Picture this: A DTC-era company that's thriving

"In the late 2010s, at the height of the direct-to-consumer boom, Framebridge founder Susan Tynan was green with envy. Many other venture-backed startups from the era-like Casper, Away, and Glossier -were growing much faster than her custom framing business. While these other buzzy brands focused on acquiring customers and growing revenue, Tynan was using her $81 million in venture funding to tackle more arduous operational issues, like building factories and hiring hundreds of craftspeople to make frames by hand."

"Eleven years into the business, Tynan's slow, steady approach to growth is paying off. Framebridge now has 750 employees, 500 of whom work at the company's four factories in Kentucky, Virginia, and Nevada. Meanwhile, its brick-and-mortar footprint is growing rapidly, with 10 new stores opening last year (it now operates 40 physical stores) and more planned. Tynan says that by investing in Framebridge's infrastructure early on, she built a moat around the business that has allowed it to ward off competitors."

"And now the company is in a position to scale rapidly, actively looking to expand its network of brick-and-mortar locations, possibly into the hundreds. Meanwhile, many DTC startups that Tynan once envied are fending off challengers that have created similar products, from mattresses-in-a-box to design-forward luggage. "Framebridge was a hard business to build, but that's why it's impossible to replicate," says Tynan. "We're now reaping the benefits.""

Framebridge prioritized operational infrastructure over rapid top-line growth, using $81 million in venture funding to build factories and hire hundreds of craftspeople. Eleven years after founding, the company employs 750 people, with 500 working across four factories in Kentucky, Virginia, and Nevada. The retail footprint expanded to 40 physical stores after adding 10 last year, with plans for further expansion. Early investment in manufacturing and logistics created a competitive moat that reduced replicability and allowed the company to scale rapidly. Framebridge is actively pursuing accelerated brick-and-mortar growth, potentially expanding its store network into the hundreds.

Read at Fast Company