Disrupting Comfort: Lessons from Wakefit’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Wakefit success is a story of resilience, innovation, and customer-centric thinking. Since its launch in 2015, Wakefit has reimagined the mattress industry, proving that even the most traditional markets can be transformed with the right mindset.

Turning a stagnant market on its head

Mattresses were once a purchase people made by testing products in physical stores. By bringing mattresses online, Wakefit simplified the process of purchasing mattresses. Additionally, their customer-first policies like a 100-day return guarantee built trust in an industry hesitant to embrace e-commerce, showing how empathy for customer concerns can drive innovation.

Founder-market fit: The secret sauce

One standout insight? Founder-market fit matters just as much as product-market fit. Ankit reflects on how personal experience and a deep understanding of customer pain points gave Wakefit a competitive edge. True alignment between the founder’s strengths and market needs accelerates growth by enabling instinctual, well-informed decisions.

Failures as a foundation for success

Every stumble taught a lesson. Early on, underestimating logistics and packaging hurt customer perception. However, with humility and a willingness to learn, the team refined their processes based on consumer feedback. Iterative product development, such as tweaking designs, packaging, and messaging, kept the business evolving in line with market expectations.

Building a culture of innovation

Scaling from ₹7 crores to ₹400 crores wasn’t just about a great product. It required the right people. Wakefit’s founder emphasises that hiring strategically and fostering a dynamic culture aligned with the company’s vision were key to sustainable growth. Hands-on leadership helped ensure operations, logistics, and customer experience remained top-notch.

Beyond products: A circular future

Wakefit’s commitment to sustainability shines through its mattress exchange programme. Addressing hygiene concerns and promoting responsible consumption, this initiative reflects a broader trend towards circular economy practices that modern consumers increasingly value.

What really matters?

One lasting takeaway: It’s not just demographics that drive success — it’s psychographics. 

Understanding customer mindsets, beliefs, and behaviours allows businesses to craft products and messages that resonate on a deeper level.

In the end, Wakefit’s journey proves that resilience, adaptability, and customer obsession are the real disruptors of traditional industries. Every failure is an opportunity to learn, innovate, and grow.

Want to watch the video instead?

Ankit Garg, Co-founder of Wakefit, recently visited the Masters’ Union campus and shared insightful lessons on Wakefit’s zero-to-one journey and their strategies for market disruption.

Watch the video to explore how Wakefit became India’s second-largest mattress company:

At Masters’ Union, we invite founders, CEOs, and industry veterans for engaging discussions on startups and leadership.

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