In the ever-evolving world of tech accessories, one company has managed to stand out with its unique blend of form, function, and familiarity. This is Ground, founded by Mike Macadaan in 2013, has rapidly grown from a single clever product to a full catalog of innovative designs. Let's explore the journey of This is Ground and the valuable lessons we can learn from their meteoric rise in the competitive tech accessory market.
The Accidental Entrepreneur: How It All Began
Every great company has an origin story, and This is Ground's is as unexpected as they come. Mike Macadaan, the founder, didn't set out to start a leather goods company. In fact, the birth of This is Ground was, in his own words, "a happy accident."
As Mike tells it:
"I wasn't exactly setting out to start a business selling Cord Tacos. I actually wasn't even trying to necessarily innovate. I wasn't sitting down trying to solve that problem. It was one of these things that just happened out of the sheer need from my friend that was working on this piece and then those delicious tacos I had."
The story goes that a friend asked Mike to come up with a way to organize cables for a blog post. After procrastinating on the project, inspiration struck the morning after enjoying some delicious tacos. In a half-awake state, Mike connected the idea of a taco shell with cord organization. He quickly mocked up a prototype using aluminum foil and tape, and the Cord Taco was born.
This origin story highlights a few key lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs:
- Sometimes the best ideas come when you're not actively trying to innovate
- Inspiration can strike from unexpected places (like a delicious meal)
- Act quickly on your ideas – Mike immediately created a prototype to test his concept
The power of serendipity in innovation cannot be overstated. Many of the world's most successful products, from Post-it notes to penicillin, were discovered by accident. What sets successful entrepreneurs apart is their ability to recognize potential in these happy accidents and act on them quickly.
From Etsy to Empire: Scaling Up Rapidly
After creating the Cord Taco prototype, Mike took the logical next step for many budding entrepreneurs: he opened an Etsy shop to sell a few handmade versions. He didn't expect much, but the product quickly gained traction:
"I honestly thought that I would maybe sell a few. I even just mocked a few up by hand. I cut them by hand in my kitchen, just to have a few on hand to sell in my Etsy shop. Then lo and behold, it became one of the most popular, sought after items in that blog post."
As demand grew, Mike found himself working nights and weekends to keep up with orders. This is a common phase for many startups, often referred to as the "nights and weekends" phase. It's a crucial time when entrepreneurs must balance their day jobs with their growing side hustles.
The turning point came when the popular men's lifestyle site Uncrate featured the Cord Taco:
"I think that the week that it was on Uncrate, we sold about $20,000 worth of Cord Tacos. It was that moment that I knew I had to change everything."
This rapid growth forced Mike to quickly scale up his manufacturing and ecommerce operations. He moved from Etsy to Shopify, a more robust e-commerce platform that could handle higher volume sales. He also had to find ways to produce the Cord Tacos more efficiently, likely involving outsourcing production to meet demand.
Key takeaways from this phase:
- Start small and test demand before scaling up
- Be prepared to move quickly when opportunities arise
- Leverage press coverage and influencers to drive rapid growth
- Invest in systems and infrastructure to support scaling
The story of This is Ground's rapid scaling mirrors that of many successful startups. According to a study by the Kauffman Foundation, companies that scale quickly are more likely to survive and thrive in the long term. However, rapid growth also comes with its own set of challenges, including cash flow management, maintaining product quality, and preserving company culture.
Expanding the Product Line
With the success of the Cord Taco, Mike saw an opportunity to create a full line of innovative leather accessories. He followed up with the Cordito, a larger roll-up organizer for multiple cords and plugs.
"I just over the course of probably six months started introducing weird little organizers that took care of these pesky little technology things that we all had to carry around and just started to in my mind make that space feel a little bit better."
This is Ground continued to expand its offerings, moving into larger organizers, backpacks, and weekender bags. This expansion strategy is crucial for any growing business. According to a study by Bain & Company, companies that diversify their product lines grow faster and are more profitable than those that don't.
Mike credits their rapid product development to a few key factors:
- A clear brand vision and product roadmap from the start
- A team with diverse design backgrounds (tech, industrial, furniture, fashion)
- Rapid prototyping and real-world testing
- An engaged customer community providing feedback
The company now offers a wide range of products, from small cord organizers to full travel systems. They've also partnered with tech giants like Apple to create custom accessories, a move that has likely significantly boosted their visibility and credibility in the tech accessory market.
Balancing Act: Growing a Side Hustle
One of the most interesting aspects of This is Ground's story is how Mike initially grew the business while maintaining his day job. At the time, he was working at a tech accelerator and helping launch other startups like Dollar Shave Club.
This approach of starting a business as a side hustle is becoming increasingly common. According to a 2019 survey by Bankrate, nearly half of Americans have a side hustle in addition to their primary job.
Mike offers this advice for balancing a side hustle with full-time work:
- Be open with your employer about your project
- Accelerate your performance at your day job to create space for your side hustle
- Look for ways to integrate your side project positively into your work environment
- Extend the balancing act as long as possible to think through your transition
Eventually, Mike did leave his day job to focus on This is Ground full-time. But the initial period of juggling both allowed him to validate the business concept and scale more sustainably.
This approach aligns with advice from many successful entrepreneurs. For example, Sara Blakely, the founder of Spanx, famously continued her day job selling fax machines for two years while developing her product at night. This strategy allowed her to maintain financial stability while gradually building her business.
Design Philosophy: Familiar Yet Innovative
A core principle behind This is Ground's success is their approach to product design. Mike emphasizes the importance of creating products that feel both innovative and familiar:
"If products just seem completely unfamiliar and seem very foreign, it takes a while to warm up to them. As a matter of fact, to warm up to them, sometimes you have to use it so much that you have to develop some habit and mental muscle around usage of the product. If it's something that already feels familiar, then you already have a headstart."
This philosophy is evident in products like the Cord Taco, which leverages the familiar form of a taco to create an intuitive cord organizer. By tying new products to familiar concepts, This is Ground makes their innovations feel approachable and easy to adopt.
This approach is supported by research in cognitive psychology. Studies have shown that people are more likely to adopt new products when they can relate them to something familiar. This concept, known as the "mere exposure effect," suggests that people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.
Storytelling as Marketing
When it comes to marketing, This is Ground relies heavily on authentic storytelling. Rather than focusing solely on product features, they share the personal stories and experiences that led to the company's creation.
Mike explains:
"I think that those stories are helpful for people that might feel like they're stuck at their day jobs. I think that they have been inspiring to some other people, and it's fun to help people see beyond something that might seem like they're spinning or the same groundhog day, the same thing everyday."
By connecting on a personal level, This is Ground builds deeper relationships with customers. This approach has helped them develop a loyal community around the brand.
The power of storytelling in marketing is well-documented. According to a study by OneSpot, 92% of consumers want brands to make ads that feel like a story. Furthermore, research by psychologist Jerome Bruner suggests that messages delivered as stories can be up to 22 times more memorable than just facts.
Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
The story of This is Ground offers several valuable lessons for those looking to start their own product-based businesses:
- Pay attention to problems and frustrations in your daily life – they may lead to product ideas
- Start small and test demand before scaling up
- Move quickly to capitalize on opportunities, but be thoughtful about growth
- Leverage press coverage and influencers to drive awareness
- Create products that balance innovation with familiarity
- Invest in rapid prototyping and real-world testing
- Build a community around your brand through authentic storytelling
- Be open to pivoting and expanding your product line based on customer feedback
These lessons align closely with the principles taught in many entrepreneurship programs and business schools. For example, the lean startup methodology, popularized by Eric Ries, emphasizes the importance of rapid prototyping and testing with real customers – a strategy that This is Ground has clearly embraced.
Looking to the Future
As This is Ground continues to grow, they remain focused on innovation and community engagement. The company regularly tests new prototypes and incorporates customer feedback into their designs.
Mike hints at exciting developments on the horizon:
"We're in this really fun period of time where we just gave birth to a whole bunch of prototypes. We're seeing them develop. We're making some tweaks so this is a really fun time of the year for us."
With a commitment to thoughtful design and a growing loyal customer base, This is Ground seems poised for continued success in the competitive world of tech accessories.
The future of tech accessories is likely to be shaped by emerging technologies like 5G, augmented reality, and the Internet of Things. As our devices become more integrated into our daily lives, the need for innovative, functional, and stylish accessories is likely to grow. Companies like This is Ground, with their focus on user-centered design and adaptability, are well-positioned to capitalize on these trends.
Conclusion
The story of This is Ground serves as an inspiring example of how a simple idea, executed well, can blossom into a thriving business. From its accidental beginnings to its current status as a leader in tech accessories, This is Ground embodies many of the principles that drive successful startups.
By staying true to their design principles and focusing on authentic connections with customers, This is Ground has carved out a unique space in the market. Their journey demonstrates the power of serendipity, the importance of rapid iteration, and the value of building a brand around a compelling story.
As technology continues to evolve, it will be exciting to see how This is Ground adapts and innovates to meet the changing needs of their tech-savvy customers. For aspiring entrepreneurs, their story offers valuable lessons in product development, scaling, and brand building.
In a world where technology is increasingly ubiquitous, companies like This is Ground remind us that there's still room for products that blend functionality with style and familiarity with innovation. As we look to the future, it's clear that the intersection of technology and design will continue to be a fertile ground for entrepreneurial success.
