What Retail Can Learn from Tech with Nina Ligon
This one’s for the builders who care about more than product-market fit—who want their work to make people feel understood.
Nina is the founder and CEO of Generation Sport—a performance apparel brand designed specifically for women athletes. She’s also a former Olympic equestrian, a product designer by trade, and an alum of companies like Headspace. So when she decided to enter the chaotic world of retail and fashion, she brought something entirely new with her: a startup mindset.
In this conversation, we dive into what it means to build a physical product like a digital one, how to design with real user insight (not just assumptions), and why the traditional model for launching a clothing brand is totally broken.
But more than anything, this episode is about designing better experiences—for customers, for partners, and for yourself as a founder.
We cover:
The myth of one-size-fits-all apparel – Why “inclusivity” in fashion can actually be exclusive
How to apply product sprints to retail – And what it looks like to beta test shorts
What early pitching really looks like – And how Nina refined her vision by saying the wrong thing first
Why most founders misunderstand customer validation – And how Nina structured her first sprint to learn fast
The logistics no one talks about – From manufacturing partnerships to supply chain surprises
What makes a problem worth solving – And how to know if you’re the one to solve it
Nina is thoughtful, clear-eyed, and refreshingly honest. I walked away from this conversation with so many insights—and a deep appreciation for how much intention she brings to building something that matters. I hope you guys enjoyed this conversation as much as I did.
Connect with Nina:
