---
title: "What apparel taught me about software"
description: "Jun 2024 · 2 min"
canonical: "https://www.christerhagen.com/writing/apparel-to-software"
language: en
last_updated: "2026-08-23"
source: "https://www.christerhagen.com"
---

# What apparel taught me about software

Jun 2024 · 2 min

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.

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