Who doesn’t love a good t-shirt? For me it’s all about comfort. That’s why I generally pick solid colored tees made out of high quality fabrics. For others it’s more about expression–you want your shirt to say something about who you are. If what you’re saying about yourself with your shirt is that you have a good sense of humor, then BustedTees mint be the place for you to shop. They are a New York, NY based company that was started by the same team as CollegeHumor. They started in 2004 because they wanted “people to have fun, laugh, look good, feel comfortable, get good jobs, get sweaty dancing and go home with someone who also did those things.” It’s amazing what something as simple as a t-shirt can do for people.
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Whenever I buy electronics, outdoors gear, or kitchen equipment, I do a ton of research. I want to ensure that I am buying the best that I can afford. It’s easy to spend hours on this stuff if you’re not careful. While that can be a form of entertainment for some people, it’s a lot of time to spend on something that might only cost a few hundred bucks. What if you had someone to read all of the reviews and even test the products for you? That’s what The Wirecutter does. It’s “a list of the best electronics and gadgetry, each pick chosen mindfully and in accordance with many hours of research, interviews with the world’s most knowledgeable experts and testing, all backing up smart opinion.” While lots of other sites are constantly churning out new content to get more eyeballs, The Wirecutter just wants to give you all of the facts that you need to make the best purchasing decision.
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If you’ve watched The Office at all, you know that the office supply industry is not only mind-numbingly boring, but it’s also dying a slow, painful death. And if you pay attention to the news, you know that Detroit is a dying city with nothing good going on. So what if I told you that there is an office supply startup based in Detroit, MI that is anything but boring and growing rapidly? Their name is Chalkfly, and they provide “the supplies you need to do your best work.” There are a lot of narratives working against Chalkfly, but they’re just narratives. Results are what matter, and Chalkfly already claims brands like Foursquare, Moosejaw and Etsy as clients.
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When it comes to electronics, heat is usually the enemy. You want to dissipate heat as quickly as possible so that you can get the maximum performance from your hardware. That’s why the idea of using a heat source to power your electronics seems a little weird. But that’s exactly what BioLite does. They’re a Brooklyn, NY based company that “develops and manufactures advanced energy products that make cooking with wood as clean safe and easy as modern fuels while also providing electricity to charge cell phones and LED lights off-grid.” While the big audacious goal is to change the lives of people who cook over open fires and may not have electricity, BioLite has also developed some pretty sweet camping products.
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I’m an outdoorsy guy who is stuck in a city that is at least a couple hours away from most of the things that I want to do. As a result I spend a lot of time visiting what my wife calls “fishing websites” (that’s exactly what they are). One upstart that caters to guys like me is Huckberry. They’re a San Francisco, CA based company that “is like your favorite store, your grandpa’s favorite store, and your favorite magazine all rolled into one.” It’s pretty much the intersection of yuppie and outdoorsy with a tiny bit of hipster here and there. It’s for “dudes in the middle”–the kind of guys who go camping one weekend and to a black tie wedding the next weekend.
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Few things make me happier than spending time outdoors. Fly fishing is my main sport, but I can enjoy almost any activity that doesn’t put me at too much risk of injuring myself so that I can’t fish. One of the fun things about being an outdoor enthusiast is collecting gear. Even when you’re stuck in the city, you can buy new stuff, clean it, repair it, and get it ready for your next big trip. If you’re thinking about buying new gear, you need to check out Backcountry. They are a Park City, UT based company that gets “get people who get outside—plain and simple.” They’re all “about gear, grit, and connecting people to their passions.”
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I had 20/12 vision up until Junior year of high school. Then it all fell apart and I couldn’t read the blackboard. I was in denial for a while, but it became quite obvious that I… I needed glasses. Although glasses certainly weren’t cool at the time, I was more concerned with having to wear something on my face all of the time. That’s why I opted for contacts. Today it seems that people who don’t even need vision correction are wearing glasses, and that is making a lot of fashion brands want to enter the eyewear category. eponym is a company that allows them to do that quickly and easily. They are based in Brooklyn, NY, and they “help the world’s most exciting brands create and distribute their own eyewear.”
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We’re right in the thick of graduation season, wedding season is just picking up steam, and Father’s Day is just around the corner. Chances are that you’ll be buying someone a gift in the next few weeks. Hopefully you’ll find something perfectly personal for your grad, Dad, or favorite couple, but in the event that you don’t, you can still offer something personalized. That’s what Things Remembered specializes in. The Highland Heights, OH based company is “the nation’s largest and most prominent retailer of personalized gifts.” If it can be engraved, Things Remembered probably sells it (they also do some embroidery).
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Businesses are always looking for ways to extract more value from their customers. Sometimes this means “sharing” customers with other businesses. I’m sure you’ve seen (and probably ignored) plenty of cross-promotional offers. The problem is that they often get in the way of what I’m trying to do right now. Maybe I’d actually take advantage of them if they were made a little more seamless. That’s what Cartera Commerce is doing. They are a Lexington, MA based company that offers “a comprehensive, fully-managed, performance-based offer platform for card issuers, frequent flyer programs and merchants.” What does this mean? I get offers through bank cards, credit cards, and loyalty programs. I can opt in with a click or a tap, and all I that I have to do to redeem the offer is use my card.
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Many of America’s great apparel brands started out by catering to a specific sporting lifestyle. Some, like Filson and Orvis, have largely stayed true to their roots. While others, like Abercrombie & Fitch, have moved far away from the brands that they once were. Lands’ End got its start as a yachting supply company in Chicago, but today it is based in Dodgeville, WI and is “an international apparel brand synonymous with timeless American style.” The company is certainly still inspired by its nautical heritage, but they definitely had to broaden their horizons a bit to get where they now are–generating well over $1 billion in revenue annually.
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It almost seems that a person’s comfort with buying something online has an inverse relationship with the item’s size. Books, digital goods (size = 0), and clothing are no brainers these days, but people still seem to prefer an in-person experience when it comes to furniture, cars, and homes. I guess it could be based on cost too. Either way, some things are easier to sell online than others. Home furnishings, decor, and outdoor furniture fall somewhere in the middle, but online will win eventually. Hayneedle is definitely pushing for it. They are an Omaha, NE based company that “has become one of the nation’s largest online retailers, offering more than 3,000 brands and nearly 2 million products for the home.” It all started with Hammocks.com, and they just kept adding niches.
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About this time last year, Amy and I were visiting my parents for Easter. Our wedding was a couple months away and preparations were going very smoothly. And then Amy had her one and only “bridezilla” moment. She realized that she was totally in love with a dress that she had once seen in a picture online, and had to find it. Without being able to look at any pictures because I wanted it to be a surprise, I helped her track down the exact dress at a store only 45 minutes from my parents house. She tried it on, loved it, and bought it. The only issue was that she had already spent a bunch on another dress. What do you do with a never worn, beautiful wedding dress? You put it on Tradesy. They’re a Santa Monica, CA based company that can help you “turn your closet into cash.” It’s a marketplace for new and gently used fashion.
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When I was a kid I used to get a catalog called Things You Never Knew Existed. I’m not sure how I first ended up on the mailing list, but I would look over the catalog for hours and hours (it was the ultimate bathroom reading material). It was filled with gag gifts, pranks, collectibles, novelties, costumes, and all kind of other silly stuff. If you were preparing to play a good April Fools joke on someone, an order from Things You Never Knew Existed would be a great start. The Johnson Smith Company is based in Bradenton, FL and behind Things You Never Knew Existed as well as The Ligher Side, Betty’s Attic, Clever Gear, Full of Life, and HaloweenOnly.com. They’ve been around for a century now, so they’ve really developed a specialty in selling random junk you don’t need.
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Every time that Amy and I move (four times over the last six years), we say that we’re going to do a great job setting up our new place. When we move to the next place, we end up repacking the framed pictures that we never got around to hanging on the wall. Interior design isn’t our strongpoint. Next time we move, we’ll have to use Houzz for inspiration. They’re a Palo Alto, CA based company that offers “a collaborative platform for home remodeling and design, bringing homeowners and home professionals together in a uniquely visual community.” It’s kind of like Pinterest, but only for home design and decor.
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You can buy clothes in a lot of places. Where you buy typically depends on whether you’re looking for a good price, convenience, or your favorite brands. Then you have to decide whether you’d rather shop online or in person. If you’re brand focused and like shopping online, you may want to check out REVOLVE. The company is based in Cerritos, CA and is the “virtual home for an unrivaled collection of the world’s most coveted brands.” REVOLVE offers both men’s and women’s clothing, though the focus definitely seems to be on women’s lines.
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I’ve always been an animal lover, but it’s turned up a few notches since Garçon came into my life. It’s amazing how much happiness a pet can bring to people, and it’s amazing what a good home can do for a pet. Unfortunately, 3-4 million animals are euthanized every year in the U.S. Found Animals is a Los Angeles, CA based nonprofit that is dedicated to changing this. The organization’s goal is to “find the big ideas that advance the safety of animals in our homes, our shelters, and everywhere in between.”
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I’ve been married nearly 9 months now. Slowly more and more people are asking, “When are you going to have kids?” Getting a puppy deflected a little bit of attention, but it’s only going to gain in intensity. If we do eventually give into the pressure, we’ll face a time in our lives that makes preparing for a puppy seem like nothing. That’s why it should be no surprise that the expecting parent market is absolutely huge. In fact, Destination Maternity Corporation, which is based in Philadelphia, PA, does $500 million in annual sales as “the world’s leading maternity apparel retailer.” Yes, a single company (albeit with quite a few brands) can generate half a billion dollars in revenue selling clothes for pregnant women.
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One of the best things about the Internet is that it allows creative people to find a market for their work. What used to be a hobby for someone can now be a living. The problem is that creating isn’t enough–you have to learn how to run a business too. Gumroad is a company that makes that part easier. They’re based in San Francisco, CA, and they “help millions of creators earn their livings in an interesting, authentic way.” Gumroad’s platform takes all of the complications out of selling digital goods online. Whether it’s a book, music, a video, or something else, Gumroad will help you with marketing, accepting payments, and offering secured downloads.
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At this time last year, Amy and I were in the thick of wedding planning. Part of me is relieved that it’s in the past (because the wedding was awesome), but I also kind of miss it. We were lucky to have an amazing wedding planner who proposed great ideas and narrowed down the early decisions for us to make them manageable. Before we got to that point, though, we had to do our “homework.” That meant looking through all kinds of books and magazines to mark what we liked and what we didn’t like. It was a bit old fashioned, but it worked. Loverly is a New York, NY based company that brings that process online. It’s “a one-stop-shop for wedding planning where brides and grooms find ideas, people to hire and things to buy.”
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Until today I’d never looked up the meaning of my last name. I always knew that Franzen was Swedish because my dad’s dad’s parents were both Swedes, but I never knew that it actually means French man. Other than owning a French breed of dog, parlaying a tiny bit of Français, and enjoying French food, I haven’t really lived up to the name. Todd Snyder has lived up to his surname. It means “one who makes outer garments” in Dutch. His eponymous Todd Snyder brand is a New York, NY based men’s fashion line that is inspired “by Savile Row craftsmanship, military tailoring, and a distinct New York sensibility.” I’ll guess that Todd Snyder’s Iowa roots have also had an influence on the company.
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Personalized shopping used to mean that you were buying something with a monogram, but today that word is being used more and more often to mean buying items that are recommended specifically for you. I love Amazon’s recommendations engine, but I think that it could be a lot better (and I’d like to see other merchants adopt similar technology). Lela must be paying attention. They’re a New York, NY based company with a mission “to improve consumers’ online experience by helping businesses deliver a new level of personalized engagement.” From what I can tell, Lela is using their technology on their own property (Lela.com) while also offering it to other publishers and merchants.
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Despite my early fascination/obsession with infomercials, I don’t think that I’ve ever bought something directly from tv. I just can’t do it. Doesn’t feel right. For me there’s some sort of stigma around buying off of tv, but I’m certain that there are plenty of people who have a different opinion. Take for example the 1.2 million customer that buy from ShopHQ. In case you’re not familiar, ShopHQ is an Eden Prairie, MN based company that creates “the ultimate interactive shopping experience by uniting live TV, online and mobile shopping opportunities with social media engagement across a variety of outlets including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.” They used to be known as ShopNBC, and you probably have their channel on your tv (they reach 86 million homes).
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I cook a lot, but with Thanksgiving only a few weeks away, it’s time to make sure my skills are as sharp as my knives (doesn’t that sound like a promo for some silly cooking show?). Most of my culinary skills are semi-self-taught. Television, cookbooks, and lots of dinners out have exposed me to all kinds of new concepts, but the Internet is where I go to get the definitive answer on how to cook what I want to cook. Often all it takes is a Google search to find what I’m looking for, but sometimes I want to get new ideas. My go to is Serious Eats, but today I found a new site with a similar approach. The company is called Food52, and it’s a New York, NY based online community that brings “cooks together from all over to exchange recipes and ideas and to support each other in the kitchen.” (Side note: Food52 and Serious Eats are celebrating the the one-in-70,000-ish-years holiday of Thanksgivukkah with a cook off.) In their first few years they’ve been able to reach millions of people and get them talking about food, which is no small feat.
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Tonight is Mischief Night (also known as Devil’s Night). As a kid I was always a little afraid on October 30th, but I had a dream of becoming a vigilante and catching all of the mischief makers. Luckily, there weren’t many mischief makers in my neighborhood. At worst they would TP some trees and shaving cream some windows. I don’t know from personal experience, but as I understand it, lower quality shaving cream is better for mischief. You want that airy, foamy stuff if you’re spraying it on someone’s windows, but you want almost the exact opposite if you’re shaving your face (or so I’m told, I haven’t shaved with a razor in many years). Lately there has been a movement towards higher quality shaving products… and towards subscription models. We already took a look at Harry’s, and today we’re going to check out Dollar Shave Club. They’re based in Venice, CA, and they are “a rocketing men’s lifestyle brand and e-commerce company on a mission to change the way men address their shaving and grooming needs.”
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Despite the fact that I haven’t shaved in over 7 years, I won’t be winning a facial hair competition any time soon. That’s because I use a beard trimmer to maintain that “I shaved 4 days ago” look. I don’t plan on ever going back to shaving with a razor, but if I do I’ll consider Harry’s. They’re a New York, NY based company that was started “out of respect for quality craftsmanship, simple design, modern convenience and most importantly for guys who know they shouldn’t have to overpay for a great shave.” Back in my shaving days, the choice was to use Gilette’s latest “development” or to use some cheap alternative that would irritate my face even more (like the free razor that I got as a freshman in college). I believed the marketing hype and went with the expensive option, even though it still didn’t give me a great shave.
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When you get engaged, everybody tells you how much fun registry shopping is. I’m still waiting for the fun part. Just kidding. The fun part was doing our Amazon Registry, which had all of the cool kitchen gadgets that I wanted. When someone bought us something on that, I got really excited. I was a little bit less excited about our registries at Simon Pearce, Bloomingdale’s, and Restoration Hardware. I’m very grateful to everyone who bought us a gift from those registries, but a blowtorch is way better than a water pitcher in my book. Now let’s go back to that last place we registered: Restoration Hardware. That ended up being our least popular registry (in terms of % completed), which is surprising when you consider that the Corte Madera, CA “home furnishings retailer” made the Inc. 5000 with 91% three-year growth to $1.2 billion in revenue. While that growth rate is lower than what we’re accustomed to, we can make an excuse for a company that passed the billion dollar mark (and is no longer eligible for the list now that they have IPOed).
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Some people can flat out sell. Give them any product, and they’ll convince people to hand over money for it. When these kinds of people are paired with great products in a market that they’re familiar with, the magic really happens. Think Billy Mays. He had a formula for finding, developing, and marketing household products that you’d never buy without his influence. Stroll is a Philadelphia, PA based company with a similar ability to sell and market; however, they’re solely focused on consumer education products. The company’s mission is “to transform lives by discovering the world’s best educational products and turning them into best-sellers.” Apparently they’re succeeding–Stroll made the Inc. 5000 with 424% thee-year growth to $84.9 million in revenue.
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Today my wife and I got our puppy from the breeder. He is a Braque Francais. Here’s a picture. He doesn’t have a name yet, so we’re taking suggestions (just hit reply–and bonus points if it’s French). I’m already completely in love with him, and that means that I’m headed down the path of buying ridiculous merchandise for my dog. Amy and I already made one trip to the pet store, and that resulted in extensive use of my veto power. One way I might be able to limit the damage is by subscribing to something like BarkBox. It’s a monthly subscription that gives you “a combination of 4-6 treats, toys, and hygiene products that have been hand selected” for your dog. While BarkBox is the product (and it came first), the company is Bark & Co. They are based in New York, NY, and they are “dedicated to building products that foster the health and happiness of dogs everywhere.”
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I’ve been working at eating healthier for a while now. I have a huge appetite–and it gets bigger when I work out, so it’s not easy. I’ve made a lot of progress by shopping only around the perimeter at the grocery store and avoiding snacking, but I know that the latter is hard for people. If you’re going to snack, you might as well try to be healthy. NatureBox is a company that wants to make that easier for everyone. They’re a San Carlos, CA based ” high-growth e-commerce company that is reinventing the way people purchase healthy foods and groceries.” While I’ll assume that they have bigger plans, they’ve started by offering a monthly subscription that helps you discover “healthy, hand-picked snacks.”
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Being “domestic” isn’t something that a lot of young people aim for these days. The word often denotes a negative connotation, which is why you might find it odd that a career-minded woman who used to work at Google has made a made a name for herself by embracing domesticity. Brit Morin is often called “Silicon Valley’s Martha Stewart,” and she just raised more than $6 million live up to that comparison. Brit is the founder of Brit + Co., a San Francisco, CA based “online platform and e-commerce company that inspires and enables the digital generation to make.” Domestic skills are important, and Brit + Co. is bringing them back in style with the power of the web.
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