# Supergoop!: Holly Thaggard (2020)

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2023-08-28
- Length: 1h 11m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020

## Summary

Holly Thaggard, founder of Supergoop, explains how a friend's skin cancer diagnosis led her to pivot from a harpist and teacher to creating a daily-use sunscreen brand. She details the technical challenges of formulating a non-oxybenzone product, the failure of her initial school-distribution model, and the strategic pivot to prestige retail. Thaggard describes securing a critical partnership with Sephora through aggressive PR, a bold investment from her brother, and the eventual scaling of the company to $250 million in sales.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020#t=0) Introduction: Holly Thaggard and Supergoop
- [5:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020#t=323) From Harpist to Teacher to Entrepreneur
- [17:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020#t=1039) The Skin Cancer Catalyst and Initial Idea
- [22:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020#t=1328) Formulating a Clean, Effective Sunscreen
- [34:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020#t=2073) The Failed School Distribution Model
- [41:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020#t=2482) Pivoting to Retail and Hiring PR
- [55:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020#t=3319) The Sephora Pitch and First Retail Launch
- [1:05:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-28-supergoop-holly-thaggard-2020#t=3920) Scaling, Fundraising, and Growth

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)

## Most relevant to

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

## Mentioned

- Supergoop! (product)
- Sephora (company)
- Nordstrom (company)
- Burt's Bees (company)
- Barney's (company)
- Giggle (company)
- FAO Schwarz (company)
- MZ Wallace (company)
- TSG (company)
- Cult Capital (company)
- Berman Communications (company)
- Oxybenzone (material)
- Avobenzone (material)
- Maria Sharapova (other)
- Roxanne Quimby (other)
- Nancy Berman (other)
- Kim Holt (other)
- Amanda Baldwin (other)
- John Kenny (other)
- Elon Musk (other)

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