Warby Parker Co-CEO Has Some Advice for Budding Entrepreneurs
Warby Parker co-founders and co-CEO Dave Gilboa has some advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: "Take a step back."
In an interview with TheStreet, Gilboa explained that often young entrepreneurs try to "build an airplane on the way down" meaning that they try to address problems in the middle of things as opposed to taking a step back and building a strategy to address those problems.
"Reassess the problem and try to break it down in as small of steps as possible," said Gilboa.
Warby Parker Retail LLC disrupted the eyewear industry in 2010 by selling glasses online for around $100 each, but it now has a strong offline presence with 52 physical store locations in the U.S. and plans for 25 more to open by the end of 2017. Meanwhile, companies such as Sears Holdings Corp. (SHLD) and Macy's (M) - Get Report are closing stores at a rapid pace.
The company has been able to defy the death of retail (the Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) - Get Report affect) by creating a fun in-store experience for customers by displaying hundreds of glasses in the open, rather than behind glass.
