Drybar co-founder Alli Webb reflects on stepping back from scaling the company and recognizing the limits of her founder skillset.
Insight
Webb: Drybar Succeeded by Focusing on Emotional Impact Over Just Hair
“Frankly, that's why Drybar has been so successful. I mean, yes, we're doing great blowouts, and your hair looks amazing, but it's about the way you feel when you have great hair, or the way you feel when you put on an outfit that makes you feel good, or if you…”
Insight
Webb: Founders can win by fixing poorly executed existing service categories
“There may be something that you love that is just not executed well, or branded well, or run well, that you could probably take that same idea and make it your own.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Drybar expanded to 67 locations organically without a formal business plan
“It wasn't a premeditated, like, we didn't have a business plan, it wasn't like, this is our goal, and this is our trajectory, like, there was none of that. It was all this very organic, and we're on to something, so we're going to figure it out and keep growin…”
Assertion Contradicted
Webb says Drybar faced zero direct competition when it launched
“No, there was no competition. There were hair salons.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Drybar scaled to over 60 locations without a formal business plan
“It wasn't a premeditated, like, we didn't have a business plan. It wasn't like, this is our goal, and this is our trajectory. Like, there was none of that. It was all this very organic, and we're on to something, so we're going to figure it out and keep growin…”
Insight
Drybar capitalized on the missing middle between luxury and discount salons
“God, there really is two bad choices out there, and that's it. And so that's when I think the idea started percolating for me, and I was like, huh, you know, there's no place, like, in the middle”