CNBC.COM
Together, Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa have taken Warby Parker from a business school project to "the Netflix of eyewear," a company valued at $2.61 billion as of Friday morning.
The co-founders, who launched Warby Parker from an apartment in 2010, have also built the company over 15 years as co-CEOs. They're not the only co-CEOs in the world — Netflix employs a similar arrangement, for example — but it's still a relatively rare title in a corporate world where leaders typically try to avoid power struggles and conflicting strategies.
However, Blumenthal and Gilboa believe their long-term partnership has helped them be more effective leaders, Blumenthal said on a recent episode of the "How I Built This with Guy Raz" podcast that aired Jan. 15. "It comes down to trust and respect," he said. "We implicitly trust each other to make any sort of decision, but also to seek each other's advice."
Trust and respect are two hallmarks of strong relationships, some psychologists say. They're also traits that anyone needs to master to form successful work relationships, according to career coach Phoebe Gavin. Building trust with your colleagues is key, as "advancement hinges not just on merit but also on how confident decision-makers are in your ability to deliver," Gavin told CNBC Make It in January 2025.
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For Warby Parker's two top leaders, trust and respect means regularly seeking out each other's insights, Blumenthal said: "If I am thinking through a challenge, I immediately want to share it with Dave, because I know that whatever ideas I have, he'll enhance them and make them better."
The two "started off as close friends" while studying in an MBA program at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, Gilboa told Fortune in June 2024. As co-CEOs, the pair has also worked to maintain some clear distinctions between their two roles, with each focusing on different aspects of the business and having specific direct reports.
Their partnership still involves enough day-to-day collaboration to ensure aligned visions and efficient decision-making, Blumenthal said. They have nearby desks in an open-office layout, and they typically talk to one another about strategy throughout the workday and after hours, he said.
"We still sit next to each other ... in between meetings, we're constantly talking to each other," said Blumenthal. "Often, we might call each other on the way to work, or late at night, much to our wives' chagrin. It's just been a lovely partnership where we both make each other better."
Blumenthal's description echoes advice from longtime billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who's said multiple times over the years that it's "enormously important" for young people to to surround themselves with intelligent people and be open to their positive influence.
"You are going to have your life progress in the general direction of the people that you work with," Buffett said at the Berkshire Hathaway annual shareholder meeting in May 2025. When you embrace those relationships, at work or in your personal life, Buffett added, "you'll learn all the time, but you'll not only learn how to be successful at business, you'll learn how to be successful at life."
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