2. 1
STARTING POINT
Calvin Klein has dominated for decades
building on comfort, sex appeal and
customer stickiness
This stable category has
seen an influx of new DTC
entrants with players such
as MeUndies, Tommy
John, Mack Weldon, and
SAXX aiming to
differentiate on better
performance materials,
heightened comfort and
flashy designs
DIFFERENT DESIGN
Current startups focus on comfort with designs that
are boring or overly flashy – overlooking the
aspirational high income, urban consumer
SUSTAINABILITY OVERLOOKED
Players currently treat sustainability as an add-on to their
offering rather than making it a central part of their
mission
TOO EXPENSIVE
Current premium players price per unit at $24-$35
exceeding many buyers willingness to pay
3. 2
THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS – DAY 1
Freelance apparel designer
(TBD)
Freelance apparel technical
designer (TBD)
Manufacturer (TBD)
Marketing – Branding and
content manager; Performance
marketing manager (TBD)
Logistics provider (Third party
or in-house while sub scale)
Research, design and
production of physical products
Shipping of products
Two-way dialogue with
customers (-> channels)
Frictionless customer
experience
Impactful marketing &
storytelling
Top-notch design (freelance
vs. permanent member)
Merchandizing / logistics
system (inventory & shipping)
A sustainability focused brand
that makes sleek understated
premium underwear to help
you feel good, look good and
do good
Feel good with underwear
incorporating all the latest
fabric and design innovations
for comfort
Look good with an aesthetic
focus on sleek minimalist
design
Do good with a brand that
utilizes sustainable production,
recycles products for zero
waste, has a transparent
supply chain and supports
social causes
Targeting the ambitious, urban
man who values success and
self-improvement, but is
understated. Chooses
minimalistic sleek products
with quality rather than status
signaling brands
Demographics:
• Young and urban males
• Age: 20 – 45
• Income: $70k+
• Affluent and digitally native
Key emotional needs:
• Feeling progress and
improvement in his career
(hard-working)
• Feeling attractive and fit
(enjoys exercise/sports)
• Feeling time-starved and
busy (does not want to
waste time)
GET: Marketing and promotion
to be highly targeted
Customer experience shaped
by our virtual storefront
(website), touchpoints (social
media accounts and retail pop
ups), customer service and
product (creative packaging to
have a great experience out of
the box)
Direct-to-Consumer enables a
two-way dialogue with our
target customer where he
spends most of his time. Our
customer archetype is digitally
native and time starved,
preferring to shop online rather
than in store. Targeting
channels to focus on social,
SEO, SEM, PR, affiliates, retail
pop-ups
Production cost (manufacturing) -> cost per unit (FOB)
Packaging & fulfillment cost per unit
Salaries / Freelancers (Designer & Content & Social Media)
Marketing cost (Branding and CAC)
Overhead (Office & warehouse -> small products so prob. same)
Sales of products (Direct-to-consumer at full retail price online)
Subscription model
4. 3
THE BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS – DAY 5
Freelance apparel designer
(TBD)
Freelance apparel technical
designer (TBD)
Manufacturer (TBD)
Marketing – Branding and
content manager; Performance
marketing manager (TBD)
Logistics provider (Third party
or in-house while sub scale)
Research, design and
production of physical products
Shipping of products
Two-way dialogue with
customers (-> channels)
Frictionless customer
experience
BRANDING IS KEY
Impactful marketing &
storytelling (branding and
content personnel needed)
Top-notch design (freelance
vs. permanent member)
Merchandizing / logistics
system (inventory & shipping)
A sustainability or social
impact focused brand that
makes sleek understated
premium underwear to help
you feel good, look good and
do good
Feel good with underwear
incorporating all the latest
fabric and design innovations
for comfort
Look good with an aesthetic
focus on sleek minimalist
design – linked with a local
craftsmanship story
Do good with a brand that
focuses on a quantifiable
recycling/ closed loop
message
Targeting the ambitious, urban
man who values success and
self-improvement, but is
understated. Chooses
minimalistic sleek products
with quality rather than status
signaling brands
Demographics:
1) Young and urban males
• Age: 25 – 45
• Income: $80k+
• Affluent and digitally native
2) Gen Z
• Age: 15 – 24
• Income: high household
income (major US cities)
Key emotional needs:
• Feeling progress and
improvement in his career
(hard-working)
• Feeling attractive and fit
(enjoys exercise/sports)
• Feeling time-starved and
busy (does not want to
waste time)
Customer experience shaped
by our virtual storefront
(website), touchpoints (social
media and retail pop ups),
customer service and product
(creative packaging for great
out of box experience)
Referral Program to build
brand organically via word of
mouth
Direct-to-Consumer
Targeting channels:
• SEO
• SEM
• PR
• Micro-Influencers
• Guerrilla Marketing
Production cost (manufacturing) -> cost per unit (FOB)
Packaging & fulfillment cost per unit
Salaries / Freelancers (Designer & Content & Social Media)
Marketing cost (Branding and CAC)
Overhead (Office & warehouse -> small products so prob. same)
Sales of products (Direct-to-consumer at full retail price online)
Subscription model
5. 4
MATCHING VALUE PROP TO CUSTOMERS
Target Customer:
Young, hard-working professional:
• Feeling progress and improvement in his
career (hard-working)
• Meets expectations of premium
underwear of great comfort and fit so he
can focus on his work
Urban, cares about feeling attractive:
• Lives in a busy, big city
• Looks for sleek – more urban design
Young, liberal – cares about
sustainability:
• Grew up with news about climate change;
cares about his impact on the planet and
the people around him
• Feels it is difficult to keep track on what
sustainability means exactly
Feel good:
• With underwear incorporating all the
latest fabric and design innovations for
outstanding comfort
Look good:
• With an aesthetic focus on sleek
minimalist design
• Focus on local craftsmanship (“Brooklyn”)
and enduring quality
Do good:
• With a brand that focuses on recycling/
closed loop message and genuine
partnerships with its manufacturers
• Easy, tangible contribution with each
purchase
Prod/Mkt Fit:
PROJECT
FIBER
Validated Value
Proposition:
TABLE STAKE SELLING POINT SELLING POINT
Affluent Gen X
(high disposable
income, care about
comfort and quality)
[To be validated]
HALO Spaces:
City Gen Z
(High school/ College
guy, who truly cares
about sustainability
also in purchasing
decisions)
6. 5
WEBSITE BUILT ALONG VALUE PR. THEMES
LANDING PAGE & STORE MATERIAL REVOLUTION LOCAL CRAFTSMANSHIP
“DO GOOD”
“LOOK GOOD” &
“FEEL GOOD”
7. 6
AESTH. WHITE SPACE
Premium
Affordable
Funky/
Colorful
Urban/
Sleek
Conservative /
Simple
Experimental /
Risk-taker
Youthful
Experimental
Brand-focused
Simple commodity user
Established high-
achiever
Settled
conservative
Understated/
Ambitious
We are the brand for the
ambitious, urban man who values
success – but is understated.
Designed with sleek aesthetics
and environmental
responsiveness, we provide the
focused performer with
understated premium underwear
to feel good, look good and do
good.
8. 7
CHANNELS: D2C FOR CUSTOMER FOCUS
Search Engine Marketing
(incl. SEO)
Own Social
PR (e.g., articles in GQ)
Micro-Influencers (larger
cities, artsy community, etc.)
Guerrilla in city scene
NEW CUSTOMER
PROJECT FIBER
COMMUNITY MEMBER
(w/ or w/o subscription)
Referral Program (e.g., 10%
discount for new customer)
GET KEEP
Customer experience shaped by virtual
storefront (website), touchpoints (social
media and retail pop ups), customer service
and product (creative packaging for great
out of box experience)
GROW
Referral Program to build brand organically
via word of mouth
9. 8
REVENUE MODEL: 3-PHASE GROWTH
Years 1-3: Brand Building Years 4-7: Category Expansion Years 8-10: International Expansion
Use first three years to organically grow brand
in one home category (men’s underwear) and
focus on establishing aesthetic, sustainable
brand message in core community
Start further penetrating our customers’
shelves across more basic categories (from
men’s underwear to sleek shirts and socks)
Continue organic growth of community in
further US cities
Start leveraging brand image built up in the
US to spread to further markets (US ->
Canada -> Australia & Western Europe),
while keeping consistent brand message and
core community
• High WTP individuals from top 10 US cities (~2.7M
pot. Customers) + HALO -> 3-4M pot. customers
• Target penetration of that market of 3.5% = 105-
140k customers
• Each with 3-4 pairs of undies purchased at ASP of
$20
• Total revenue = USD 7.3 - 9.8M
USD 7-10M USD 37-46M
Calculations & Rationale:
• Base growth: penetration to 7% High WTP
individuals from top 10 US cities (~2.7M pot.
Customers) + HALO -> 3-4M pot. Customers
Target penetration of that market of 5% = 150-
200k customers (increase to avg. 5 pairs and ASP
leads to revenue of USD 18 – 24M
• Category expansion in base: 1/3 of base
customers buy new categories (3 shirts @ $40 &
5-pack socks @ $10 per pair) -> USD 10.2-13.6M
• New customers for new categories: in same top-10
city market, 50k customers with same shopping for
shirts and socks -> USD 8.5M
• Total revenue: USD 36.7– 46.1M
• Base growth: Assuming US growth of 5% p.a. to
bring US revenue to 43-53.5M
• International expansion: Focus on metropolitan
areas (Vancouver, Sydney, London, Paris, Munich,
etc.) – half the potential market size of US; all
categories at same prices for revenue range of:
10-30M
• Total revenue: USD 53– 83.5M
USD 53-85M
10. 9
NEXT STEPS: BUILD PRODUCT AND BRAND
PRODUCT
Find and select design,
manufacturing and material
partners for proto-typing
MESSAGING
Conduct A/B Testing on
Google AdWords to validate
messaging and price points
BRANDING
Identify team member/
contractor to co-craft the
brand story
11. 10
HYPOTHESES TO TEST
Value Proposition People care about sustainability in apparel purchase decisions Customer interviews
Pass: People express sustainability is purchase driver
Fail: People do not care about it when purchasing
clothing
They care about it – and would
select sustainable product at same
price point rather
Value Proposition
There are sustainable/ social campaigns and or brand images that
affect customer purchase decisions in apparel
Customer interviews talking
through campaigns by similar
brands
Pass: People express those campaigns would evoke
purchase decisions
Fail: Not affecting people
Rarely – but they would hope to do
it more often. Just too much noise
oftentimes and hassle
Value Proposition
Sustainability/ social campaigns can raise awareness for an apparel
brand
Customer interviews talking
through campaigns by similar
brands
PR experts – more likely to get
press?
Pass 1: People claim they had heard of brands due to
their sustainability efforts
Pass 2: PR experts state sustainable storylines more
likely to receive coverage
Fail: Opposite of pass
Yes, everyone can name a few
stand out campaigns and brands
Customer segment
Higher income (urban) men have a higher willingness to pay for their
underwear
Customer interviews
Pass: Correlation between high income and WTP for
underwear
Fail: Even higher income does not mean they want to
spend >$15/20 for undies
Yes, there seems to be a
correlation
Customer segment Higher income (urban) men care more about sustainability Customer interviews
Pass: Correlation between high income and caring for
sustainability – esp. in apparel
Fail: Even higher income does not mean they care
more about sustainability
Not a very clear pattern – prob not
the #1 driving force
Customer segment
Higher income (urban) men favor more sleek/ minimalistic aesthetics in
their clothing
Customer interviews along
competitor products
Pass: Correlation between high income and a more
minimalistic/ sleek design preference in clothing
Fail: Higher income men want funky undies
Not a very clear pattern – prob not
the #1 driving force
Revenue model Men are open for subscriptions in clothing – and underwear in particular Customer interviews
Pass: Men are open to signing up for subscriptions for
undies
Fail: Higher income men want funky undies
Most people are “Willing to use”
Revenue model Men have an extremely high repeat purchase rate in underwear (>80%) Customer interviews
Pass: Men have >80% retention rate
Fail: Lower than 80% retention rate
Retention rate of 80-90%
Get Strategy
Men primarily would try new underwear brands based on good
advertising with hook
Customer interviews
Pass: Main driver is ad campaigns
Fail: Other reasons
Referrals from friends seem to play
large role
Channel
Men are increasingly shopping clothing online – particularly in
underwear as a category
Customer interviews
Pass: Men are buying undies online
Fail: Men still buy at stores/ malls
Most people buy their undies
“online when they run out”
Test Pass/ Fail Status/ commentHypothesesType
13. 12
MARKET SIZING
TAM
• 88 M people
• ~USD 1.31 BN
SAM
• 22 M people
• ~USD 320-640 M
TAM
• Total male population United States = 151M people
• Total US men’s underwear market 2019 was USD 2.24BN
(Note: exp. CAGR 5% 2019-24)
• Boxer Briefs & Trunks = 58%
SAM
• Target age range (18-44 years) = 36.5%
• High WTP (>$15 most exp. pair) = 67%
SOM (WITHIN 2-3 YEARS)
• High WTP individuals from top 10 US cities (~2.7M pot. Customers) +
HALO -> 3-4M pot. customers
• Target penetration of that market of 3.5% = 105-140k customers
• Each with 3-4 pairs of undies purchased at ASP of $20
• Total revenue = USD 7.3 - 9.8M
SOM
• 105-140 K people
• ~USD 7.3 – 9.8 M
15. 14
TYPE OF BUSINESS: DELAWARE C-CORP
Project Fiber will be established at a Delaware C-Corporation.
• This structure is easy to setup, enables the issuance of stock options (which will be value of we decide
to raise venture capital), and could potentially provide tax benefits upon sale.
• Incorporation makes it easier to raise money (as opposed to an LLC), and investors and bankers are
generally more familiar with this structure.
• We are unsure if we intend to raise venture capital in future, but if we do, registering as a Delaware C-
Corporation will make this process easier.
16. 15
MVP: OUR WEBSITE MOCK-UPS
Local Craftsmanship:
“Each pair hand-crafted and designed
in Brooklyn”
“Each pair hand-crafted for you by our
American manufacturer”
Sustainable Materials:
“A Material Revolution: Smoother than
Silk – Superior to Cotton”
No Chemicals:
“Keep Chemicals off your Genitals”
Buy 1 Give 1:
“Underwear for all!
With each purchase, we donate a pair
of underwear to a homeless shelter of
your choice”
Carbon Footprint:
“We’ll keep your balls fresh – as well as
our planet.
Produced at zero carbon emissions.”
Recycled Materials:
“Refresh to be fresh: Premium
underwear made from 100% recycled
materials”
Waste reduction:
“For the Oceans: We’re fighting for
plastic-free oceans turning plastic trash
into your undies.”
17. 16
CUSTOMER ARCHETYPE
“THE FOCUSED
PERFORMER”
Focused on meaningful goals and
success but defined by self
improvement. Understated and seeks
minimalistic sleek products with quality
rather than status signaling brands
YOUNG AND URBAN:
• Age: 25 – 45
• Income: $80k+
• Professional in a large, more
liberal US city
• Living situation: Either single or in
a relationship, staying alone or
with a partner
KEY EMOTIONAL NEEDS:
• Feeling progress and
improvement in his career (hard-
working)
• Feeling attractive and fit (regular
gym goer)
• Feeling time-starved and busy
(does not want to waste time)
KEY PRODUCT NEEDS:
• Meets expectations of premium
underwear of great comfort and fit
• Matches the desire for sleek
design
• Truly sustainable (zero waste,
zero emissions, fairness and
craftsmanship in supply chain)
YOUNG PROFESSIONAL GEN Z
GEN Z & PARENTS
Gen Z guys who grew up with Greta
Thunberg and a great focus on how
our planet gets destroyed
YOUNG AND URBAN:
• Age: 16 – 25
• Income: Parents…
• Mainly from liberal urban cities
KEY EMOTIONAL NEEDS:
• Want to be heard
• Do care about looking good
• Want to make a positive impact
on the world
KEY PRODUCT NEEDS:
• Truly sustainable (zero waste,
zero emissions, fairness and
craftsmanship in supply chain)
• Quantifiable impact
18. 17
HYPOTHESES TO TEST
Value Proposition People care about sustainability in apparel purchase decisions Customer interviews
Pass: People express sustainability is
purchase driver
Fail: People do not care about it when
purchasing clothing
They care about it – but does not
affect purchasing
Value Proposition
There are sustainable/ social campaigns and or brand images
that affect customer purchase decisions in apparel
Customer interviews talking
through campaigns by similar
brands
Pass: People express those campaigns would
evoke purchase decisions
Fail: Not affecting people
Very rarely – but they would hope to
do it more often. Just too much
noise oftentimes and hassle
Value Proposition
Sustainability/ social campaigns can raise awareness for an
apparel brand
Customer interviews talking
through campaigns by similar
brands
PR experts – more likely to get
press?
Pass 1: People claim they had heard of brands
due to their sustainability efforts
Pass 2: PR experts state sustainable
storylines more likely to receive coverage
Fail: Opposite of pass
Yes, everyone can name a few
stand out campaigns and brands
Value Proposition
There is an unserved customer base of men looking for sleek,
minimalistic premium design for underwear
Customer interviews along
competitor products
Pass: Target people more interested in more
sleek designs (or claim available options do
not fully meet aesthetic needs)
Fail: All happy with available options
TBD
Customer segment
Higher income (urban) men have a higher willingness to pay for
their underwear
Customer interviews (and survey)
Pass: Correlation between high income and
WTP for underwear
Fail: Even higher income does not mean they
want to spend >$15/20 for undies
Yes, there seems to be a
correlation
Customer segment Higher income (urban) men care more about sustainability Customer interviews (and survey)
Pass: Correlation between high income and
caring for sustainability – esp. in apparel
Fail: Even higher income does not mean they
care more about sustainability
Not a very clear pattern – prob not
the #1 driving force
Customer segment
Higher income (urban) men favor more sleek/ minimalistic
aesthetics in their clothing
Customer interviews along
competitor products
Pass: Correlation between high income and a
more minimalistic/ sleek design preference in
clothing
Fail: Higher income men want funky undies
Not a very clear pattern – prob not
the #1 driving force
Revenue model
Men are open for subscriptions in clothing – and underwear in
particular
Customer interviews (and survey)
Pass: Men are open to signing up for
subscriptions for undies
Fail: Higher income men want funky undies
Most people are “Willing to use”
Channel
Men are increasingly shopping clothing online – particularly in
underwear as a category
Customer interviews (and survey)
Pass: Men are buying undies online
Fail: Men still buy at stores/ malls
Alternative: girlfriends buy? (where?)
Most people buy their undies
“online when they run out”
Test Pass/ Fail Status/ commentHypothesesType
19. 18
NEXT STEPS: PRODUCT TESTS
Feel good:
• Feel good with underwear incorporating all the latest fabric and
design innovations for comfort
Look good:
• Look good with an aesthetic focus on sleek minimalist design
TEST AND VALIDATE WHAT PEOPLE LIKE
IN TERMS OF PRODUCT LOOK & FEEL
20. 19
16 PEOPLE PRESSED “BUY NOW”
“ONLINE” “OFFLINE” (IN-PERSON CLICK-THROUGH)
9/20
9 of the 20 people we sent the link with the website to
pre-ordered with the given website design
7/24
7 of the 24 people we walked through the website with
in person pre-ordered afterwards
Friends/ Classmates “Strangers”
21. 20
FEEDBACK FOR WEBSITE 2.0 ITERATION
POSITIVE – PLEASE KEEP NEGATIVE – PLEASE FIX
Clean, sleek look
Easy to navigate
Easy to understand messages
Relevant topics (recycled materials &
craftsmanship) for premium product
Not emotional enough in messaging
Not detailed enough in how big of an impact
the recycling has (“quantifiable”)
Reached out to Branding experts (CBS students
& professors, as well as Parsons professors)
Collecting best practices from D2C brands (esp.
Red Antler campaigns)
22. 21
CHANNEL & GET STRATEGY: D2C MODEL
DIGITALLY NATIVE
D2C allows us to create a two-way dialogue with our target customer where he spends most of his time. Our
customer archetype is digitally native and time starved, preferring to shop online rather than in store
-> ~60% of interviewees state they predominantly shop underwear online!
EVOLVING MODEL
We focus on long-term relationships with our core customers – built on high-quality products and customer
experience. A subscription model suits the desires of our time-starved customer and enables a circular closed
loop system: every 2-4 shipments a return shipping envelope will be included for consumers to ship used
underwear back for recycling
-> ~60% of interviewees state they are open to trying a subscription model for underwear
TAILORED GET STRATEGY
Our marketing will be highly targeted and customer experience shaped by our virtual storefront (website),
touchpoints (social media), customer service and product (creative packaging for great out of box experience).
Further, our product category has large potential for word-of-mouth, which we aim to utilize through attractive
referral programs
-> High retention category (~90% buy same 1-2 brands they always buy) and would mostly change
based on referrals or with “cool”/”attractive” marketing campaign (“hook”)
23. 22
MARKETING/ GET STRATEGY: DETAILS
SEO Strategy:
Optimising website to ensure near term first page results on Google for brand related searches and longer-term viability
to reach first page for broad related search terms (e.g. sustainable underwear)
Paid Search Strategy:
Managing customer acquisition through Google for long tail searches with high purchase intent (e.g. “where to buy
premium underwear?”) and searches that may drive traffic within core demographic (e.g. searches for target start-up
competitors)
Paid Social Strategy:
Managing multi-platform marketing strategy to drive campaigns for new customer acquisition with an initial focus on
Instagram with potential to leverage micro-influencers
24. 23
REV MODEL: DIR. SALES & SUBSCRIPTION
DIRECT SALES – PACK DISCOUNTS SUBSCRIPTION MODEL
Option to buy undies on per-need basis
Single pairs never discounted at $20 per pair
Discount for 3-packs possible (e.g. $55 for 3 pairs)
Option to become a Project Fiber club member and sign up to
receive regular shipments of fresh underwear at discounted price
($18 instead of $20)
Different options for frequency and quantity:
• E.g., 3 pairs every 3/ 4/ 6 months
Every 2-4 shipments a return shipping envelope will be included
for consumers to ship used underwear back for recycling