How I Built This – Advice Line with Neil Blumenthal of Warby Parker

Podcast: How I Built This
Host: Guy Raz
Guest: Neil Blumenthal, Co-founder & Co-CEO, Warby Parker
Date: January 15, 2026

Episode Overview

This special Advice Line episode brings back Neil Blumenthal, co-founder and co-CEO of the eyewear disruptor Warby Parker. Joined by host Guy Raz, Neil fields questions from three early-stage founders facing pivotal business challenges. The episode focuses on practical, actionable advice on topics from marketing innovative products, to vetting franchisees, to scaling a budding lifestyle brand—all while offering candid insights into leadership, teamwork, and building brand identity.

Key Discussion Points

1. The Warby Parker Story & Co-Leadership (04:16–07:57)

• Longevity of Co-CEOs:
  Neil and his co-founder Dave Gilboa are still "co-CEOs" after 15 years—a rarity in startups.
• Secrets to Success in Partnership:
  • Trust and respect at the core of their working relationship.
  • "We still sit next to each other…constantly talking to each other…it's just been a lovely partnership in which we both make each other better." (Neil Blumenthal, 05:42)
• AI in Eyewear:
  • Warby Parker is collaborating with Google to launch AI glasses that can see, hear, and provide real-time contextual information—including live translation.
  • Desire to enable consumers to keep their phones "in the pocket," liberating them from constant device use.

2. Caller 1: Kimber Crandall – Pearl Pop

[08:09–21:19]

Business Overview

• Pearl Pop makes the first "soft and chewy toothpaste"—a gummy-like treat that cleans teeth, targeted at kids and parents seeking clean, fluoride-free dental care.

Main Challenge

• "With something that requires so much education and is completely new to the market, how do you create a movement or a moment that changes the consumer habits and spreads awareness to essentially take it from something that's a niche to a mainstream product and behavior?" (Kimber Crandall, 11:01)

Advice & Insights

• Dual Customer Focus:
  Kimber has to appeal to both kids (who want fun flavors and experience) and parents (who care about efficacy and ingredients).

• Prioritizing Messaging:

  • Warby Parker’s own lessons: lead with what matters most to your primary customer—often, style and price, not the social mission.
  • If efficacy/science convinces parents, lead with that.
  • Sample distribution is a powerful lever for a product with high frequency/repeat use.

  "What we found was what mattered first and foremost was how these glasses look on your face. Second, price, third, quality, last, if at all, would be the social mission."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 12:22)

• Tribal Marketing & Community:

  • Focus on "tribes" of parents specifically seeking fluoride-free alternatives.
  • Lean on testimonials, influencers, especially within parent communities who amplify new ideas.

  "People who do have strong feelings on [fluoride], that is a tribe and they share information…you really need to lean into this tribe."
  (Guy Raz, 13:59)

• Segment Targeting & Partnerships:

  • Find and rank influential parent segments, flood those spaces (podcasts, blogs, Facebook groups).
  • Partner with pediatric dentists and other authority figures for credibility.

• Sampling & Moments:

  • Insert product into everyday routines (goodie bags, camps, dentist offices).
  • Leverage marketing moments (e.g., Halloween when parents worry about candy and cavities).
  • Authority endorsements and scientific data are key for credibility.

  "Changing habits is really hard. You almost don't want to change. You want to take the world as it is and sort of insert your product into it."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 14:47)

• Let Loyal Customers Be Force Multipliers:

  • Focus on early adopters and let viral word-of-mouth drive broader awareness.

  "You really want to double down on people who are attracted to your value proposition and let them be your force multipliers."
  (Guy Raz, 20:09)

3. Caller 2: Brian DeMent – Salt and Light Wellness

[24:37–36:39]

Business Overview

• Salt and Light is a three-location wellness studio in Southern California, providing red light therapy, salt therapy, and cold plunges for recovery and health.

Main Challenge

• "How do we properly vet [the dozen+ weekly inquiries from potential franchisees]—to ensure we're getting people who align with our brand values and that we can create sustainable scaling?" (Brian DeMent, 28:07)

Advice & Insights

• Hiring for Values & Culture:

  • All Warby Parker stores are owned/operated, not franchised, but vetting for shared mission, rituals, and values is universal.

  "We think that the key to success is people and culture…it's shared values, shared rituals, and a shared mission."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 29:07)

• Self-Selection & Raising Barriers:

  • Publish clear company mission and values so applicants self-select.
  • Create a detailed application questionnaire (experience, capital, motivation), which will naturally filter out less-committed candidates.

• Franchisee vs. Customer Mindset:

  • As a franchisor, your customers become the franchisees—prepare to build a business for their support.

• Multi-Step Vetting Process:

  • Initial questionnaire.
  • Detailed conversation gauging vision, coachability, and passion.
  • Mandatory shadowing at current locations and a "trial basis" before official launch.

• Early Franchisee Impact:

  • The first 5 franchisees can make or break culture and brand perception.
  • Stay local at first—build density near HQ for operational oversight.

  "Regional density first…really have oversight because down the road…you'll want to build an academy where you train people."
  (Guy Raz, 35:05)

• Favorite Interview Questions:

  • "Do you remember when you first heard about the brand?"—tests genuine affinity.
  • Look for those with direct experience or deep personal connection to the category.

  "If they didn't do their homework on an interview with the CEO, am I going to trust them with the four walls of a store?"
  (Neil Blumenthal, 32:58)

4. Caller 3: Tanner McCraney – Cowboy Country Club

[37:17–48:16]

Business Overview

• Cowboy Country Club is a “made up” country club and golf brand selling apparel and a membership box. Everyone who buys is "a member." The brand straddles the line between playful community and authentic lifestyle.

Main Challenge

• "I struggle to delegate…How do you let go of the day-to-day core responsibilities in order to build a scalable team and brand?" (Tanner McCraney, 40:25)

Advice & Insights

• Delegation is Hard, but Crucial:

  • Understand and define key company roles so you can delegate with confidence.
  • Meet practitioners in similar companies to understand which responsibilities you can give away and what hires you need.

  "The better I understood individual roles…the easier to let go of certain responsibilities because I grew more comfortable with the work."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 41:20)

• Hiring for Creative Brands:

  • Seek operational, product, and fulfillment expertise from mid-level people already working in apparel/lifestyle businesses.
  • Prioritize candidates from entrepreneurial, not corporate, backgrounds—they’ll help create systems, not just run pre-existing ones.

  "Your first ten hires have to be really entrepreneurial and problem solvers…those folks tend to be at smaller organizations."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 44:21)

• Permanent vs. Fractional Talent:

  • At this high growth but still-small stage, consider "fractional" (part-time or project-based) operations leaders or consultants—especially for setting up systems like warehousing.

  "If you can define specific projects, that works really well for contract work…not everything needs to be permanent."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 46:25)

• Building Internal Culture:

  • In-person teams build stronger culture.
  • Be deliberate about what needs to be in-house (brand and product) versus what can be outsourced (order fulfillment, for example).

  "Packing a hat or shirt…may not be something you want to do in-house…they may have economies of scale."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 44:51)

• Primary Role of Founder:

  • Focus on building community, driving demand, and being the brand evangelist.
  • Hire operators and specialists to run day-to-day logistics.

  "You want somebody who understands that you're selling an identity…you're building a brand."
  (Guy Raz, 47:31)

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• On Partnerships:
  "For 15 years we've been sitting next to each other…it's just been a lovely partnership in which we both make each other better."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 05:42)

• On Market Disruption:
  "Changing habits is really hard. You almost don't want to change. You want to take the world as it is and then sort of insert your product into."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 14:47)

• On Building Culture:
  "If they didn't do their homework on an interview with the CEO…am I going to trust them with the four walls of a store?"
  (Neil Blumenthal, 32:58)

• On Delegation:
  "Sometimes you’re doing things you’ve never learned how to do, so it’s hard to hire somebody to do something you don’t know how to do."
  (Neil Blumenthal, 40:53)

• On Brand Essence:
  "You want somebody who understands that you're selling an identity. You're building a brand."
  (Guy Raz, 47:31)

Final Reflections – Neil’s Advice to His Younger Self (48:37–49:54)

Build a network of founders and operators a few steps ahead of you:

"Continue to build relationships with folks that were a couple steps ahead…that's where we tended to get the most actionable advice."
(Neil Blumenthal, 48:37)

Timestamps of Key Segments

| Segment | Time | |---------------------------------------------------------------|-----------| | Warby Parker's co-CEO model & history | 04:16–07:57 | | Caller 1: Kimber Crandall – Pearl Pop, marketing an innovative product | 08:09–21:19 | | Caller 2: Brian DeMent – Salt and Light Wellness, franchise vetting | 24:37–36:39 | | Caller 3: Tanner McCraney – Cowboy Country Club, letting go to scale | 37:17–48:16 | | Neil’s advice to his younger self | 48:37–49:54 |

Takeaways for Entrepreneurs

• Nail your customer segments and focus fiercely—don’t try to change everyone’s mind at once.
• Structure your hiring and franchising process thoughtfully—with mission-first, values-first, then skillset.
• In fast-growing brands, founders should delegate operational roles so they can obsess over community, culture, and demand.
• Build relationships with peers a few steps ahead for honest, actionable guidance.
• When building something new, get product in people’s hands—sampling, seeding, and creating memorable brand moments help fuel organic growth.

For those who haven't listened:
This episode is a masterclass in founder problem-solving, blending actionable tactics with authentic stories about leadership, partnership, and navigating transformative growth.