This Founder’s Shower Idea Became a Viral Sensation
Executive Summary
Shopify Masters episode - Shopify's own show - in which host Shuang Esther Shan talks with Ryan Babenzien, founder of Jolie, about turning a showerhead into a beauty product. Babenzien explains his second-time-founder framework: a product used habitually every day, one size fits all, and playing into vanity, which led to the filtered showerhead after a dry-skin winter in New York. He describes designing Jolie to be iconic like the Nest thermostat, recognizable across the room, with design carried through the unboxing, and why its subscription churn looks like a SaaS company rather than a physical good. He shares that Jolie did over 28 million dollars in net revenue in only its second year with three full-time staff. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this summary highlights the positioning, design and subscription lessons from the conversation; later marketing and press tactics are not covered. These are the founder's own claims, not independently verified, and nothing here is business advice.
Key Takeaways
The three-part filter
His product framework: used habitually every day, singular in size, and powered by vanity.
A shower thought
Dry legs one New York winter led him to research water and found the idea for Jolie.
A massive market
He cites 260 million residential showers in the US, most used daily, as all the validation he needed.
Design like Nest
He wanted Jolie recognizable across a bathroom, the way Nest reinvented the beige thermostat.
Design never ends
For Jolie, design runs from the product through the unboxing, down to shipping without filler waste.
SaaS-like churn
He says Jolie's subscription churn profile beats typical hardware because the product is used daily.
The beauty anchor
His pitch: people rotate lotions constantly, but the Jolie stays installed as the constant.
The Conversation Breakdown
The three-part filter
⏱ Untimed topicHis product framework: used habitually every day, singular in size, and powered by vanity.
A shower thought
⏱ Untimed topicDry legs one New York winter led him to research water and found the idea for Jolie.
A massive market
⏱ Untimed topicHe cites 260 million residential showers in the US, most used daily, as all the validation he needed.
Design like Nest
⏱ Untimed topicHe wanted Jolie recognizable across a bathroom, the way Nest reinvented the beige thermostat.
Design never ends
⏱ Untimed topicFor Jolie, design runs from the product through the unboxing, down to shipping without filler waste.
SaaS-like churn
⏱ Untimed topicHe says Jolie's subscription churn profile beats typical hardware because the product is used daily.
The beauty anchor
⏱ Untimed topicHis pitch: people rotate lotions constantly, but the Jolie stays installed as the constant.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Habit, size, vanity - Babenzien's product screen
Only build DTC products that pass all three tests.
Category reframing - the Jolie move
Sell a plumbing object as a beauty and wellness tool to change who buys and why.
Anchor positioning - his retention logic
Become the one constant in a routine where every other product churns.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Test your product idea against habit, single size, and vanity.
- ✓Ask what everyday object in your category could be redesigned as an icon.
- ✓Map where your design thinking stops before the unboxing.
- ✓Compare your churn pattern to a SaaS baseline, not to hardware peers.
Notable Quotes
“one size fits all used every day and focuses on vanity”
“Jolie is the anchor and the constant in your beauty and wellness Journey”
“there's 260 million residential showers in the US”
The One Thing to Remember
Ryan Babenzien's Jolie playbook: pick a product people use daily, in one size, tied to vanity - then design it like an icon, not plumbing.