After a decade of entrepreneurial pursuits, a $4B unicorn emerges

GOAT’s Path to Product-Market Fit — How a Fake Sneaker Sparked a $4B Idea

We’ve covered lots of different founder paths here on the Review. But none may be as curious and meandering as Eddy Lu’s.

Today, he’s the co-founder and CEO of GOAT, a global platform for sneakers and luxury apparel that boasts over 350 brands, a million sellers, and 50 million members across 170 countries — valued at over $4B.

But page the calendar back, and you’ll find a decade’s worth of entrepreneurial endeavors with very little in common. After teaming up with his co-founder, Daishin Sugano, the two tried their hand at owning a cream puffs franchise, hopping aboard the early iPhone app train, and even had a YC stint trying to build a community platform for social dining.

Then, a twist of fate (coming in the form of a pair of fraudulent sneakers) sent the pair down an entirely new rabbit hole.

In the latest installment of our Paths to Product-Market Fit series, Lu shares the inside story of all the unexpected twists and turns in GOAT’s founding story — and it certainly wasn’t smooth sailing once the founders landed on their winning idea. Black Friday deals gone awry, website crashes and unpopular features are just a few of the obstacles that would come to pass.

Along the way, Lu shares his biggest pieces of PMF advice for others to lean on — and how to stay gritty and hungry amidst mounting pressure.

Thanks, as always, for reading and sharing!

-The Review Editors

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