Executive Briefing

Warby Parker proves that the Warby Parker model works — for Warby Parker

Warby’s pitch to investors today, ahead of its direct listing, is remarkably similar to its pitch from more than a decade ago.

Warby Parker co-CEOs Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal
Warby Parker co-CEOs Dave Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal

Before there were masses of “Warby Parker for x“ e-commerce startups, there was Warby Parker, the direct-to-consumer eyewear brand that launched in 2010, promising a better deal on glasses, a better customer experience, and a better company behind the brand.

And while many quickly tried to turn this into a blueprint — to varying degrees of success — Warby Parker is still here and still growing. The company plans to offer its shares to the public for the first time later this month, and published its investor prospectus a few weeks ago.

Reading through, it strikes me as remarkable how much of the company’s current state rings true to the original vision, laid out more than a decade ago by co-founders (and, still, co-CEOs) Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa.

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Dan Frommer

Hi, I’m Dan Frommer and this is The New Consumer, a publication about how and why people spend their time and money.

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