Building a brand on customer service

In this episode of the Tony Robbins Podcast, we are bringing you back to Business Mastery, where Tony led a panel discussion with the business leaders behind some fast-growing companies. Here, you’ll hear from one of the founders of a company that changed the eyewear business forever.

Neil Blumenthal, Dave Gilboa, Andy Hunt and Jeff Raider launched Warby Parker in 2010. The premise was straightforward – sell customers high-quality eyewear at affordable prices, and establish a convenient, direct-to-consumer business model so that customers could get eyeglasses anytime and anywhere.

Today we’re talking to Warby Parker cofounder Neil on the vision behind the company, why it was so critical for them to optimize every single dollar and the tools and strategies that helped them build Warby Parker into a billion dollar business.

Transforming an industry

If you have ever worn eyeglasses, then you know that the traditional process of buying glasses is expensive and inconvenient. On average, a pair of glasses costs nearly $300. And the trips you have to make to the retailer to sift through the pairs, try them on and order your final choice can stack up. It’s a pain point for a lot of people. But for four friends at Wharton Business School, it was an inspiration.

Neil and his cofounders knew there was a big disconnect between what it costs to produce eyewear and what it sells for. He also knew the market was dominated by just one company – a massive opportunity, not an obstacle. It gave him a chance to build a unique brand identity by delivering a great product, at a great price, with a great customer service experience. The Warby Parker business model would disrupt the industry forever.

His cofounders felt the same. Neil describes the moment the business began: “You know when you have an idea and you just feel it in your gut?...We all had that same sort of feeling in our gut.”

Launching a minimally viable product