ON THIS DAY
On this day: Warby Parker's first 1,000 orders in 48 hours
February 2010 — DTC's proof point.
The PUBlish Desk · 24 March 2026
On February 15, 2010, Warby Parker opened for business selling glasses online for $95 — a quarter of the industry's average. The co-founders projected a year of slow ramp. They hit the year's order target in 48 hours, crashed the site, and had a 20,000-person waitlist by week three.
What made it work wasn't the price. GQ wrote about the company the day of launch — a single placement that reached the exact audience who'd been frustrated with LensCrafters. The earned media did the rest.
One placement in the right publication beat any amount of paid acquisition. Early-stage marketing is often one decision, not a budget.
Subscribe to The PUBlish Journal
One curated piece, three teasers, eleven minutes of reading. Editorial only. no feed, no noise.