StarZero All shows Try the podcast clipper →

Oct 24, 2024 · 49m · how-i-built-this

Advice Line with Michael Preysman of Everlane

Guy Raz · 15m spoken Michael Preysman · 13m spoken Paul Musayev · 6m spoken Anna Babich · 4m spoken Todd Weinberg · 4m spoken
0:00 / 0:00

gold bands on the timeline = statements, start to end. Hover to read, click to jump. CC turns on captions

On this episode of The Advice Line from How I Built This Lab, host Guy Raz and Everlane founder Michael Preysman mentor early-stage entrepreneurs on product sourcing, brand positioning, and scaling direct-to-consumer businesses.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Guy holds 35.8% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Guy as informed peer 5.4 Guest teaching 2.8 Guest disagreement 1.2 Guy pushing back 1.6
05100:0015:0030:0045:001:29–5:53 · Guy as informed peer 5/10 The Attention Economy and Everlane's Legacy Guy and Michael engage in a cordial peer exchange discussing modern drop culture and direct-to-consumer brand dynamics. Michael contextualizes retail shifts from the past authenticity era into the current attention economy.5:53–17:19 · Guy as informed peer 6/10 Advice for Kitchen: Pickleball Lifestyle Apparel Guy Raz demonstrates industry awareness by bringing up golf lifestyle apparel brand Malbon and questioning the aspirational status of pickleball. Todd Weinberg notes that high-level collaborations feel out of reach for an early-stage startup, while Michael emphasizes creative quality over paid promotion.17:20–31:25 · Guy as informed peer 6/10 Reflections on Pickleball and Break Anna Babich asks whether to expand into adult apparel despite her initial thesis of long-lasting kids wear. Guy cites the precedent of children's clothing brand Primary expanding to adults, while Michael urges her not to hold onto sacred cows regarding initial positioning.31:26–45:38 · Guy as informed peer 6/10 Bondi Beach Banter and Mid-Show Break Paul Musayev shares his vision of making Mr. Lid a takeaway food container accessory, which Michael challenges by noting how difficult consumer behavior changes are compared to B2B institutional packaging. Guy contributes creative concepts around character branding and virality.45:39–48:26 · Guy as informed peer 4/10 Key Entrepreneurial Takeaways and Everlane Archival Clip Michael shares retrospective advice on how great products make marketing substantially easier, followed by a humorous archival clip about Everlane's short-lived pivot to bow ties. The interaction is fully collaborative and reflective.1:29–5:53 · Guest teaching 4/10 The Attention Economy and Everlane's Legacy Guy and Michael engage in a cordial peer exchange discussing modern drop culture and direct-to-consumer brand dynamics. Michael contextualizes retail shifts from the past authenticity era into the current attention economy.5:53–17:19 · Guest teaching 2/10 Advice for Kitchen: Pickleball Lifestyle Apparel Guy Raz demonstrates industry awareness by bringing up golf lifestyle apparel brand Malbon and questioning the aspirational status of pickleball. Todd Weinberg notes that high-level collaborations feel out of reach for an early-stage startup, while Michael emphasizes creative quality over paid promotion.17:20–31:25 · Guest teaching 3/10 Reflections on Pickleball and Break Anna Babich asks whether to expand into adult apparel despite her initial thesis of long-lasting kids wear. Guy cites the precedent of children's clothing brand Primary expanding to adults, while Michael urges her not to hold onto sacred cows regarding initial positioning.31:26–45:38 · Guest teaching 2/10 Bondi Beach Banter and Mid-Show Break Paul Musayev shares his vision of making Mr. Lid a takeaway food container accessory, which Michael challenges by noting how difficult consumer behavior changes are compared to B2B institutional packaging. Guy contributes creative concepts around character branding and virality.45:39–48:26 · Guest teaching 3/10 Key Entrepreneurial Takeaways and Everlane Archival Clip Michael shares retrospective advice on how great products make marketing substantially easier, followed by a humorous archival clip about Everlane's short-lived pivot to bow ties. The interaction is fully collaborative and reflective.1:29–5:53 · Guest disagreement 1/10 The Attention Economy and Everlane's Legacy Guy and Michael engage in a cordial peer exchange discussing modern drop culture and direct-to-consumer brand dynamics. Michael contextualizes retail shifts from the past authenticity era into the current attention economy.5:53–17:19 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Advice for Kitchen: Pickleball Lifestyle Apparel Guy Raz demonstrates industry awareness by bringing up golf lifestyle apparel brand Malbon and questioning the aspirational status of pickleball. Todd Weinberg notes that high-level collaborations feel out of reach for an early-stage startup, while Michael emphasizes creative quality over paid promotion.17:20–31:25 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Reflections on Pickleball and Break Anna Babich asks whether to expand into adult apparel despite her initial thesis of long-lasting kids wear. Guy cites the precedent of children's clothing brand Primary expanding to adults, while Michael urges her not to hold onto sacred cows regarding initial positioning.31:26–45:38 · Guest disagreement 2/10 Bondi Beach Banter and Mid-Show Break Paul Musayev shares his vision of making Mr. Lid a takeaway food container accessory, which Michael challenges by noting how difficult consumer behavior changes are compared to B2B institutional packaging. Guy contributes creative concepts around character branding and virality.45:39–48:26 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Key Entrepreneurial Takeaways and Everlane Archival Clip Michael shares retrospective advice on how great products make marketing substantially easier, followed by a humorous archival clip about Everlane's short-lived pivot to bow ties. The interaction is fully collaborative and reflective.1:29–5:53 · Guy pushing back 1/10 The Attention Economy and Everlane's Legacy Guy and Michael engage in a cordial peer exchange discussing modern drop culture and direct-to-consumer brand dynamics. Michael contextualizes retail shifts from the past authenticity era into the current attention economy.5:53–17:19 · Guy pushing back 2/10 Advice for Kitchen: Pickleball Lifestyle Apparel Guy Raz demonstrates industry awareness by bringing up golf lifestyle apparel brand Malbon and questioning the aspirational status of pickleball. Todd Weinberg notes that high-level collaborations feel out of reach for an early-stage startup, while Michael emphasizes creative quality over paid promotion.17:20–31:25 · Guy pushing back 2/10 Reflections on Pickleball and Break Anna Babich asks whether to expand into adult apparel despite her initial thesis of long-lasting kids wear. Guy cites the precedent of children's clothing brand Primary expanding to adults, while Michael urges her not to hold onto sacred cows regarding initial positioning.31:26–45:38 · Guy pushing back 3/10 Bondi Beach Banter and Mid-Show Break Paul Musayev shares his vision of making Mr. Lid a takeaway food container accessory, which Michael challenges by noting how difficult consumer behavior changes are compared to B2B institutional packaging. Guy contributes creative concepts around character branding and virality.45:39–48:26 · Guy pushing back 0/10 Key Entrepreneurial Takeaways and Everlane Archival Clip Michael shares retrospective advice on how great products make marketing substantially easier, followed by a humorous archival clip about Everlane's short-lived pivot to bow ties. The interaction is fully collaborative and reflective.

speaking balance: gold is Guy, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Guy 77.1% · guest 22.9%0:00 · Guy 77.1% · guest 22.9%3:00 · Guy 33.9% · guest 66.1%3:00 · Guy 33.9% · guest 66.1%6:00 · Guy 30.9% · guest 69.1%6:00 · Guy 30.9% · guest 69.1%9:00 · Guy 5.5% · guest 94.5%9:00 · Guy 5.5% · guest 94.5%12:00 · Guy 39.6% · guest 60.4%12:00 · Guy 39.6% · guest 60.4%15:00 · Guy 16% · guest 84%15:00 · Guy 16% · guest 84%18:00 · Guy 61.3% · guest 38.7%18:00 · Guy 61.3% · guest 38.7%21:00 · Guy 23.9% · guest 76.1%21:00 · Guy 23.9% · guest 76.1%24:00 · Guy 33% · guest 67%24:00 · Guy 33% · guest 67%27:00 · Guy 40.7% · guest 59.3%27:00 · Guy 40.7% · guest 59.3%30:00 · Guy 62.6% · guest 37.4%30:00 · Guy 62.6% · guest 37.4%33:00 · Guy 25.4% · guest 74.6%33:00 · Guy 25.4% · guest 74.6%36:00 · Guy 18.1% · guest 81.9%36:00 · Guy 18.1% · guest 81.9%39:00 · Guy 3.5% · guest 96.5%39:00 · Guy 3.5% · guest 96.5%42:00 · Guy 46% · guest 54%42:00 · Guy 46% · guest 54%45:00 · Guy 32.6% · guest 67.4%45:00 · Guy 32.6% · guest 67.4%48:00 · Guy 80.1% · guest 19.9%48:00 · Guy 80.1% · guest 19.9%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 15:41 Pushback against high-level collab strategy

Todd Weinberg pushes back on the suggestion of influencer collaborations, asserting that his nascent brand is nowhere near that level yet.

 Hardest push from Guy ▶ 39:10 Challenging consumer takeout behavior change

Michael Preysman challenges Paul Musayev's core strategy, arguing that asking diners to carry empty containers into restaurants faces immense friction compared to partnering with vendors.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 4:15 Shift from authenticity era to attention economy

Michael Preysman reframes the evolution of DTC marketing from the past twenty-year focus on authenticity and sustainability to a modern celebrity-driven attention economy.

 Guy holds their own ▶ 26:08 Host applies Primary case study to validate expansion

Guy Raz demonstrates his deep entrepreneurial catalog by directly citing the growth trajectory of kids clothing brand Primary to advise Anna on expanding to adults.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicGuy as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementGuy pushing backWhy
The Attention Economy and Everlane's Legacy 5411 Guy and Michael engage in a cordial peer exchange discussing modern drop culture and direct-to-consumer brand dynamics. Michael contextualizes retail shifts from the past authenticity era into the current attention economy.
Advice for Kitchen: Pickleball Lifestyle Apparel 6222 Guy Raz demonstrates industry awareness by bringing up golf lifestyle apparel brand Malbon and questioning the aspirational status of pickleball. Todd Weinberg notes that high-level collaborations feel out of reach for an early-stage startup, while Michael emphasizes creative quality over paid promotion.
Reflections on Pickleball and Break 6312 Anna Babich asks whether to expand into adult apparel despite her initial thesis of long-lasting kids wear. Guy cites the precedent of children's clothing brand Primary expanding to adults, while Michael urges her not to hold onto sacred cows regarding initial positioning.
Bondi Beach Banter and Mid-Show Break 6223 Paul Musayev shares his vision of making Mr. Lid a takeaway food container accessory, which Michael challenges by noting how difficult consumer behavior changes are compared to B2B institutional packaging. Guy contributes creative concepts around character branding and virality.
Key Entrepreneurial Takeaways and Everlane Archival Clip 4300 Michael shares retrospective advice on how great products make marketing substantially easier, followed by a humorous archival clip about Everlane's short-lived pivot to bow ties. The interaction is fully collaborative and reflective.

Statements from this episode (8)

Insight
Preysman: Consumer focus is shifting from designer clothes to designer bodies
“I really believe we're moving from a world of designer clothes to designer bodies.”
Michael Preysman Oct 24, 2024 ▶ 2:37
Disclosure
Preysman: Launched electrolyte supplement brand Magna
“So the first brand that I launched is called Magna. So it's an electrolyte brand focused on how do we get more of the right nutrients in our body through supplementation.”
Michael Preysman Oct 24, 2024 ▶ 3:01
Assertion Partly supported
Weinberg: There Are 16 to 17 Million US Pickleball Players
“I think currently six, 16 to seventeen million players in the US.”
Todd Weinberg Oct 24, 2024 ▶ 9:19
Insight
Preysman: Sourcing, Production, and Creative Are Crucial Early Apparel Hires
“So the two most important hires for me in the early days in an apparel brand are sourcing and production and creative.”
Michael Preysman Oct 24, 2024 ▶ 11:45
Insight
Preysman: Fixing Apparel Product Mistakes Takes 6 to 12 Months
“The challenge with apparel is everything's this iterative cycle where you buy, it takes a while to get in. You sell. So unless you can get the supply chain really tight and short, it takes six, 12 months to fix something properly by the time you sell through t…”
Michael Preysman Oct 24, 2024 ▶ 11:54
Opinion
Preysman: Pickleball lacks the history needed for luxury streetwear brands
“Well, it is a hot sport, but I, you know, what I would say is I'm not sure yet it has the aspiration. You know, it's, it doesn't have the rich history that call that tennis and golf have that allow it to play in the world of streetwear and luxury. So I just th…”
Michael Preysman Oct 24, 2024 ▶ 17:40
Disclosure
Preysman: Everlane Started by Selling Phone Cases
“We started Everlane, we started selling phone cases, and then it ended up looking like radical transparency.”
Michael Preysman Oct 24, 2024 ▶ 25:17
Assertion Supported
Preysman admits Everlane's marketing outpaced its product quality for five years
“Everlane was lucky in the early days because we were at a, we had such a unique marketing position in a world that wasn't as crowded as it is today, and eventually we, our product caught up with our marketing, but that didn't happen for five or six years, and …”
Michael Preysman Oct 24, 2024 ▶ 46:59
Made with StarZero

Turn any episode into a week of clips.

This entire site, over 800 episodes transcribed, diarized, checked and made playable, runs on the StarZero media pipeline. Drop in your own episode and the podcast clipper finds the moments worth sharing, cuts them, captions them, and reframes them for every feed.

Try the podcast clipper Learn more