The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.
◆Hot Take· 1
◆Hot Take38:00
A Great Product Without Customer Care Cannot Hold Loyalty
Deering argues that product quality and customer nurturing should be treated as equally important. In her view, a strong product alone is vulnerable because a competitor can offer something similar and win the customer through a better relationship, while careful service can compound into loyalty and word of mouth that attribution reports may not show.
Product and customer experience reinforce one another
Poor nurturing gives customers little reason to return
Competitors can pair a similar product with better service
Word of mouth may be valuable even when its return is hard to attribute
“product being obviously number one that's customer is like also number one”
#customer experience#loyalty#word of mouth#product quality
❝Story· 6
❝Story01:00
A Second-Date Beach Trip Revealed Triangl's Market Gap
Erin Deering says Triangl began after she struggled to find a bikini positioned between surf brands and higher-priced labels. She and Craig discussed the gap on a beach in Melbourne, then later moved to Hong Kong to commit to the idea and work closer to the supply chain.
The initial gap was between surfwear and premium swimwear
The founders developed the idea after their second date
They moved to Hong Kong to reduce distractions and approach the business seriously
Triangl made its first online sale in January 2013
“there's a you know Gap in the market this could be really fun”
#market gap#founding story#swimwear#hong kong
❝Story07:00
Triangl's Manufacturer Copied Its Products and Tried to Claim Its Name
Deering recounts that Triangl's early manufacturer made its products on the side, sold them in China, and tried to register the brand name there. Triangl had delayed trademark work because money was scarce, then lost access to stock for roughly a month after changing manufacturer.
The founders had not protected the name at the outset
The manufacturer allegedly copied products and created a mimic website
Triangl pursued trademarks in other markets
Leaving the supplier temporarily cut the company off from stock
“learned about IP and trademarks in a really painful way”
Neoprene Turned Triangl's Okay Bikini Into a Distinctive Product
Triangl's original nylon-spandex bikinis sold slowly and did not feel sufficiently different to the founders. Craig's fabric experiments led to a neoprene design that looked distinctive, photographed well, and coincided with an increase from a few weekly sales to a few daily sales, according to Deering.
The first product was a better-priced variation rather than a clear breakthrough
Fabric experimentation produced a thicker neoprene design
The founders believed the material looked smooth and distinctive on the body
Sales increased after the neoprene range launched
“we haven't seen this this is new to us and it's not expensive”
Triangl's Success Outgrew Erin Deering's Sense of Self
Deering describes becoming less happy as the company grew beyond the role and skills that had initially grounded her. Despite wealth, public recognition, and family milestones, she says identifying herself with Triangl left her struggling to understand what felt wrong. This is her personal account, not a general medical claim about entrepreneurship.
Her early role in customer care and Instagram had felt clear
Rapid growth made her unsure where she fit
Public markers of success did not match her private experience
She came to separate material outcomes from personal fulfilment
“it does not matter what your material successes are if inside just isn't working”
#founder identity#fulfilment#entrepreneurship#personal story
❝Story33:00
Leaving Triangl Began a Four-Year Personal Reset
After exiting in 2018, Deering says she struggled to know who she was apart from the company and felt pressure to retain the identity others admired. She describes taking four years away while raising her children and gradually clarifying her values, interests, and next direction.
Deering exited Triangl in 2018
She found it difficult to release the status attached to the company
She took an extended break rather than immediately starting another brand
Her next focus became mentoring and supporting people in business
“I needed to let it go to to grow and to like find myself again”
Triangl Rejected Investor Money to Keep Its Freedom
Triangl explored minority investment and a possible sale after private-equity interest emerged. Deering says the founders repeatedly returned to what they valued in daily work—freedom, independence, and having no one else to answer to—and decided that the proposed money did not compensate for the accountability they would add.
The founders held discussions with private-equity firms
Potential transactions included minority stakes and a full sale
Their decision centred on the daily working life they valued
They believed any outside owner would reduce their independence
“what do we really really value about our day and it was having freedom”
#private equity#founder freedom#investment#decision making
✦Tool· 1
✦Tool19:00
Live Chat Solved the Intimacy Problem of Buying Swimwear Online
Deering says customer care was central to Triangl because buyers needed immediate help with sizing an intimate product. The company introduced website live chat and used a remote team in the Philippines, including coverage while Deering slept, to preserve a personal connection as demand expanded.
Sizing uncertainty created a need for immediate assistance
Live chat supported the direct-to-consumer relationship
Remote coverage extended customer care across time zones
Deering treated customer experience as a core function rather than an add-on
“when you're buying something as intimate as swimwear you want to feel like you can ask someone about sizing straight away”
#customer support#live chat#direct to consumer#remote team