Emma Grede

So I prefer never to talk about what she said. What I remember is the end result is that she said yes and, you know, we're in business together eight years later.

So I prefer never to talk about what she said. What I remember is the end result is that she said yes and, you know, we're in business together eight years later.

Yeah.

Yeah.

No, it's so interesting, actually. That's the thing that we got right. I think that what we understood intrinsically is that there was this huge subset of customers that were left out of the fashion conversation. If you're above a size 12... that there was almost nothing cute in the market for you. And what we didn't do was create any separation.

No, it's so interesting, actually. That's the thing that we got right. I think that what we understood intrinsically is that there was this huge subset of customers that were left out of the fashion conversation. If you're above a size 12... that there was almost nothing cute in the market for you. And what we didn't do was create any separation.

We were just like, we're going to make 19 sizes of clothes. And what happens traditionally in most retailers is that you've got one set of sizes and then you go up to floor five and there's this horrible little subsection and you've got... bit of, you know, the assortment for petite and a bit of the assortment for plus size women.

We were just like, we're going to make 19 sizes of clothes. And what happens traditionally in most retailers is that you've got one set of sizes and then you go up to floor five and there's this horrible little subsection and you've got... bit of, you know, the assortment for petite and a bit of the assortment for plus size women.

And it's completely not reflective of what's downstairs for everybody else. And so we were like, do you know what? We're just going to connect all of those things. We're just going to make one product. We'll make it in 19 sizes and whatever we do. we'll let the customers choose.

And it's completely not reflective of what's downstairs for everybody else. And so we were like, do you know what? We're just going to connect all of those things. We're just going to make one product. We'll make it in 19 sizes and whatever we do. we'll let the customers choose.

So if we're making a dress with a giant slit up the side of it, we're not going to moderate it because we think that a girl at a certain size doesn't want the slit as high because you know what? We bet she does. If we make a teeny tiny fluorescent pink bikini, we're going to make it in every size and we'll let the decision be down to the woman.

So if we're making a dress with a giant slit up the side of it, we're not going to moderate it because we think that a girl at a certain size doesn't want the slit as high because you know what? We bet she does. If we make a teeny tiny fluorescent pink bikini, we're going to make it in every size and we'll let the decision be down to the woman.

And it turns out we were 100% right with our instinct because these girls weren't buying or Because they didn't want to buy it. They weren't buying because it wasn't available anywhere. And so our instinct to just like make the stuff and put it out there and see who comes was the right thing to do.

And it turns out we were 100% right with our instinct because these girls weren't buying or Because they didn't want to buy it. They weren't buying because it wasn't available anywhere. And so our instinct to just like make the stuff and put it out there and see who comes was the right thing to do.

So many, the game has so changed. You know, the arbitrage that existed in social media then, like how you could pay to acquire a customer is almost entirely gone. And so when I think about how we could work with Facebook and how we could work with Instagram, how powerful those followings were, back then, you can't compare it to now. And so you could acquire a customer very cheaply.

So many, the game has so changed. You know, the arbitrage that existed in social media then, like how you could pay to acquire a customer is almost entirely gone. And so when I think about how we could work with Facebook and how we could work with Instagram, how powerful those followings were, back then, you can't compare it to now. And so you could acquire a customer very cheaply.

You could, you know, I think that the algorithms worked completely differently. Therefore, the cohorts in your business behave completely differently. And if I think about it, we had a three-year golden period of runway. The good thing is, I think we knew.

You could, you know, I think that the algorithms worked completely differently. Therefore, the cohorts in your business behave completely differently. And if I think about it, we had a three-year golden period of runway. The good thing is, I think we knew.

And I always talk about the beauty of my board members at that time, going back to people like Andrew Rosen and John Howard, who were the total opposite to everybody else on my board that was like, Emma, you need to just double down, acquire as many customers as possible. Don't worry about profitability. Just spend, spend, spend. And they were like...

And I always talk about the beauty of my board members at that time, going back to people like Andrew Rosen and John Howard, who were the total opposite to everybody else on my board that was like, Emma, you need to just double down, acquire as many customers as possible. Don't worry about profitability. Just spend, spend, spend. And they were like...