Test, Research and Prove Your Concept before you Scale with the Co-Founders of Dagne Dover
Dear FoundHer...
Lindsay Pinchuk
5 • 854 Ratings
🗓️ 28 February 2023
⏱️ 44 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
“We needed to make sure we had product market fit from day one,” says Melissa Mash, Co-Founder with Jessy Dover and Deepa Gandhi of Dagne Dover, the third fastest growing handbag company at Nordstrom. They saw a need in the market for a durable, all-purpose handbag that could adapt to all areas of life. From the beginning, research–through focus groups, surveys and observing the world around them—was key in getting the product just right, before finally launching in 2013. Social media was starting to gain momentum, and the brand benefited from the word-of-mouth element of the platform at a time when it was much less crowded. The trio shares the mistake they made early on that forever changed the way they approach the business, as well as their efforts to incorporate sustainability into the bags’ design and production.
Key takeaways from today’s episode include:
- Research is key
- Test the product to make sure you have the concept down before you scale
- Leverage word of mouth and build community
Quotes
• “You get attached to everything that you make cuz you've worked so hard on it. Sometimes people won't like it because it's not a good solution and you have to be willing to drop it, let it go,and just navigate towards the things that are working and solving people's problems. (9:50-10:07 | Jessy)
• “In terms of hurdles, I think the first would be product, and then second would be marketing and growth.” (28:16-28:21 | Deepa)
Connect with Melissa Mash, Deepa Gandhi and Jessy Dover:
Website | http://www.dagnedover.com
Dagne Dover Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/dagnedover
Jessy Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/jessydover
Melissa Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/melissashinmash
Deepa Instagram | http://www.instagram.com/deepagandhi
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Dear Founder, as you know, there's no blueprint for entrepreneurship. |
| 0:07.0 | You wear so many hats, you burn the men'side oil, you pour your heart and soul into everything |
| 0:11.9 | that you do. |
| 0:13.0 | But without a doubt, the journey is worth every single second that you put into it. |
| 0:18.1 | I'm Lindsay Pinchuk, host of the Dearer Founder podcast. I say this because I've |
| 0:22.7 | lived it for over a decade. I started my first company with $500 in my pocket and a baby in my belly. |
| 0:29.3 | I grew it and I sold it all. This podcast is my weekly letter to you. We'll talk all things |
| 0:35.6 | starting, growing, nurturing, and in some cases, even |
| 0:39.3 | selling a business. Together with some of my closest contacts, I'm here to help you find your |
| 0:44.1 | own success, whatever that means to you. The ride as a founder is the ride of your life. So come on |
| 0:50.2 | and join me for another episode that will get you one step closer to reaching your own founder goals. |
| 0:57.8 | Welcome back to another episode of Dear Founder. Today, I'm talking to three co-founders who will speak to the power and importance of research, product, and concept testing before launching a business at scale. |
| 1:10.7 | In a few minutes, I'll be bringing on |
| 1:12.5 | the ever-impressive Melissa Mashed, Deepa Gandhi, and Jesse Dover, co-founders of Dagny Dover. |
| 1:18.5 | But first, I'm your host, Lindsay Pinchuk. I'm an award-winning entrepreneur who's been |
| 1:22.6 | building brands for nearly 25 years. For as long as I can remember, I have had some kind of job in marketing. |
| 1:30.3 | In 2010, with a $500 investment, I founded, built, and sold a seven-figure business, a community |
| 1:37.3 | for parents and parents-to-be that reached 3 million people per month. And in 2021, two years |
| 1:43.7 | after I sold my company, I made the decision |
| 1:45.7 | to exit in order to show up and serve a new community, female founders. This podcast is my |
| 1:52.3 | twice weekly letter to you to inspire you to find success through your own entrepreneurial |
| 1:57.3 | endeavors. This podcast is the show I wanted 13 years ago when I became a female |
... |
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