From a dog walking business, to printing jokes on toilet paper, and writing forty pages of a novel my best friend Chelsea, and I have attempted to start countless companies.
I adore my best friend; And the late nights we spent writing business models and determining how we’d use our fortune is what drew me to Pure Fix Cycles.
Fortunately, Austin Stoffers, Michael Fishman, and brothers Jordan and Zach Schau have a much more impressive track record than Chels and me.
From building forts in the backyard to attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison together (Jordan left the pack to attend Columbia), the founders’ natural dynamic is undoubtedly the force behind their startup Pure Fix Cycles’ success.
Pure Fix Cycles is the simplest way to purchase a fixed gear bike. The company’s mission is to make biking accessible and exhilarating for all with affordable, beautifully designed bikes. The team’s also developed Pure City Cycles to offer more comfortable bikes with multiple gears.
While the product is clearly striking a chord with consumers (Pure Fix is now a multi-million dollar company), it’s clear that the startup’s success stems from team culture.
Jordan puts it best when he said.
We are so close that we can operate with very few words. I know his opinion before he has to tell me.
I immediately resonated with Austin and Jordan’s relationship because I feel the same about Chelsea.
The ability to communicate without speaking not only elevates productivity, it ensures that friends are quick to share when they possess a different opinion.
Based on our conversation, the looks of their office and even Austin and Jordan’s personal demeanor, the founders are adamant about translating this culture to the rest of the team.
The childhood friends are bringing the playground hustle to the office. Between softball, beers, and even a scooter obstacle course, working at Pure Fix Cycles appears to be the ideal startup life.
Rather than running the company from the C-Suite the Pure Fix team operates by reinforcing their values and sticking to them.
The value I was most excited about was evident in Jordan’s response about letting employees shoot the buzzer shot (a great tip I learned from The First Round Review). Instead of just encouraging team members to share new ideas, Jordan’s adamant about making sure they have the tools they need to execute unique side projects.
Three years later the college students who were paying their friends in tacos (I know – I already told Austin it’s not a bad way to get paid) are running a multi-million dollar business out of Burbank where they’re expanding their office to accommodate new team members.
To learn more about the birth of Pure Fix Cycles tune into Austin and Jordan’s 33founders interview and check out Pure Fix bikes here.