Warby Parker, Glossier, and Dollar Shave Club
Dear Reader,
What do the three startups above have in common? Yes, they’re direct to consumer reboots of popular brands. Yes, they’ve been doing incredibly well in their categories, either making big exits or dominating their markets. And yes, they’re all quite hip. So what’s the common thread?
It’s not what, but who: Kirsten Green at Forerunner Ventures saw the potential of the direct-to-consumer revolution and was the investor who helped get all these companies off the ground.
In this exclusive book excerpt from journalist Lawrence Ingrassia, Marker goes deep into how Green does it — how she picks winners, over and over, and just how many founders with similar aspirations are knocking on her door today.
An investment from Green isn’t just financing, it’s an imprimatur, a signal to other VCs that the company could be onto something that changes the way the world works.
If you’re at all interested in how and why startups get funded, you won’t want to miss this piece. Read it here.
And don’t forget to check out the Marker homepage for all our other great reads: founder stories, advice columns, business strategy analysis, and more.
Thank you as always for being a reader. We hope you’ll come back again and again to see what we’re up to.
Be well,
Paul Smalera
Editor in Chief, Marker // Medium
