‘Every idea starts with a problem. Ours was simple: glasses are too expensive.’
Sometimes a company’s Mission is defined with a problem, and/or an enemy, in mind. For Warby Parker, it was both. The problem: glasses are too expensive. The enemy: the big beast in the eyewear jungle, Luxottica. The company’s Mission Statement is written with the defiant personality and swagger of the focused challenger brand, fighting for the customer.
Co-CEOs Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa launched Warby Parker in 2010, along with two other MBA classmates after Gilboa lost a pair of $700 Prada glasses while traveling. Initially thought of as a niche hipster brand, Warby has gone mainstream, with est. $250 million in sales in 2017. They have raised $215m in VC funding, with the last round in early 2015 valuing the company at $1.2bn.
Company Values? Warby Parker talks about ‘ground rules’. There are four of them; they are simple, beautifully crafted and make great sense linked to the Mission. Enjoy them here.
The direct-to-consumer business model, allied to their ‘Give as you Buy’ approach, delivers on the Mission beautifully.
Read more: Warby Parker website
