: Hannah Perez of SEEQ Supply](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-09-13-founder-feature-hannah-perez-of-seeq-supply) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [052: The business model behind custom window coverings, Alice Orozco of Pret-a-Portiere](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-05-09-052-the-business-model-behind-custom-window-coverings-alice-orozco-of-pret-a-por) (Product Startup)
- [An Interview with Josh Lifton](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2016-09-09-an-interview-with-josh-lifton) (The Amp Hour)
- [Founder Feature: Val Emanuel of Rif Care](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-01-03-founder-feature-val-emanuel-of-rif-care) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## 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/2020-04-20-brooklinen-vicki-and-rich-fulop. 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.