# Vuori: Joe Kudla

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2023-10-02
- Length: 1h 07m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla

## Summary

Vuori founder Joe Kudla explains how he built a $4 billion men's activewear brand by pivoting from a failed wholesale strategy to a direct-to-consumer model focused on versatile, non-technical clothing. Kudla details the initial rejection from investors who doubted men's interest in yoga apparel, the bootstrapped launch with friends and family, and the critical decision to invest remaining cash into digital advertising. He describes how testing static Facebook ads revealed that men valued the product's versatility for activities like running, hiking, and surfing, leading to rapid growth and eventual profitability before a major SoftBank investment.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla#t=0) Introduction: Joe Kudla and Vuori's Origin
- [9:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla#t=588) Early Ventures: Sammy Joe and Fiore
- [21:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla#t=1292) Identifying the Market Gap for Men's Activewear
- [34:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla#t=2058) Product Design and Sourcing Challenges
- [45:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla#t=2706) Wholesale Failure and the Pivot to DTC
- [50:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla#t=3036) Digital Advertising and Finding Product-Market Fit
- [53:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla#t=3223) Scaling, Retail Partnerships, and Funding
- [1:04:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla#t=3879) Pandemic Impact and SoftBank Valuation

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [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)
- [Retail, wholesale & distribution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/retail-and-distribution)

## Most relevant to

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

## Mentioned

- Lululemon (company)
- Chip Wilson (other)
- Sammy Joe (product)
- Fiore (product)
- Vaco (company)
- Planet Earth (company)
- K2 Sports (company)
- Audio Footwear (product)
- Patagonia (company)
- Nike (company)
- Adidas (company)
- Rebecca Bray (other)
- Nikki Siquilio (other)
- Prana (company)
- Globe (company)
- REI (company)
- Rhone (company)
- Outdoor Voices (company)
- Norwest Venture Partners (company)
- SoftBank (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [006: Customizable swimwear with Kelsey Duffy of Versakini](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-04-19-006-customizable-swimwear-with-kelsey-duffy-of-versakini) (Product Startup)
- [050: Creating environmentally-friendly athletic apparel,  Tim Christian of OORR](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-04-25-050-creating-environmentally-friendly-athletic-apparel-tim-christian-of-oorr) (Product Startup)
- [Founder Feature - Fane He and Kyle Nguyen of  The Lucky Ox](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-06-20-founder-feature-fane-he-and-kyle-nguyen-of-the-lucky-ox) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#229 - The Rise of Ketone IQ: Creating a New Energy Category with Michael Brandt](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-12-30-229-the-rise-of-ketone-iq-creating-a-new-energy-category-with-michael-brandt) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [095: Solve End-User Pain for Consumer Product Success](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-09-29-095-solve-end-user-pain-for-consumer-product-success) (Product Startup)

## 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/2023-10-02-vuori-joe-kudla. 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.