The Insights That Grew Glossier

Weiss says beauty gives women an easy way to connect, share opinions, and build confidence in their own voice. Into the Gloss grew from that idea, giving readers a place to share routines and recommendations. She sees product reviews and peer advice as ways customers can choose for themselves.

Glossier gathers feedback through conversations and social media, sometimes receiving a thousand responses within 20 minutes. Weiss says the team weighs those views alongside its editorial experience rather than letting customers dictate products one-for-one. When customers requested a pump for Priming Moisturizer Rich, the formula would not work in one, so the team chose a jar and explained why.

Weiss says direct sales let Glossier learn what customers want, offer relevant promotions, and make replenishment easier. The company also used a New York showroom as a gathering place, with little product on display and a focus on helping women meet and choose shades. She describes the broader goal as a two-way relationship customers can engage with as much or as little as they like.

Weiss says Glossier raised more than $40 million and had 600% growth in each of the prior two years, while staying disciplined about which opportunities to pursue. She says 79% of the previous year's growth came from peer recommendations rather than paid acquisition. The team planned to invest in community, some offline retail, and products customers wanted to discuss.

Weiss says her CEO focus shifts every few months and that she spent more than half her workday on people and hiring during the prior year. She emphasizes listening across levels, since an intern can spot a useful workflow improvement. Glossier also promoted people into roles beyond their prior experience, including a marketing executive who had not worked in marketing before.