48. Tyler Handley (Inkbox) -Tattoos, Defining and New Market, and Why Stickiness Lies Within The Technology

I'd like to thank Natalie Dillon for introducing me to today's guest Tyler Handley ( https://twitter.com/Tyler_Handley ) , co-founder and CEO of Inkbox ( https://inkbox.com/ ) , the tattoos for now. These are temporary tattoos that last for 1-2 weeks and fade as your skin naturally regenerates. We talk about the state of the tattoo market - both temporary and permanent, opportunity he saw at the early stages, how he was able to fundraise and scale. I'll be honest, before our conversation, I knew nothing about the tattoo market before this conversation, so this was certainly an eye opener for me and an insightful conversation. You can follow Tyler @tyler_handley ( https://twitter.com/Tyler_Handley ). You can also follow your host, Mike, on Twitter @mikegelb ( https://twitter.com/MikeGelb ). You can also follow for episode announcements @consumervc ( https://twitter.com/ConsumerVc ). One book that inspired Tyler personally is Endurance ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465062881?camp=1789&creativeASIN=0465062881&ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=theconsumervc-20 ) by Alfred Lansing. One book that inspired Tyler professionally is Good to Great ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0066620996?camp=1789&creativeASIN=0066620996&ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=theconsumervc-20 ) and Built to Last ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060516402?camp=1789&creativeASIN=0060516402&ie=UTF8&linkCode=xm2&tag=theconsumervc-20 ). On this episode I ask Tyler - * What attracted you to entrepreneurship? * What led you to founding Inkbox? What problem were you trying to solve? * How were you able to measure if this was a real need? * In the early stages, how did you think about your target audience? * How did you approach building your supply chain in the beginning? * What led you to fundraising? * How did you approach fundraising? * Early on, what were some of the tough questions from investors? * Do artists apply to be Inkbox? * We spoke before about how you did a rebrand, in the beginning you were trying to be a tech company you didn't have deep brand guidance. Talk to me about that pivot and if you could give an example of trying to be too tech in the beginning. * Talk to me about the $2.5 million investment to release a new product. Talk to me about why that was so important. * How has COVID affected Inkbox? How has your strategy changed? * Talk to me about the future of Inkbox. What are you most excited about? * What's one piece of advice that you have for folks looking to start a B2C type business? Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands