Steve Conine

Co-Founder & Co-Chairman, Wayfair · 2 appearances on the record.

computed by AI from the episodes · how this works → · full disclaimer →

8statements → 4claims → 1claims resolved → 4/5average certainty → 1.25/5average debate potential → ≈4.5/5argument clarity, estimated →

1 supported 0 partly supported 0 contradicted 3 not checkable as stated how the 4 claims stand · each chip opens the sources

4 assertions · 2 insights · 2 disclosures · every statement was checked. The predictions and assertions are the 4 claims: statements the public record can support or contradict. 1 is resolved, and 3 name no date, number or outcome precise enough to check. Everything else (opinions, insights, what ifs, disclosures) can never be settled by the record, so it carries no assessment.

The record, in short

What the tape says about how Steve argues and how the claims held up. Everything they said, and everything said about them, is in the tabs below.

Their most notable supported claim

Assertion Supported
Conine: CSN Stores expanded to operate 250 niche e-commerce websites
“We got up to where we had 250 of these.”
Steve Conine Apr 16, 2018 ▶ 29:44 Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine

How they sound: not measured why? →

We measure speaking style by listening to the audio itself, and a fair number needs at least 2,000 words from one person on tape we have measured. There is too little of Steve Conine on measured tape to publish a rate. This says nothing about how they speak.

Everything Steve Conine said on How I Built This that made the record, most notable first. Filter by type, assessment or year in the ledger →

Disclosure
Conine: Wayfair created an ethics group for orders after employee walkouts
“Coming out of that, I mean, we created an orders perspective group and we've really did a lot of soul searching as a company to really think about, okay, how do we think about who do we sell to?”
Steve Conine Aug 29, 2020 ▶ 17:55 How I Built Resilience: Niraj Shah and Steve Conine of Wayfair
Insight
Conine: If an entrepreneur cannot sell, they lack a viable idea
“You got to start with a sale, and if you can't sell anything, you don't have an idea, and so, you know, after kind of validating that, I guess, we sort of said it's time to walk away from this one.”
Steve Conine Apr 16, 2018 ▶ 12:32 Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine
Insight
Conine: Consumer brands must prepare for social media narrative hijacking
“Anyone who's building a big brand is going to have to be aware that their brand can be used to amplify messages. And that is going to be something they have to contend with and think about and learn how to navigate.”
Steve Conine Aug 29, 2020 ▶ 16:42 How I Built Resilience: Niraj Shah and Steve Conine of Wayfair
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Conine saw his paper net worth hit $27M at 24, then zero
“I remember I had this Merrill statement that says I was worth twenty seven million when I was probably like a 24 year old. And I remember thinking I'm all set. And then, you know, six months later it was basically back down to zero.”
Steve Conine Apr 16, 2018 ▶ 9:02 Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine
Disclosure
Conine: Wayfair launched Racksandstands.com with zero inventory risk via drop-shipping
“So we'd buy out of their inventory, so we had no inventory risk, so it was all drop-shipped out of distributors.”
Steve Conine Apr 16, 2018 ▶ 18:18 Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Steve Conine: 30-to-45-day supplier terms enabled Wayfair to self-fund
“It's been, from that day, early years on, it runs a positive cash cycle, so, you know, customers would pay us right away, and we didn't have to pay suppliers for 30 to 45 days, and so you had this kind of natural cash cushion and so, yes, it was, you know, it …”
Steve Conine Apr 16, 2018 ▶ 24:46 Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine
Assertion Supported
Conine: CSN Stores expanded to operate 250 niche e-commerce websites
“We got up to where we had 250 of these.”
Steve Conine Apr 16, 2018 ▶ 29:44 Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Conine: Wayfair founders' first business was a $5 Ithaca web directory
“Our idea was actually to develop some internet directory services, and we would go downtown in Ithaca, New York, and try to pitch companies on paying us five bucks to have a listing in our internet directory, and of course, most of them would look at us like w…”
Steve Conine Apr 16, 2018 ▶ 4:44 Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine

Appearances (2)

EpisodeDateSpeaking time
How I Built Resilience: Niraj Shah and Steve Conine of Wayfair Aug 29, 2020 6m
Wayfair: Niraj Shah & Steve Conine Apr 16, 2018 9m

Played on the show (1)

Episodes where a recording of Steve Conine was played rather than Steve taking part, or where the tape carries an address with nobody putting questions to them. Listed because the words are on the record, kept out of every score on this page because they were not said on this show. We read this off the tape: who was spoken to, who was asked something, who answered whom.

EpisodeDateOn tapeWhat it is
Advice Line with Niraj Shah of Wayfair Oct 30, 2025 3s clip played
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