Warby Parker (www.warbyparker.com) is an online eyewear
retailer that was founded in 2010. The idea for the company was
conceived when the fi rm’s founders (MBA students at the time)
observed that glasses—uncomplicated, easily breakable, and
mass-produced—were typically quite expensive ($500 or more,
for example). Signifi cantly, the founders were convinced they
knew the reason why glasses cost so much. They perceived the
optical industry as an oligopoly, meaning that a small number of
companies dominate the business and are making large margins.