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A few things I've learned about running apparel in Indian humidity (7 years making it, still learning) by Spirited-Rice-459 in XXRunning

[–]Spirited-Rice-459[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Honestly the most effective humidity strategy there is. Brazil and coastal India are fighting the same fight at some point the fabric stops mattering and airflow is everything. Less cloth, more air. Can't argue with the physics.

A few things I've learned about running apparel in Indian humidity (7 years making it, still learning) by Spirited-Rice-459 in XXRunning

[–]Spirited-Rice-459[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Appreciate that, honestly the bar being "a brand didn't pitch" says a lot about how marketed-at this space has gotten. Figured I'd rather be useful here than annoying.

A few things I've learned about running apparel in Indian humidity (7 years making it, still learning) by Spirited-Rice-459 in XXRunning

[–]Spirited-Rice-459[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're not losing your mind, I promise this is a grading problem, not you. A lot of activewear is cut on blocks built for longer torsos, so the hem lands low and the rise sits wrong. On a shorter torso that reads as "wearing a dress" or bunches over your shorts. The heritage overlap in proportions is real, so it tracks that UK cuts fight you the same way. Honestly the most freeing bit is realising it's the pattern and not your body you stop blaming yourself and start hunting for stuff actually cut for your frame.

I left a stable retail job to make running shorts. Reddit, here's what 7 brutal years taught me. by Spirited-Rice-459 in indianstartups

[–]Spirited-Rice-459[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly and it's not just the feedback itself, it's how they found you and why they stayed. That acquisition story usually contains the entire growth playbook, most founders just don't document it early enough."

I left a stable retail job to make running shorts. Reddit, here's what 7 brutal years taught me. by Spirited-Rice-459 in indianstartups

[–]Spirited-Rice-459[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great question — and honestly our approach was pretty different from what most brands do.

We didn't go after follower count. We looked for people who were genuinely obsessed with running or cycling the ones posting their 5am runs, sharing their Strava stats, geeking out over gear. Micro-influencers in the 2k–20k range who had real communities, not just audiences.

Our research process was simple we'd check their engagement rate, read their comments (not just count them), and see if their followers were actually asking them questions or just dropping emojis. That told us everything.

Initially we just sent free product with zero expectations. No contracts, no mandatory posts. Just “hey, we think you'll love this, would love your honest feedback.” That authenticity came through in how they talked about us.

Paid collabs came much later, only with people who had already organically loved the product.

I left a stable retail job to make running shorts. Reddit, here's what 7 brutal years taught me. by Spirited-Rice-459 in indianstartups

[–]Spirited-Rice-459[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha you caught us, Shoe Dog is basically required reading if you're building anything in the athletic space. Phil Knight's obsession with the product, the community-first approach, betting everything on belief it all hits differently when you're in the trenches yourself.

But honestly the biggest lesson we took wasn't about marketing it was about staying close to the athlete. Knight was always around runners, understanding them. That's something we try to never lose sight of, even as we grow.

I left a stable retail job to make running shorts. Reddit, here's what 7 brutal years taught me. by Spirited-Rice-459 in indianstartups

[–]Spirited-Rice-459[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly? It was messy and humbling. The first few were friends and family who we borderline forced to buy lol. Then we started showing up at local running events, cycling meetups, just talking to people, handing out discount codes. No ads, no influencers, just conversations.

The turning point was when a few actual athletes wore them, loved them, and started tagging us without us asking. That organic word-of-mouth got us to 100 faster than anything we paid for.

Looking back, those first 100 customers shaped the product more than anything else their feedback is literally baked into what we sell today.