Why “Signature Scents” Are Fading and What DedCool Got Right
Tue Feb 03 2026
Fragrance didn’t fail because people wanted fewer options.It failed because it forced certainty in a world that isn’t.
In this episode of Ecommerce on Tap, Nathan Resnick and Aaron Alpeter break down how DedCool quietly rebuilt fragrance by questioning its most basic assumptions: gendered scents, signature bottles, and permanence.
We explore:Why smell is learned, not universalHow fragrance became a social signal (not just a product)Why layering reduces risk instead of creating confusionHow DedCool grew from a solo founder with an Instagram page into a $25–30M scent platformWhat founders can learn from staying founder-led longer than feels comfortable
This is a deep dive into brand behavior, not trend-chasing, and a blueprint for founders building categories the rightway.
🎧 Subscribe for weekly breakdowns of iconic DTC brands🧠 Brought to you by Sourcify & Izba
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Fragrance didn’t fail because people wanted fewer options.It failed because it forced certainty in a world that isn’t. In this episode of Ecommerce on Tap, Nathan Resnick and Aaron Alpeter break down how DedCool quietly rebuilt fragrance by questioning its most basic assumptions: gendered scents, signature bottles, and permanence. We explore:Why smell is learned, not universalHow fragrance became a social signal (not just a product)Why layering reduces risk instead of creating confusionHow DedCool grew from a solo founder with an Instagram page into a $25–30M scent platformWhat founders can learn from staying founder-led longer than feels comfortable This is a deep dive into brand behavior, not trend-chasing, and a blueprint for founders building categories the rightway. 🎧 Subscribe for weekly breakdowns of iconic DTC brands🧠 Brought to you by Sourcify & Izba