Tecovas: Paul Hedrick

How I Built This · 19 May 2025 · 1h 12m

What this episode covers

Paul Hedrick, founder of Tecovas, explains how he identified a gap in the cowboy boot market for premium, attainable pricing and launched the brand directly to consumers in 2015. He details his obsessive product development process in León, Mexico, including designing boots in Microsoft Paint and negotiating with factories to prioritize comfort and quality over cost-cutting. Hedrick also describes his strategic bet on brick-and-mortar retail, opening over 40 stores to create a hospitality-driven brand experience, and his transition to executive chairman after scaling the company to over $300 million in annual sales.

Mentioned

Companies
Tecovas, Ferrara Candy Company, Warby Parker, Batesville, Shopify, Lululemon
Tools
Microsoft Paint
Also
Paul Hedrick, León

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