Rent the Runway's Jen Hyman advises founders on scaling and fundraising

Executive overview

Three early-stage founders call in with questions on margins, fundraising, and reaching product-market fit. Jen Hyman co-hosts, drawing on 15 years running Rent the Runway.

Low ego is a founder's competitive advantage — the person who stays in the game longest wins.

Eski Right: handmade coastal jewelry (Sarah Bell)

• Labor at 50% of product cost is unsustainable as the business scales
• Don't assume "locally made" drives purchase decisions — talk to 100 customers and ask directly
• Run A/B price tests on your website; customers will never self-report willingness to pay more
• Explore higher-margin product extensions (e.g. phone holders, bag straps) to improve blended margins
• Target passionate sailing communities: yacht clubs, regattas, coastal hotel gift shops
• Micro-influencers in sailing and coastal lifestyle niches can be reached for under $1,000
• Custom branded bracelets for clubs create exclusivity and repeat wholesale demand

Swear Hair: showerless shampoo for active people (Carrie Sporer)

• Hero product solves a real gap: dry shampoo fails on heavily sweaty hair; this spray physically cleans
• Repeat rate of 20% is the core bottleneck — beauty margins only work at high repurchase frequency
• Bottle size that lasts a year undercuts repeat revenue; reconsider packaging and subscription cadence
• Email marketing and subscriptions are the right moves; double down on both
• Hot yoga studios are the highest-fit partnership channel — don't ask permission, leave samples
• Path to $1M: target $400K from improved repeat revenue + $300K from scrappy gym partnerships in New York
• Free sampling at fitness classes is the most proven low-cost acquisition tactic in beauty

Trabella: spill-proof, multi-wear womenswear (Trabella Gomez)

• Fashion investment is relationship-driven; network into New York's Parsons/FIT/Theory ecosystem
• Andrew Rosen (Theory founder) and similar tastemakers can unlock funding through reputation alone
• 0% return rate on a product is a powerful signal — lead with it in every investor conversation
• Consider licensing the core fashion tech to established workwear brands (e.g. M.M. LaFleur, Argent) for capital and distribution
• TikTok and Reels are the highest-leverage channel: film yourself spilling red wine on a white shirt
• YouTube tutorials work well for demonstrating multi-wear features — already validated by customer behavior

Rent the Runway: 15-year lessons from Jen Hyman

• The business now uses a revenue-share model with brand partners instead of buying inventory upfront
• Rental has crossed from early adopter into mainstream — customers now rent casual and denim
• Running a poorly-valued public company with conviction requires genuinely low ego, not performed resilience
• Advice to her earlier self: worry less about the future; film everything — you won't remember it