Why Simplicity Wins: How Minimalist Products Create Maximal Growth

Portland Leather Goods has doubled revenue every year for the past 7 years and people always ask for the “secret” behind our growth…

There is no secret, dumby!! We do not have the formula hidden in a leather-bound book only the Curtis’s of the world can access.

But there are a few principles that most DTC brands ignore. Especially this one!!

Simplicity scales. Let me show you how.

Behind Portland Leather’s Success

DTC brands are obsessed with being complex. They think more features is going to = more value. So they cram in:

- Hidden pockets

- Zippers that go nowhere

- 17 compartments

- Trendy details that go out of style in 24 days

- Designs that require instruction manuals

But we decided to go the other way!

We made leather the star of the show. Not the hardware or gimmicks!

Our customers care about craftsmanship, quality, longevity, and owning a beautiful leather bag at a fair price!!

And that is the simplicity that most founders miss.

We are a marketing-first company

That means: We do not create products and then “go find” customers. Our customers tell us:

- What sucks

- What rocks

- What they want in more colors

- What they would throw out the window

They tell us what to make and you would be very shocked to find out that most people want something simple, timeless, and classic!!

Now let’s break down why simplicity creates maximum growth:

1. Cost Efficiency

Simple designs are easier and faster to make. That means less waste, fewer steps, less materials, fewer mistakes, and lower labor time.

All of these things boost margins and when margins go up. You can:

- Improve product quality

- Invest more in marketing

- Hire better talent

- Spend more on customer experiences

- And scale faster!!

Complexity will burn your cash. Simplicity will compound it.

2. Faster Time to Market

Watch out for that jaw drop! Right now we have 3 million square feet of leather in stock in 50 different colors. It is just sitting there… waiting to become magic.

Then, when we launch something new, we will watch day 1 like a frickin hawk and palace the exact POs instantly. Products are ready in about 2 weeks rather than 4 months. This means:

Our product almost never goes out of stock

We rarely make the wrong thing twice

Ads keep scaling

Curtis stays happy!!

3. Wider Audience Appeal

Simple products + clear messaging = the widest possible net.

One design.

Ten colors.

Boom!!

Our target demo is women ages 25-54 and they love our bags! But they also love and buy bags for their moms, sisters, aunts, daughters, coworkers, and their friends.

And instead of saying, “Portland Leather makes a bag that you can convert into a tent”, they say, “Portland Leather makes the best leather bags”.

Simple positioning = powerful word-of-mouth.

So if you really want to grow…

Stop complicating your product line!!

Customers do not want the fanciest thing. They want the right thing!

Minimalist products create maximal growth. That is the playbook.

Now go use it!

Curtis Matsko - CEO & Founder of Portland Leather Goods