Dollar Shave Club

In 2012, Michael Dubin spent $4,500 to film a video in a bathroom. Gillette had owned the razor market for decades through retail dominance and brand weight. Dubin's pitch was absurd. Razors delivered monthly for $1. He uploaded the video to YouTube. 12,000 orders arrived in 48 hours. The video accumulated 27 million views. Dubin had hacked distribution. He bypassed retail entirely. Instead of convincing stores to stock his product, he convinced individuals to subscribe $1 per month recurring revenue. Gillette sold razors as premium products. You bought them once, stored them in your bathroom, forgot about them. Dollar Shave Club sold reassurance. Every month, a new blade arrived at your door.