What apparel taught me about software

My first company, Refenze, made fitness apparel. Manufactured in China, sold to customers across Europe and the US, growing 25% a month at its peak. I was in my mid-twenties, learning everything the hard way.

Physical products teach you things software founders skip: cash is real, inventory is a bet, and a refund is a conversation rather than a button. You feel every single unit.

When I moved to software, those instincts stayed. Ship something people pay for. Watch the money, not the vanity metrics. Treat every customer like you still had to mail them a box.