D2C · 0-1 · US

Rhode

Skincare

Steal this: Design a shareable accessory around your hero product.

Audience-first launch
Waitlist / scarcity
Founder-led content

On this page

Window: Jun 2022 launch
Core motion: Three launch SKUs that sold out within days (440K lip-treatment waitlist), founder-as-media, the viral Lip Case (Feb 2024), DTC-only until Sephora; $212M net sales in 12 months to Mar 2025; acquired by e.l.f. for up to $1B.
Key people: Hailey Bieber (founder), Michael D. Ratner & Lauren Ratner (co-founders), Nick Vlahos (CEO)

📌 Snapshot: 0-1 · Skincare and hybrid makeup · Los Angeles · Launched Jun 2022 with three products, all sold out within days (440K on the lip-treatment waitlist) → $212M net sales in the 12 months to Mar 2025, mostly via its own website → acquired by e.l.f. Beauty for up to $1B (announced May 2025, closed Aug 2025).

Problem statement

Skincare shelves were overloaded with products and steps. Rhode's pitch: a small, affordable (under ~$30 at launch) set of everyday essentials around peptides and barrier repair. The GTM challenge was beating the "just another celebrity brand" scepticism.

GTM stack & growth engine

Tiny range, big scarcity. Three launch SKUs, repeated sell-outs and waitlists kept demand ahead of supply.
Founder as the media channel. Hailey Bieber (tens of millions of Instagram followers) used products in daily content and appearances, so the line between her personal feed and the brand blurred.
Shareable product accessories. The Lip Case (Feb 2024), a phone case with a slot for the peptide lip tint, went viral and put the product in every mirror selfie.
DTC-only for years. Growth came from the website, with no retail partner until Sephora in 2025, and no beauty incubator, so she kept majority ownership.

Content loops

Product names, food collaborations and pop-ups extend the aesthetic into places ads can't reach; e.l.f. described fans queuing 14 hours for pop-ups.
Rhode became the #1 skincare brand by earned media value in 2024 (+367% year over year).

Distribution system

Own website as the main storefront, waitlists for drops, pop-up events, then Sephora (North America and UK) after the acquisition.

AI angle

Not central.

Key people & public artefacts

Hailey Bieber (founder).
Michael D. Ratner and Lauren Ratner (co-founders; Lauren is ex-Reformation marketing).
Nick Vlahos (CEO).

Key insights

Steal: Launch fewer products than feels comfortable; scarcity plus a waitlist creates stories.
Steal: Build an accessory that makes the product visible in everyday photos.
Caution: The audience-first model depends on a founder with an existing audience. For non-celebrity founders, the transferable parts are the tight range, the accessory idea and the earned-media focus.

Sources

Tracks you can steal

Rhode's playbook split into single tactics. Add the ones you want to a playlist, or browse tracks from every case.

Launch fewer products than feels comfortable and keep a waitlist

Three launch SKUs, repeated sell-outs and waitlists (440K on the lip-treatment waitlist) kept demand ahead of supply.

Launch
low effort
low budget
Waitlist / scarcity

What needs to be true

A tight hero range
Willingness to sell out

Source

Use the founder's daily content as the brand's media channel

Hailey Bieber used the products in daily content and appearances, so the line between her personal feed and the brand blurred.

Scale
medium effort
low budget
Founder-led content
Audience-first launch

What needs to be true

A founder with an existing audience
Products that fit into daily content

Caution: The audience-first model depends on a founder with an existing audience. For non-celebrity founders, the transferable parts are the tight range, the accessory idea and the earned-media focus.

Source