Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
DIBS Beauty went from zero to one of America’s fastest-growing makeup brands in just four years, with founder Jeff Lee scaling the business into the mid–8 figures and landing a top spot on the Inc. 5000.
In this interview, Jeff breaks down the strategy behind their explosive growth, the creator-led launch that built a 20,000-person waitlist, and how DIBS is winning in one of the most competitive categories in ecommerce.
You’ll hear exactly how Jeff built a 50-state beauty brand, expanded into retail with precision, and created a customer base with a 60%+ 90-day repurchase rate — all while keeping a founder-led obsession with product, community, and customers.
What you’ll learn in this interview:
• The exact social strategy that built a 20,000-person waitlist pre-launch
• Why creator-led distribution outranked traditional paid marketing
• How DIBS achieved a 60%+ 90-day repurchase rate
• The retail playbook behind their breakout performance in Ulta and Revolve
• How Jeff validates product–market fit using creator metrics and in-store behaviour
• Why “comfortable inauthenticity” beats the current social media playbook
• What founders get wrong about community building
• How to hire, structure, and scale a team at hypergrowth speed
• The real dark side of entrepreneurship that nobody talks about
• Jeff’s approach to AI, product discovery, and future-proofing your brand
This episode is a masterclass for founders building in ecommerce, beauty, or any saturated category. You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to launch, differentiate, and scale a brand using content, retail expansion, and customer-obsessed execution.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
Start here → your.omnisend.com/foundr
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → foundr.com/startdollartrial
PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan
CONNECT WITH JEFF LEE
Instagram → instagram.com/jefflee108
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/jefflee108
DIBS Beauty → dibsbeauty.com
00:00 – How Jeff Lee Built One of America’s Fastest-Growing Beauty Brands
01:11 – The 120-Hour Weeks & High-Standards Culture Behind DIBS Beauty
03:20 – Building a 20,000-Person Waitlist & Mastering Pre-Launch Strategy
04:31 – The New Rules of Social Strategy, UGC & Creator-Led Growth
06:16 – Why DIBS Prioritizes Creator Gifting Over Paid Ads
07:58 – How 500 Creators Drove a Viral Launch & Massive DTC Demand
10:14 – The Blind-Date Founder Story: Meeting Courtney Shields
11:44 – Product-Market Fit, Manufacturing Realities & Funding the First SKUs
13:56 – Growing 700% YoY & Becoming a Mid–Eight-Figure Brand
16:10 – The Secret Behind 60% Repurchase Rates in 90 Days
18:56 – Founder-Led Customer Service & Why Proximity Wins
20:52 – Understanding the “50-State Customer” & Building a True National Brand
22:41 – Retail Strategy: Ulta, Revolve & Picking the Right Partner
27:47 – How DIBS Built Community Without Ads & Why Community Managers Matter
29:46 – Comfortable Inauthenticity: Jeff’s Real Take on Authenticity in 2025
33:08 – The Co-Founder Dynamic, Leadership Growth & Learning to Let Go
38:21 – The Dark Side of Hypergrowth & Why Luck Matters More Than You Think
41:52 – Fear, Despair & The Relentless Pressure Founders Don’t Talk About
44:14 – Building a Team of High Performers & Jeff’s Philosophy on Talent
46:53 – AI for Beauty Brands: Discovery, Search & The Future of Visibility
50:51 – Jeff Lee’s Top Productivity Habits for Founders Avoiding Burnout
FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → bit.ly/2uyvzdt
Website → foundr.com
Instagram → instagram.com/foundr
Facebook → facebook.com/foundr
Twitter → twitter.com/foundr
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/foundr
Podcast → foundr.com/podcast
DIBS Beauty went from zero to one of America’s fastest-growing makeup brands in just four years, with founder Jeff Lee scaling the business into the mid–8 figures and landing a top spot on the Inc. 5000.
In this interview, Jeff breaks down the strategy behind their explosive growth, the creator-led launch that built a 20,000-person waitlist, and how DIBS is winning in one of the most competitive categories in ecommerce.
You’ll hear exactly how Jeff built a 50-state beauty brand, expanded into retail with precision, and created a customer base with a 60%+ 90-day repurchase rate — all while keeping a founder-led obsession with product, community, and customers.
What you’ll learn in this interview:
• The exact social strategy that built a 20,000-person waitlist pre-launch
• Why creator-led distribution outranked traditional paid marketing
• How DIBS achieved a 60%+ 90-day repurchase rate
• The retail playbook behind their breakout performance in Ulta and Revolve
• How Jeff validates product–market fit using creator metrics and in-store behaviour
• Why “comfortable inauthenticity” beats the current social media playbook
• What founders get wrong about community building
• How to hire, structure, and scale a team at hypergrowth speed
• The real dark side of entrepreneurship that nobody talks about
• Jeff’s approach to AI, product discovery, and future-proofing your brand
This episode is a masterclass for founders building in ecommerce, beauty, or any saturated category. You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to launch, differentiate, and scale a brand using content, retail expansion, and customer-obsessed execution.
SAVE 50% ON OMNISEND FOR 3 MONTHS
Get 50% off your first 3 months of email and SMS marketing with Omnisend using the code FOUNDR50.
Start here → your.omnisend.com/foundr
HOW WE CAN HELP YOU SCALE YOUR BUSINESS FASTER
Learn directly from 7, 8 & 9-figure founders inside Foundr+
Start your $1 trial → foundr.com/startdollartrial
PREFER A CUSTOM ROADMAP AND 1-ON-1 COACHING?
→ Starting from scratch? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-start-application
→ Already have a store? Apply here → foundr.com/pages/coaching-growth-application
CONNECT WITH NATHAN CHAN
Instagram → instagram.com/nathanchan
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/nathanhchan
CONNECT WITH JEFF LEE
Instagram → instagram.com/jefflee108
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/in/jefflee108
DIBS Beauty → dibsbeauty.com
00:00 – How Jeff Lee Built One of America’s Fastest-Growing Beauty Brands
01:11 – The 120-Hour Weeks & High-Standards Culture Behind DIBS Beauty
03:20 – Building a 20,000-Person Waitlist & Mastering Pre-Launch Strategy
04:31 – The New Rules of Social Strategy, UGC & Creator-Led Growth
06:16 – Why DIBS Prioritizes Creator Gifting Over Paid Ads
07:58 – How 500 Creators Drove a Viral Launch & Massive DTC Demand
10:14 – The Blind-Date Founder Story: Meeting Courtney Shields
11:44 – Product-Market Fit, Manufacturing Realities & Funding the First SKUs
13:56 – Growing 700% YoY & Becoming a Mid–Eight-Figure Brand
16:10 – The Secret Behind 60% Repurchase Rates in 90 Days
18:56 – Founder-Led Customer Service & Why Proximity Wins
20:52 – Understanding the “50-State Customer” & Building a True National Brand
22:41 – Retail Strategy: Ulta, Revolve & Picking the Right Partner
27:47 – How DIBS Built Community Without Ads & Why Community Managers Matter
29:46 – Comfortable Inauthenticity: Jeff’s Real Take on Authenticity in 2025
33:08 – The Co-Founder Dynamic, Leadership Growth & Learning to Let Go
38:21 – The Dark Side of Hypergrowth & Why Luck Matters More Than You Think
41:52 – Fear, Despair & The Relentless Pressure Founders Don’t Talk About
44:14 – Building a Team of High Performers & Jeff’s Philosophy on Talent
46:53 – AI for Beauty Brands: Discovery, Search & The Future of Visibility
50:51 – Jeff Lee’s Top Productivity Habits for Founders Avoiding Burnout
FOLLOW FOUNDR FOR MORE BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGIES
YouTube → bit.ly/2uyvzdt
Website → foundr.com
Instagram → instagram.com/foundr
Facebook → facebook.com/foundr
Twitter → twitter.com/foundr
LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/foundr
Podcast → foundr.com/podcast
