by Harrison Gross, CEO of Lucyd Eyewear
I believe strongly that wearables are going to be the dominant computing platform of the future, primarily due to ergonomics. They have the power to seamlessly integrate technology into our daily routines and add utility without disrupting our sense of style and personal identity.
As the founder of Lucyd Eyewear, developing innovative wearables calls for an unwavering commitment to specialization in this cross-disciplinary category, exceptional design, and a team that believes in the mission with relentless passion.
The following are three core strategies that helped us carve out our own space in a market dominated by massive corporations. My hope is that this perspective encourages fellow tech entrepreneurs to look beyond short-term challenges and bring the next generation of practical wearable solutions to market.
How to Win Against Giants in the Market
The wearable tech landscape is competitive, and a seemingly insurmountable lead is held by tech giants. At first glance, it’s daunting for a small startup to go head-to-head with companies that have seemingly limitless resources, robust distribution channels, and powerful brand recognition. However, I’ve found that the “bigger is better” ethos can work against large corporations when it comes to hyper-focused specialization.
Instead of attempting to create a wide array of wearables (or, in the case of major players, releasing smart eyewear as just another product line), we devoted ourselves fully to the development of a single product platform—smartglasses. This strategy allowed us to become experts in every fine detail, from how a frame sits on the bridge of your nose, to the balancing of smart temples with fashion fronts, to what kind of embedded electronics can withstand daily wear and tear. For the tech giants outside of perhaps the Meta Ray Ban partnership,
Another differentiator is customer-led development. From the start, we made user feedback the backbone of our design process. We regularly survey early adopters and our crowdfunders to find out what they love, what they need, and what they wish smart glasses could do. We obsessed over every element that customers told us mattered, namely comfort, prescription compatibility, battery life, and style. This hands-on dialogue helped us shape our product development while building a loyal community of supporters in our mission.
Outsize your competition not in sheer scale but in granular expertise and in the depth of connection with your customers. In an age of endless product choices, potential buyers often seek the brand that truly “gets” them. It all comes down to filling a gap in the market.
Balancing Functionality and Consumer Appeal
One of the most common pitfalls with wearables is that they can veer too far into the realm of gadgetry. In my view, the ultimate goal should be to create something that people want to actually wear every day, not just another piece of tech for tech’s sake.
Our company adopted an “optical design first” philosophy. We prioritize style, comfort, and usability from the outset, so we’re able to preserve the traditional function of eyewear while enhancing the experience with intuitive, unobtrusive smart features.
When I’m asked how to balance the desire for cutting-edge features with ensuring genuine consumer appeal, I always say never lose sight of the everyday needs of your target customer. Ask yourself: Would I personally wear this? Does this solve a real problem, or is it just the next trendy product? Is this a tech built for the user, or a tech looking for a user? Being “trendy” may draw headlines, but solving a real-world pain point — or adding meaningful convenience — earns loyalty.
The Three T’s of Success
Through our journey, I’ve come to see that technology companies, particularly in the wearables space, are built on three fundamental pillars: Team, Tech, and Tenacity.
- Team: No matter how groundbreaking your concept is, you won’t get far if you don’t have the right people by your side. Choose individuals who believe in the vision as much as you do, and be sure they can adapt to the unpredictable nature of a startup.
- Tech: Your product must have a true competitive edge. In our case, we recognized that if we wanted to stand out, our technology—both the hardware and the accompanying software—had to be genuinely unique. We invested heavily in R&D for frames that are both aesthetically pleasing and optimized for connectivity. This meant making tough choices about which features to highlight and which to leave for later iterations.
- Tenacity: Perhaps the most vital element is the commitment to keep going when immediate challenges seem overwhelming. It’s crucial to plan years in advance while staying confident enough to tackle short-term roadblocks without losing sight of the larger vision. Startups rarely make sense on paper, and the path is often filled with naysayers. Still, it takes a “leap of faith” mindset to push forward.
Success in the wearables market doesn’t come from playing it safe or diluting your focus. It stems from deliberate specialization, user-informed design, and an unwavering belief in the long-term potential of your vision. Focus on the 3 T’s above and you will be on the path to building something great!
The journey is not easy, and the challenges will keep coming. But if you keep your eyes on that horizon of one, three, and five years ahead, you’ll stand a very good chance of creating something that genuinely changes people’s lives.
Harrison Gross is the CEO and Co-Founder of Lucyd, the first Chat-GPT-enabled smart eyewear company.