Filed under: founder story
2 storiesThe archive, indexed. Every story carries its tags at the foot of the page.
Founder story
Sara Blakely cut the feet off her tights and built Spanx
She had $5,000, no design training and two failed law school entrance exams. The rejections came first; the billion came fourteen years later.
№ 27 · 8 August 2026
Founder stories
The blacksmith who told customers not to buy his jacket
Yvon Chouinard bought a second-hand forge at nineteen, built America's largest climbing hardware supplier, then set about dismantling its bestseller. In 2022 he gave the company away.
№ 25 · 8 August 2026