Outdoor Voices: Tyler Haney

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: Tyler Haney built Outdoor Voices by identifying a gap in activewear: clothes and branding aimed not at elite athletes, but at people who want movement, play, and recreation. Starting with sketches, Google research, trade-show networking, and small-batch prototyping, she bootstrapped her way to first orders, then used a J.Crew purchase order to raise seed money and scale into a direct-to-consumer brand.

Main Topics: Finding a market gap in activewear (Priority: 5/5): Tyler observed that major athletic brands centered performance, intensity, and competition, leaving room for apparel that fit casual, daily movement and recreation. Brand before product (Priority: 5/5): Outdoor Voices began as a feeling and community idea—jogs, meetups, and a playful activity ethos—before a full product strategy existed. Learning product development through persistence (Priority: 5/5): Tyler used self-teaching, trade shows, and factory visits to find materials and manufacturing partners despite lacking formal apparel-product training. Early manufacturing and prototype iteration (Priority: 4/5): The company moved through failed prototypes, seam issues, and manufacturing dead ends before finding the right technical construction and fit. Traction via wholesale and J.Crew (Priority: 5/5): A small first order from Garbstore led to J.Crew noticing the brand, generating a large order that funded the transition from side project to company. Fundraising through network and positioning (Priority: 4/5): Tyler raised early capital by pitching friends, family, and investors, learning to adapt her message and leverage product on women in investors’ circles. Building culture, community, and leadership (Priority: 4/5): Outdoor Voices used activities, hashtagging, collaborations, and store experiences to build a brand moat beyond product alone, while Tyler navigated being a young CEO.

Key Arguments: Outdoor Voices succeeded because it addressed a neglected consumer: active people who are not competitive athletes but still want comfortable, functional clothing. The brand’s identity and community were as important as the garments; the product worked because it was tied to an experience and social movement. Persistence and willingness to learn on the fly mattered more than formal industry expertise; Tyler repeatedly found solutions through Google, trade shows, and factory relationships. A small wholesale order can create legitimacy and cash flow that unlock larger retail and investor interest. Traditional activewear players were not targeting the same emotional use case, which gave Outdoor Voices room to differentiate. Using women in investors’ personal networks helped overcome skepticism from mostly male VC meetings and turned abstract pitching into product experience. The company’s moat was not just apparel but the combination of activities, message, and community-building that would be hard for competitors to copy.

Data Points: VCs emailed: 25 - Tyler created a list of potential investors and started emailing them. VC responses: 19 - Out of 25 VCs contacted, about 19 responded. First trade show order: about 50 pieces - Ian from Garbstore in London placed Outdoor Voices’ first purchase order. Initial production run for trade show: 200 units - Tyler paid to make 200 tops and bottoms to show at Magic in Las Vegas. Magic booth cost: $1,200 - She rented the smallest possible booth at the trade show. Initial J.Crew order: 11,000 units - J.Crew placed a large purchase order through its Discover program. J.Crew order value: $500,000 - The J.Crew purchase order was worth half a million dollars. Friends-and-family capital raised: $400,000 - Tyler raised this amount over roughly 2 to 2.5 months to fulfill the J.Crew order. Seed round: $1.1 million - General Catalyst led Outdoor Voices’ first institutional round. Series A: $7.5 million - Raised after early traction and brand validation. Series B: $13 million - Raised in 2016 as the company scaled. Total capital raised: close to $60 million - Tyler notes the company had raised roughly this amount over time. Stores: 9 - Outdoor Voices had nine stores at the time of the interview. Employees: 350 - The company had grown to 350 employees. Austin store buildout: $150,000 - Cost to build the first store in Austin, Texas. Dog jog attendance: close to 200 people - The first Outdoor Voices dog jog drew far more people than expected. Busy Baby Mat sales: almost 2,300 units - Referenced in the follow-on segment about another maker's product. Busy Baby Mat sales revenue: around $60,000 - Sales mentioned in the follow-on segment.

Pivotal Quotes: "I wanted to create an outfit that reflects the freedom and kind of the playfulness of this feeling that I'm excited about right now." — Tyler Haney: Explaining the origin of Outdoor Voices’ product vision after recreational runs. "The future of athletics wasn't about being there first, but about being there most frequently and consistently." — Tyler Haney: Describing the brand philosophy that shaped Outdoor Voices. "Our brand is our moat." — Tyler Haney: Explaining why Outdoor Voices could withstand competition from larger athletic brands.

Implications: Outdoor Voices shows that strong brand position, community, and customer emotion can open a crowded market. For founders, persistence, small wins, and experiential marketing can be as important as product innovation.