6 Smart Entrepreneurs on How They Got Their Starts

Why underwear?
MV: We wanted to start a fashion business that solved a real problem. It always felt like a compromise of comfort versus cool, function versus fashion. 

What was your greatest challenge in starting your business?
MV: It’s a complete, constant hustle, the highs are high, the lows are harsh, but it’s also better than anything else--it’s exhilarating and so gratifying.

What's the best advice you've ever received? 
MV: Always maintain a sense of irrational optimism.

Who would you love to see wearing Negative Underwear?
LS: Lena Dunham.
MV: The Hadid sisters. Carine Roitfeld would also be insane. The ultimate purveyor of French cool wearing American lingerie? That would be something.

Why shower caps? 
Why not shower caps?! It is one product lonnnng overdue for an upgrade. I simply wanted something that I couldn't find. I want to redefine shower caps so that someday people won't shudder/laugh/roll their eyes when they hear it.

What was your greatest challenge in starting your business? 
Development. I am such a perfectionist and I wouldn't stop until this product was everything I needed it to be.

What's the best advice you ever received? 
“You are your own company's most valuable asset.”

Shower in the morning. Shower at night. Which is better? 
All showers are great showers…as long as you don't wash your hair. Wink. 

How did you come up with the idea?
My cofounders and I love to cook but found the process inaccessible and the available “fast food” neither healthy nor appealing. So we set out to create a service that could send home chefs everything they needed to enjoy the simple act of cooking and eating, without the additional time and hassle of planning or shopping.

What's the best advice you ever received?
In culinary school, I went to a lecture by Gray Kunz, a James Beard Award-winning chef, who said, “Always wipe the rim of the pot when you make stock.” I’ve used Kunz’s advice to stay organized in everything that I do so that I can execute perfectly.

What’s the most popular Blue Apron recipe of all time?
The Thai chicken burger.

What's been your greatest challenge in starting your business?
MH: Everything was a challenge in the beginning. Our backgrounds are in venture capital, tech and finance, which is a long way from designing active apparel. We have never been afraid to cold email or call and see what happens--and sometimes the people we turned to for mentorship even turned into investors.

At what moment did you realize you had really "made it"?
MH: Gosh, I smile so much at this question! We are such a long way from making it! It was incredible when we bumped into the first person we saw in our Hail Yes track pants. And to see Lupita Nyong’o head to toe in ADAY.

What’s your current favorite piece in the collection?
NF: The Like A Boss sweatshirt: It’s structured yet comfortable. It’s my staple winter piece, from cold NYC workdays to snowboarding on the mountain.
MH: The Throw & Roll leggings. The side pocket is perfect for your phone while running around town.

What was your greatest challenge in starting your business?
WN: Transforming from a salaried, safe, predictable employee to the life-consuming emotional roller coaster of a start-up founder. 

At what moment did you realize you had really "made it"?
WN: One night I clicked on an Inc. article called "How This Bootstrapped Company Is Competing with a Rival That Raised $200 Million" and then realized that Homepolish was the bootstrapped start-up they were writing about.

Who is your dream client?  
NS: Meryl Streep, but I'd probably annoy her by wanting to be her best friend.

Why plants?
Plants make people happy! But they can be challenging [Editor's note: Yes, they die. Easily.] So I set out to build a business that helped make plants more accessible. We now ship plants nationwide.

What was your greatest challenge in starting your business?
The logistics of getting plants to people across the country is one dirty job. Literally. Lots and lots of dirt.

What's the best advice you've ever received? 
“Don't give up.” More specifically, just show up every single day.