The $10M Hat Business Built on Custom Software

Robert built Hat Launch from one embroidery machine in his garage into a $10 million custom hat business serving small businesses, blue-collar teams, and even pockets inside companies like SpaceX, Google, Amazon, Red Bull, and Bacardi.In this episode, we break down how he found his niche, why custom work became his moat, how vertical integration and custom software helped him scale, and why AI may make this kind of business-building more accessible than ever.We also get into the harder side of growth: merchant cash advances, capacity constraints, marketing addiction, bankability, debt, production planning, and the danger of chasing revenue faster than the business can handle.This is a conversation about the real work of building a “boring” business: solving unsexy problems, creating systems, improving operations, and learning how to grow without losing control.