ANDY DUNN WAS RIDING HIGH. It was 2012, and he was running a hot e-commerce fashion company he'd co-founded. He'd cashed out seven figures' worth of shares on the secondary market and was living like he thought a CEO in his early 30s in New York City should be living: large. He bought a black Porsche. He jetted off for weekends in Istanbul and Moscow, and ran up a $10,000 Four Seasons bill in Bali. He went out to clubs and restaurants almost every night: drinks with a potential hire at 6; a dinner date at 8; meeting a friend for more drinks at 10. • His company, Bonobos, had launched in 2007 and pioneered an online-first, brand-building model that just a few years later was being copied by entrepreneurs in every consumer-product category imaginable: direct-to-consumer eyeglasses, shoes, razors, dog food, luggage, undies, and more. Dunn started to see himself as a kind of godfather of a new consumer movement. He hired bright college grads to run customer service in-house in one of the world's most expensive cities. He opened brick-and-mortar showrooms, dubbed Guideshops, at a time when legacy stores were flailing. Bonobos was early to social media marketing and omnichannel retail, and it helped usher in a whole new startup economy in New York. • Dunn convinced himself that Bonobos, which began as a brand of better-fitting men's pants, could become the technology backbone of modern commerce-Shopify before Shopify filled the space. Dunn himself began to spread his influence on a web of companies he invested in (Warby Parker, Harry's, Oscar, Coinbase) through a venture capital firm, Red Swan, that he'd co-founded in 2011. And he figured Bonobos should start creating its own sub-brands; the first two, Maide and AYR (for golfers and women, respectively), launched in 2013 and 2014.
Denne historien er fra May - June 2022-utgaven av Inc..
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra May - June 2022-utgaven av Inc..
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Karen Dillon
I moved my wedding to attend a company offsite. It was a terrible decision, but a vital lesson on balance.
The Ultimate Home-Based Business
Thirty years since her breakout on Friends, Courteney Cox is taking on a new role-entrepreneur.
An Uphill Battle
Zwift has been through layoffs and a leadership change in 2024, but co-founder and CEO Eric Min says he's learned that building a startup, like cycling, is an endurance test.
The GLOW UP
How Glossier broke free from DTC, survived the skeptics, and finally achieved profitability.
The Snack That Gives Back
With a new partnership, SkinnyDipped is supporting women founders worldwide.
A New Path to SuCCESS
AllTrails may have achieved the impossible-an app that truly helps you get away from it all.
The Back-lash Survivors
Don't challenge Elizabeth Gore and Carolyn Rodz to a game of highs and lows. The Hello Alice co-founders will win-by a long shot.
The Spa Surge
Prime IV Hydration & Wellness has successfully weathered stormy waters.
Riding the Waves
With Beehiiv, Tyler Denk built a buzzy newsletter platform and a brash online persona. Both are lucrative.
Home Economics
How Chairish brought the circular economy to furniture.