Fundamentals of Management, 11/e

Eyeing the Future Topic: Opportunities, entrepreneurial ideas

Fanatically focusing on execution and brand. That’s how analysts describe the strategic approach of Warby Parker, a New York City eyewear startup that’s quickly disrupting the old-fashioned eyewear business. Co-founded in 2010 by David Gilboa and Neil Blumenthal (who are also now co-CEOs), Warby Parker has shown itself to be a fierce and successful competitor. Why? “One word, deliberate.”46 They are disciplined about their brand, but embrace and exploit technology in disrupting the staid and conservative way eyewear has traditionally been sold. So what does Warby Parker do?

Future Vision

To appreciate what Warby Parker is doing, we need to look back at how the idea for the company ...