Launch HN: Frey (YC S18) – Laundry and Clothing Care Products Tailored for Men
95 comments
>> laundry industry is outdated and commodified
This tends to be the opening salvo for many of this type of "target market X for segment Y" - why do you think this is true? What's outdated, the way we do laundry, or the elements we use? While you might argue doing laundry in your own home is outdated, I'm not sure you can say the same thing for the detergents and additives as a visit to your box store will readily show many new products tailored to increasingly niche segments and use-cases.
If you're selling "axe body spray for laundry" that's one thing, but don't tell me P&G is "outdated" when it comes to the science behind detergent vs. a couple of guys in a dorm room.
>> there’s a growing number of U.S. men doing laundry
For themselves where they want a "masculine fragrance" or for their families where mom doesn't want her delicates to smell like "New Jersey Turnpike"?
I get that you're trying to rebrand a commodity market via hip styles and personal delivery, but find it a little disingenuous that you position this as a better way to do laundry.
That said, although I'm part of the demographic change in who does laundry I'm most definitely not your target market.
This tends to be the opening salvo for many of this type of "target market X for segment Y" - why do you think this is true? What's outdated, the way we do laundry, or the elements we use? While you might argue doing laundry in your own home is outdated, I'm not sure you can say the same thing for the detergents and additives as a visit to your box store will readily show many new products tailored to increasingly niche segments and use-cases.
If you're selling "axe body spray for laundry" that's one thing, but don't tell me P&G is "outdated" when it comes to the science behind detergent vs. a couple of guys in a dorm room.
>> there’s a growing number of U.S. men doing laundry
For themselves where they want a "masculine fragrance" or for their families where mom doesn't want her delicates to smell like "New Jersey Turnpike"?
I get that you're trying to rebrand a commodity market via hip styles and personal delivery, but find it a little disingenuous that you position this as a better way to do laundry.
That said, although I'm part of the demographic change in who does laundry I'm most definitely not your target market.
All great points!
- We've long since moved past the dorm-room stage =) and P&G have interests outside of making the best product possible. Concentrated detergent is relatively simple to do, and much easier to use. So why haven't they pushed this out? Very much might be because consumer waste allows them to sell more detergent! (Why are there 6 fill lines on the cap, when line 4 is XL? What are lines 5 and 6 for?)
- Absolutely not AXE for laundry, that's brutal =( we're super pro-gender equality, very focused on philanthropy and the environment, and generally just trying to be a great company
- Appreciate all the feedback, genuinely. Not being disingenuous, the vast majority of our customers enjoy doing laundry more when using FREY. Seems like a "better way to do laundry" then, at least by some measure =)
- We've long since moved past the dorm-room stage =) and P&G have interests outside of making the best product possible. Concentrated detergent is relatively simple to do, and much easier to use. So why haven't they pushed this out? Very much might be because consumer waste allows them to sell more detergent! (Why are there 6 fill lines on the cap, when line 4 is XL? What are lines 5 and 6 for?)
- Absolutely not AXE for laundry, that's brutal =( we're super pro-gender equality, very focused on philanthropy and the environment, and generally just trying to be a great company
- Appreciate all the feedback, genuinely. Not being disingenuous, the vast majority of our customers enjoy doing laundry more when using FREY. Seems like a "better way to do laundry" then, at least by some measure =)
> we're super pro-gender equality
I guess it's hard for me to see this when you're introducing a product that is now needlessly gendered. I do think you're tapping a good niche for a business, but I can't agree with it from a social equality perspective. I think we'd be better off without men's vs. women's razors, the "pink tax" as well. Now you're bringing in a "blue tax."
I guess it's hard for me to see this when you're introducing a product that is now needlessly gendered. I do think you're tapping a good niche for a business, but I can't agree with it from a social equality perspective. I think we'd be better off without men's vs. women's razors, the "pink tax" as well. Now you're bringing in a "blue tax."
> the vast majority of our customers enjoy doing laundry more when using FREY.
Given that Identity Politics is "in vogue" these days, there is no reason to think "Identity Consumerism" won't work the same way. You can ride the wave, but it has nothing to do with "better way to do laundry".
Given that Identity Politics is "in vogue" these days, there is no reason to think "Identity Consumerism" won't work the same way. You can ride the wave, but it has nothing to do with "better way to do laundry".
How would concentrated detergent prevent overuse/overfill?
That's a problem that's pretty much already solved with all the "laundry pod" products out there, so it doesn't seem they're afraid people will waste less.
That's a problem that's pretty much already solved with all the "laundry pod" products out there, so it doesn't seem they're afraid people will waste less.
So, is this "laundry for hipsters?"
Akin to all of the dopp kit stuff where mixing shaving cream with a brush is a better experience than just squirting some shaving cream on your hand from a can?
Akin to all of the dopp kit stuff where mixing shaving cream with a brush is a better experience than just squirting some shaving cream on your hand from a can?
What kinds of testing/analysis have you done with your laundry detergent? As you probably know, Tide has a vast amount of rigorous chemical engineering behind it: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry...
I think here's some untapped potential. Selling detergents to people who would like to actually know all the "technical details" related to them.
Yes please.
I have Contact dermatitis, and there are irritants that trigger a negative reaction with my skin in several common soaps and detergents. It would be very valuable for me to know what compounds are in soaps and detergents so I can identify what specific compounds trigger a reaction by monitoring my exposure and symptoms. Right now the best I can do is say "I've had symptoms while using products [product array] so I should avoid them." This makes trying new products risky. I would much rather know what are in different soaps so I can begin to tract the exact irritants. This would enable me to try different products. Medicines and food require very detailed ingredient lists. It's absurd that products like laundry detergents, soaps, and shampoos that come into close contact with skin do not, because they are important for health and are absorbed by the body.
I have Contact dermatitis, and there are irritants that trigger a negative reaction with my skin in several common soaps and detergents. It would be very valuable for me to know what compounds are in soaps and detergents so I can identify what specific compounds trigger a reaction by monitoring my exposure and symptoms. Right now the best I can do is say "I've had symptoms while using products [product array] so I should avoid them." This makes trying new products risky. I would much rather know what are in different soaps so I can begin to tract the exact irritants. This would enable me to try different products. Medicines and food require very detailed ingredient lists. It's absurd that products like laundry detergents, soaps, and shampoos that come into close contact with skin do not, because they are important for health and are absorbed by the body.
Love this (well i don't love the contact dermatitis bit) but I love the idea. Our ingredients are printed on our bottle and on our site, and we'd be happy to try to help identify what causes the issues!
We have tested our products with dozens of people who have skin sensitivities, and we always outperform the leading brands. Fragrance sensitivity is a different issue, but because our products are basically a natural soap + a few enzymes + a few other natural ingredients, the allergen factor is minimal
We have tested our products with dozens of people who have skin sensitivities, and we always outperform the leading brands. Fragrance sensitivity is a different issue, but because our products are basically a natural soap + a few enzymes + a few other natural ingredients, the allergen factor is minimal
Interesting, thanks!
You should evaluate the loading performance of your store. If you attempt to use PPC ads to get traffic, many visitors will bounce because it takes so long to load, and once it does load, it is not interactive for a long time. This will make you spend more on advertising than is strictly necessary.
You're currently serving ~5mb of uncompressed JavaScript and are not using a CDN for your root domain. I would start with those.
https://www.webpagetest.org/result/180622_77_7b98a10a75ec84f...
You're currently serving ~5mb of uncompressed JavaScript and are not using a CDN for your root domain. I would start with those.
https://www.webpagetest.org/result/180622_77_7b98a10a75ec84f...
Thanks for the advice! Yes, we are actually looking into MaxCDN right now, been between CloudFlare or MaxCDN but settled on the latter. All the best!
If you would like some help, feel free to email the address in my profile. A current client of mine is a software company which provides an e-commerce store builder used by thousands of entrepreneurs and online marketers. Performance is my top focus for them.
Amazing, thank you for the offer! We are always looking for ways to optimize all aspects of our business :)
50oz of Tide runs cheaper than 16oz of Frey detergent. How much of the market is open to such a premium on the pricing model (or is there another factor I'm missing)?
A very good point, we're never going to try to price compete with Tide (although our 16oz is concentrated and holds 32 loads). It's a large, and quickly growing market. Consider the size of the premium cologne market- we're just a better, cheaper, all-encompassing solution!
Hold on, I'm confused here. You wrote:
> we're never going to try to price compete with Tide
> we're just a better, cheaper
Which is it?
> we're never going to try to price compete with Tide
> we're just a better, cheaper
Which is it?
I read it as more expensive per bottle, cheaper per load due to the concentration.
> although our 16oz is concentrated and holds 32 loads
I'm sure you're aware Tide is concentrated and suitable for far more loads than they claim on the bottle. You do definitely have the honest angle going for you on that bit though.
I'm sure you're aware Tide is concentrated and suitable for far more loads than they claim on the bottle. You do definitely have the honest angle going for you on that bit though.
Exactly, they're encouraging over-use =)
Interesting. Maybe you should consider 'diluting' similar to Tide, to present a more accurate comparison? Most of us just look at ounces.
Additionally, I'd find using a new detergent to be an easier experience if I was supposed to place a similar amount to what I'm already accustomed to.
Just some thoughts; I love the design by the way!
Additionally, I'd find using a new detergent to be an easier experience if I was supposed to place a similar amount to what I'm already accustomed to.
Just some thoughts; I love the design by the way!
Really good points, i like the comparison idea! We need to make an Us vs. Them landing page.
And our pump top is created to be super easy to use, just 6 pumps, no messy cap, one-handed, etc =)
Thank you so much!!!
And our pump top is created to be super easy to use, just 6 pumps, no messy cap, one-handed, etc =)
Thank you so much!!!
I imagine either way they wouldn't want to bloat shipping costs, that would be rough.
I'm a man, early twenties, and I'll give you some insights into why I would not buy this product and the things I consider when I buy laundry detergent (in order of preference). I apologize in advance for the tone.
1.) Price - Your charging 16.00 for 32+ loads, let's assume I buy a top end brand like Tide, that's 120+ loads for 17.50. Your product is 10% more expensive for 400% fewer loads, you've lost me already. EPA approved products (i.e. Kirkland Detergent) are also cheaper.
2.) Fragrance - This is the core selling point of your product. And that it appeals to "men". I understand detergents can smell overly flowery, but there are many that are very light odor that don't break the bank. Furthermore, if P&G were to replicate your scent, then it's game over.
3.) Convenience - Your cap is a nice innovation, but it's nothing new: it's like shampoo. Like with dish soap, I'm a user who probably uses more than recommended, so 6 taps is a good start. However, I'll still probably use more "just in case". That's just me. 40 tide pods are 11.00, and those are more convenient if you ask me. I know exactly when I'll run out and have perfect amounts.
4.) "For Men" - My least priority when buying detergent. I've used Dove "Men" care body wash before. I wouldn't smell much different if I used Irish Spring or a "non-man" version. The only reason I'm willing to try the manliness version is that both of them are on the same shelf. But if it's a 40% markup, I wouldn't touch it.
I might not be in your target demographics, but I did want to share my thoughts. Founder of https://customer.cool/
1.) Price - Your charging 16.00 for 32+ loads, let's assume I buy a top end brand like Tide, that's 120+ loads for 17.50. Your product is 10% more expensive for 400% fewer loads, you've lost me already. EPA approved products (i.e. Kirkland Detergent) are also cheaper.
2.) Fragrance - This is the core selling point of your product. And that it appeals to "men". I understand detergents can smell overly flowery, but there are many that are very light odor that don't break the bank. Furthermore, if P&G were to replicate your scent, then it's game over.
3.) Convenience - Your cap is a nice innovation, but it's nothing new: it's like shampoo. Like with dish soap, I'm a user who probably uses more than recommended, so 6 taps is a good start. However, I'll still probably use more "just in case". That's just me. 40 tide pods are 11.00, and those are more convenient if you ask me. I know exactly when I'll run out and have perfect amounts.
4.) "For Men" - My least priority when buying detergent. I've used Dove "Men" care body wash before. I wouldn't smell much different if I used Irish Spring or a "non-man" version. The only reason I'm willing to try the manliness version is that both of them are on the same shelf. But if it's a 40% markup, I wouldn't touch it.
I might not be in your target demographics, but I did want to share my thoughts. Founder of https://customer.cool/
Reminds me of Lady Doritos or a random lifestyle brand on Shark Tank. I don’t see the need for it.
Did YC really back this?
Did YC really back this?
Seems cringey and indicative of the current state of SV, and web startups running out of good ideas, that this is a YC company. “Rolled into an appearance on GMA” ... give me a break. You’re well connected and can probably make money selling an artificial product category to some subset of stupid people, and will probably sell the company to whoever owns AXE for a decent amount using the same connections. But is this really something you or YC can be proud of, even after attaching whatever gobbledygook about gender equality and B(S)-Corp?
As a male who does the laundry, I don't understand this. Why do we need laundry care for men? I don't feel anyone buys their heavily scented "mom's detergent" anymore. They haven't been for years now. Unscented detergent that has a smaller environmental footprint is good enough. Am I missing something? What makes you guys better than say 7th Gen or Method?
Nobody wants to do laundry. A premium laundry product already exists - having somebody else do it. I think that competition is tough. Plus, having to separate my laundry and my girlfriend's laundry to have different scents means double the laundry loads.
Agreed on not wanting to do laundry! But the vast majority of our customers actually enjoy laundry just a little bit more (or hate it a little less) when using FREY. And your GF might love us too, 30 - 40% of our customers are women, and some of our best reviews have been written by women.
Very true. I'd settle for a washer/dryer combo machine that actually works. (i.e. you don't have to transfer the clothes, it all happens automagically.)
this would be pretty awesome, maybe that's next =)
They already make them, they just don't work very well! :P
The optimal tub volume to wash a load is significantly less than the minimum volume to properly dry the same load with blown-air tumble drying. It's possible that without a leap to a different drying technology the dual-purpose laundry appliances will never work well.
In the UK I believe domestic washer-dryers outnumber standalone washing machines with standalone tumble dryers. I assume this results from smaller property sizes than the US. If you live in a city in a newer property - there is no room for two appliances rather than one.
Isn't less better when hot air drying? In my experience when I've had very small loads due to accidental spills they dry quickly. I do understand that more water dilutes detergent, though.
> Isn't less better when hot air drying?
Yes. That's the point. The volumes I was referring to were the volumes of the appliances' tubs, not the volume of the load. The assumption is that the load is constant since it needs to go from washer to dryer.
Yes. That's the point. The volumes I was referring to were the volumes of the appliances' tubs, not the volume of the load. The assumption is that the load is constant since it needs to go from washer to dryer.
[deleted]
I buy the tide unscented stuff, and its cheaper per unit, and I have a subscription set up from target. Maybe Frey isn't for me, but I feel like its too expensive. I feel like my opinion matters in this because I am a man.
It's a great point! We're not for everyone, and particularly if you don't care about the fragrance, we're probably not for you (although we do focus on treating your clothing better as well as making a positive impact).
I dont think about what my clean laundry smells like, other than that it smells like clean laundry. Ideally, though, I want my clean laundry to smell like nothing at all.
As a man who is willing to pay a premium to try out stuff like this at least to see if I like it or if I believe there is any type of quality improvement, something that disappoints is that it seems to play to traditional male & female fragrance stereotypes.
For example, I really like lavender scented things, and don’t really care if it’s not traditionally masculine. But all these new “lootkit-like” popup brands, like Birchbox or this brand, seem to pigeonhole the intended customer base in a way that seems needlessly overly specific.
I guess I can’t argue if it turns out to be profitable for them. But I’d imagine the types of men who would consider this in the first place are less worried about whether this stuff looks Traditionally Masculine, like the obligatory section of dark-hued, woodsy and musky products you see tucked in some corner of a Sephora or the fragrance section of a department store.
Why not just focus on making nice, quality things of a wide variety, and let people choose? Why does the business have to be fundamentally _about_ one particular stylization of “masculine” home goods?
For example, I really like lavender scented things, and don’t really care if it’s not traditionally masculine. But all these new “lootkit-like” popup brands, like Birchbox or this brand, seem to pigeonhole the intended customer base in a way that seems needlessly overly specific.
I guess I can’t argue if it turns out to be profitable for them. But I’d imagine the types of men who would consider this in the first place are less worried about whether this stuff looks Traditionally Masculine, like the obligatory section of dark-hued, woodsy and musky products you see tucked in some corner of a Sephora or the fragrance section of a department store.
Why not just focus on making nice, quality things of a wide variety, and let people choose? Why does the business have to be fundamentally _about_ one particular stylization of “masculine” home goods?
We actually very much agree! You'll notice we didn't use "masculine" anywhere in our description. I wrote a lengthier explanation to a below comment.
As I said before though, the product is created for everyone, just tailored towards men. We're simply trying to create an awesome product that give people one more choice in the industry, and we're very excited to expand =)
As I said before though, the product is created for everyone, just tailored towards men. We're simply trying to create an awesome product that give people one more choice in the industry, and we're very excited to expand =)
In what way is your product "tailored towards men" if it isn't using masculine stereotypes?
>There’s a massive ($430B) menswear industry and massive ($130B) laundry industry, and there’s a growing number of U.S. men doing laundry (55 million, up 23% from 2013). The laundry industry still seems to be missing this male demographic
TAM = $130B
Liquid Detergent SAM = $3B
Male-marketed Liquid Detergent SOM = ?
As a (tech) market researcher, and a man somewhat in your target demo, I'd be interested to hear more abt your mkt research both quantitative and qualitative...do men really care abt what brand of detergent they are buying? Is price the most important purchasing factor currently? CAGR of 4.9% [1] is slow, especially since it's driven mostly by mkt penetration of washing machines in developing economies, but I'm sure the CAGR in Frey's niche market would be faster.
What are the profiles you are aiming at? From my perspective your core demographic would be single or non-married, young-ish, working professional types (similar to myself).
Most of these guys live in cities, and when I lived in NYC I used a corner laundromat. Very cheap, efficient, good quality, and not to mention the apt didn't have a washing machine.
Now I live in London with a gf, and we go for eco-friendly but economical detergent to do our laundry. TBH not something I've ever thought much about, or discussed with friends.
I'll be interested to see who your core demographic turns out to be - my tongue in cheek guess is moms of teenagers demanding Frey because they saw it promoted on youtube/instagram by their social media idols :)
My other real-er guess would be high-end corporate accounts - boutique hotels(?), fancy department stores (give it as a sample with purchases of expensive clothing and have it stocked in-store if the customer likes it).
I'm sure if you get enough traction P&G or Unilever will swoop in for the acquisition...good luck!
[1] https://www.happi.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2017-11-28...
TAM = $130B
Liquid Detergent SAM = $3B
Male-marketed Liquid Detergent SOM = ?
As a (tech) market researcher, and a man somewhat in your target demo, I'd be interested to hear more abt your mkt research both quantitative and qualitative...do men really care abt what brand of detergent they are buying? Is price the most important purchasing factor currently? CAGR of 4.9% [1] is slow, especially since it's driven mostly by mkt penetration of washing machines in developing economies, but I'm sure the CAGR in Frey's niche market would be faster.
What are the profiles you are aiming at? From my perspective your core demographic would be single or non-married, young-ish, working professional types (similar to myself).
Most of these guys live in cities, and when I lived in NYC I used a corner laundromat. Very cheap, efficient, good quality, and not to mention the apt didn't have a washing machine.
Now I live in London with a gf, and we go for eco-friendly but economical detergent to do our laundry. TBH not something I've ever thought much about, or discussed with friends.
I'll be interested to see who your core demographic turns out to be - my tongue in cheek guess is moms of teenagers demanding Frey because they saw it promoted on youtube/instagram by their social media idols :)
My other real-er guess would be high-end corporate accounts - boutique hotels(?), fancy department stores (give it as a sample with purchases of expensive clothing and have it stocked in-store if the customer likes it).
I'm sure if you get enough traction P&G or Unilever will swoop in for the acquisition...good luck!
[1] https://www.happi.com/contents/view_breaking-news/2017-11-28...
Frey detergent concentrate for men: Blended with essential oils, and comprised of over a dozen individual scents. [1]
BBC: More evidence essential oils 'make male breasts develop' [2]
I'll stick with my no-fragrance detergent, thanks!
[1] https://livefrey.com/shop/the-detergent/ [2] https://www.bbc.com/news/health-43429933
BBC: More evidence essential oils 'make male breasts develop' [2]
I'll stick with my no-fragrance detergent, thanks!
[1] https://livefrey.com/shop/the-detergent/ [2] https://www.bbc.com/news/health-43429933
The headline in that article vastly overstates the significance and reliability of this result.
Interesting read. The report is on tea tree oil and lavender oil, we definitely do not use these. I can assure you also that any essential oils we use are diluted into the product and not pure concentrate.
I love it. I think it's a great idea.
Your product looks amazing on the photos. I'm not an expert though, but I would put a male model right on front possibly doing laundry as it could be very attractive. Also, I can see women buy this stuff for there men as a gift (or mothers for their grown up boys leaving their parent's) - point being I would try advertisement channels which audience is female too. I guess you might have thought about that. Congratulation for the launch.
Your product looks amazing on the photos. I'm not an expert though, but I would put a male model right on front possibly doing laundry as it could be very attractive. Also, I can see women buy this stuff for there men as a gift (or mothers for their grown up boys leaving their parent's) - point being I would try advertisement channels which audience is female too. I guess you might have thought about that. Congratulation for the launch.
This is so nice to read! Thanks for the awesome feedback. We absolutely want to expand to using models super soon, I think it's a great idea. And you're dead-on with women purchasing! Super great idea, and in fact 30 - 40% of our customers ARE women (a lot just buying for themselves as well!) You absolutely get what we're doing here though, thank you so much!
What I find ironic is it's said that women's shampoos, etc. are said to be higher priced than men's - for what is the same / similar products - just marketed and scented differently.
So are we now going to achieve equality by over-charging some subset of men as well? :)
That aside, all the best.
So are we now going to achieve equality by over-charging some subset of men as well? :)
That aside, all the best.
Have you considered selling a fragrance free product, with add-on fragrance beads?
This means a shared household can bulk buy the product, and each member can use their favourite fragrence.
This means a shared household can bulk buy the product, and each member can use their favourite fragrence.
If any of your products can help me get rid of the yellow ring around my shirt collars, you have a customer (I hate throwing away $100 shirts after only a year of 2-3 times a month wearing).
FYI oxyclean is quite good at this, and so far hasn't damaged any of my clothes including dress shirts. The key is to soak the collar in very concentrated oxyclean solution (~1 full scoop or more per gallon) for several hours, and then wash the shirt like normal. Yellow ring disappears. I've even gotten pen ink stains out this way, which was incredible.
I just used oxiclean whitening for the first time and it made a bunch of white shirts (dress shirts and undershirts) look nearly new again. Pretty impressive stuff, and cheap too. Only downside is it made the fabric feel a little stiff and rough after drying. Next time I'll try a little vinegar in the rinse.
Tip: get some rubber gloves to deal with the concentrated solution.
Tip: get some rubber gloves to deal with the concentrated solution.
We 10000% agree! The absolute worst. Give our stain remover a try after each use of the shirt! Once the stain is there and washed (the washing sets the stain a bit more) it's difficult to remove, but we've seen it remove wine, vinegar, and other incredibly difficult stains!
1) soak shirt in white vinegar / water (1 part to 4) for 1-4 hours (or overnight)
2) apply liberally a paste of baking soda & hydrogen peroxide to yellowed areas
3) let rest for 1-2 hours
4) wash normally
Bonus: use Bluette every few washes.
2) apply liberally a paste of baking soda & hydrogen peroxide to yellowed areas
3) let rest for 1-2 hours
4) wash normally
Bonus: use Bluette every few washes.
What makes this better than Tide? And what about laundry soap is "for men" any more than regular laundry soap is "for women"?
Why isn't there a package with one of everything? That's the only thing stopping me from going all in and just making the order.
You're a rockstar, would love for you to give us a try and provide feedback! Give this a go =) https://livefrey.com/shop/the-clothing-care-kit
[deleted]
I care a lot about the expensive dress shirts I'm now buying. Could you speak a bit more to "BETTER FOR YOUR CLOTHING" aspect? I don't feel confident that your product is much better than the Costco detergent I'm already getting.
Absolutely! We put a lot of effort into our formulation and the science behind it. Most "main-stream" detergents use chemicals like OBAs & FBAs (brighteners and whiteners), along with overly-harsh surfactants (soaps) and enzymes. These are all created to give the initial appearance of a better clean, but quickly deteriorate the fibers of your clothing, lead to color fading, and are literally designed to leave layers of chemicals on your clothing. We scrapped all of that, use natural, gentler surfactants and enzymes, all designed to give a great clean and help lengthen your garment's lifespan =)
THis is the education aspect that would convince me to buy your products.You would need to convince me that what I'm currently washing my clothes with is damaging them and then convince me that your product wont. I'm a guy that does his own laundry and I don't care in the least about smelling of Timber or having fluffy cotton in my sleeves. Make my clothes - my investment - last longer.
Thanks for your response. I strongly echo the other comment here. This should be on your website. I'm ready to purchase now.
Good concept, but not sure I’d buy any.
I couldn’t find the ingredients for any of your products, where are they?
I use Dr. Bronners Sal Suds for laundry. The product does everything you describe yours does, and can be used for other things
I couldn’t find the ingredients for any of your products, where are they?
I use Dr. Bronners Sal Suds for laundry. The product does everything you describe yours does, and can be used for other things
If you load this page without JS enabled the copy text is funny:
> 0%
> ....Of our customers like FREY’s fragrance over their old detergent
Or even better:
> 0%
> ...Of our customers are more confident about their personal scent when using FREY
> 0%
> ....Of our customers like FREY’s fragrance over their old detergent
Or even better:
> 0%
> ...Of our customers are more confident about their personal scent when using FREY
Hey Frey Team, I'm having a hard time reading your content with Firefox on Android!
The text containers are overlapping on my phone, so I can't make out what it says.
The text containers are overlapping on my phone, so I can't make out what it says.
I couldn't tell from your product page - does it work for he-machines (use less water, go up to 200F)?
It absolutely does! HE compatible, cold-water capable =)
Early YC - Reddit, Dropbox, Twitch - products and services tackling massive meaningful technology things.
YC now - Here's some expensive detergent for a niche audience.
I feel like YC is losing its mojo.
YC now - Here's some expensive detergent for a niche audience.
I feel like YC is losing its mojo.
These companies are massive and meaningful because they've had time on their side...who's to say that Frey isn't the next Tide? Is that a small market? Not a user of Frey, but your examples are really poor:
--Twitch started with Justin Kan strapping a video camera onto his head and live streaming it. He did this for over a year iirc. They've spent the last 11 years going from that livestream to what Twitch is today.
--Reddit was such an early flop it was comical. Alexis and Steve talk about sitting around and making fake comments for the first year of the site because no one was using it.
--Um...do you remember Dropbox's launch on HN? Not so great.
--Airbnb had to re-launch something like five times because literally no one gave a shit about "another couchsurfing.com"
--Twitch started with Justin Kan strapping a video camera onto his head and live streaming it. He did this for over a year iirc. They've spent the last 11 years going from that livestream to what Twitch is today.
--Reddit was such an early flop it was comical. Alexis and Steve talk about sitting around and making fake comments for the first year of the site because no one was using it.
--Um...do you remember Dropbox's launch on HN? Not so great.
--Airbnb had to re-launch something like five times because literally no one gave a shit about "another couchsurfing.com"
Haha this is amazing! All extremely great points.
At the end of the day, we're just out here trying to do a little bit of good.
You're a rockstar, thank you for the support =)
At the end of the day, we're just out here trying to do a little bit of good.
You're a rockstar, thank you for the support =)
Put your investment hat on.
Frey has comps with dollar shave club ($1bn exit) Clorox ($CLX) and are focused on one of the fastest growing consumer segments - men’s home and body care. If YC was just a tech accelerator, sure this would be odd. However they’re expanding their focus, and if Frey lads get it right, they have a captive customer base where they can produce a whole army of new products as first movers in an “emerging” market. Just looks at spend in Asian men’s body care markets/consumer spending.
Most new and better things start out expensive. Medicine, rockets, electric cars, cars, etc.
If a new expensive detergent that's very ecological gains traction, it will either drop in price or another company will mass-market it.
Compared to the usefulness of Twitch? I'll take an eco product that can be used by everyone any day.
If a new expensive detergent that's very ecological gains traction, it will either drop in price or another company will mass-market it.
Compared to the usefulness of Twitch? I'll take an eco product that can be used by everyone any day.
That usually applies to things that are totally new or a complete reinvention. They start out expensive and incremental progress or application of knowledge/progress from other fields makes them cheap and common. This detergent does not represent a fundamental shift from other detergents.
Thank you so much! And I actually laughed at the Twitch comment, fantastic =)
But genuinely, really appreciate the support =)
But genuinely, really appreciate the support =)
Those all probably seemed like smaller things when they first launched
Is there a service for doing your laundry (at your home) and folding your clothes?
Cleaning / maid services all over offer this, on top of cleaning your home.
Edit: adding that the weekly price is rather reasonable / fair
Edit: adding that the weekly price is rather reasonable / fair
for some reason prices don't show on my phone in portrait mode
https://m.imgur.com/215bPTr
Finally, laundry soap that let's me be a man!
haha not trying to define what being a man is! But, if you've ever used a cologne, you might find we're a cheaper, better, easier, all-encompassing solution =)
I guess there's money to be made capitalizing on fragile masculinity. Is a bottle of Tide too "feminine?"
Hey there! We're not suggesting anything about masculinity or what defines a man. This is just about creating a great product for a segment of the population- we eventually want to branch out. But, for the current, fragrance is the #1 people reason purchase FREY. The fragrance is tailored towards men. No one suggests "fragile masculinity" when a men's cologne is created, and the idea is similar here. The fragrance from your laundry not only covers your clothing, but your sheets, your towels, and every other aspect of linen. Seems counter-intuitive to purchase a cologne you enjoy, but wash clothes with a fragrance that's not tailored to you as well! Just our thoughts (along with thousands of customers), but by no means are we suggesting anything about what defines masculinity =)
Also, 30 - 40% of our customers are women. We're created for everyone, just tailored towards some =)
My monthly subscription of beard products and enjoyment of craft beers define who I am as a man
I too am a man, white and aged 26-35. For too long my opinions and demands have not been heard by marketers. Finally I can influence the scent of laundry detergent and have freshly cleaned clothing that smells of fox hunting, barber shops and the peatiest of scotches.
See some of our above comments! Not trying to define masculinity, but if you've ever used cologne, you might find you love us- a cheaper, better, more all-encompassing solution =)
Mmmmmhh craft beers... But hey, if you are a guy that appreciates your scent then give us a go! You will not be disappointed! Thank you for your opinion :)
[deleted](1)
Is it Frey as in Glenn? The H is O!
We started this out of a college apartment without the intention of it ever being a full-time job. We noticed that, although we were buying plenty of men’s shampoos, deodorants, fragrances, etc, we were still buying the same detergent our mom had kept at our house growing up.
A very small kickstarter rolled into a small appearance on Good Morning America, at which point we picked our heads up and realized we may have stumbled on a pretty big opportunity.
The laundry industry is outdated and commodified. There’s a massive ($430B) menswear industry and massive ($130B) laundry industry, and there’s a growing number of U.S. men doing laundry (55 million, up 23% from 2013). The laundry industry still seems to be missing this male demographic (and we feel this is also perpetuating this stereotype that only women do/should be doing laundry, something we want to help break down).
There are striking similarities between this industry and other consumer packaged goods industries that have recently underdone large changes (like mattresses, eyeglasses, razors, contacts, etc), and we hope to bring the same change to laundry.
We focus a lot on giving back as well, both for personal reasons (we always wanted to create a company that made a positive impact) and also because it resonates with our demographic. Our products are safer for the environment, we're a certified B-Corporation (meaning we meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency), and have a bunch of other positive initiatives we can talk about if anyone's interested.
We're excited to hear your thoughts on our idea!