1. When starting, it’s more important to amplify your strengths than compensate for weakness.

From day one, Priority had 10 years of Dave’s experience in technology, logistics, and bicycles, while Connor brought 10 years of branding expertise. As an independent startup, we didn’t have time to waste or the budget for agencies. We focused on what we knew we could do well - building an innovative product in the original Classic and getting it quickly into the hands of riders. This allowed us the space to start filling in the gaps of what we still needed to learn.

2. Sometimes you get flats—fix them and keep pedaling.

Just like biking, the road ahead doesn’t care if you have somewhere to be. Obstacles will come your way. In our Kickstarter campaign for the START kids’ bike series, we launched a 12” bike. The campaign funded successfully, but we quickly realized that the 12” wasn’t resonating with customers. Why? It worked for our kids, but for most parents, the 12” was too expensive and their kids would outgrow it too quickly. We didn’t get stuck on it. We sold through what we had, then shifted focus to bikes that gave parents the best value—16”, 20”, 24”, and now 26” sizes.

3. Give a consistent vision to keep the growing team on track.

As the team grew, so did the range of opinions on what we should make next. Discussions about which bikes to produce or what features to prioritize could quickly get personal. Dave wanted comfort and durability; Connor wanted speed. Our experience with the START 12 taught us that we needed to focus on best-in-class value—the best price and the most durability for the price. This led us to objective pillars: high quality, low maintenance, and best-in-class value. Any product that didn’t meet those standards wasn’t something we’d make.

4. It’s not about you—it’s about helping the customer.

Decision-making wasn’t the only place where things got personal. On the marketing and creative side, discussions about video content, color choices, names, events, and partners could get complicated. To simplify things, we came up with one question to guide us: Will what we’re doing help the customer find the right bike? If the answer was yes, we’d do it, and go as far as needed to be helpful—without wasting time or energy. It’s a question that still pops up a few times a week to help us prioritize.

5. Your customers are great product designers, if you take the time to listen.

Doing customer service in-house might seem outdated in the age of AI, but when we talk to customers directly, we hear the full spectrum of their needs. Often, it’s not about specific product details; most riders are thinking about what they’ve ridden before. We want to think about what they could ride in the future. Hearing about winter riding challenges and hacks riders used to keep bikes moving led us to develop the Continuum Onyx. Requests for more gears on a recreational bike led to the creation of the EIGHT. We love hearing from our customers—they help us build better products.

6. There isn’t always an app for that.

On the topic of customer service, no matter how advanced AI gets, it still doesn’t replace the need for customers to be heard. Dave has been driving our in-house customer service since day one, and it’s just as important today as it was back then. There’s no replacement for the support a real staff member provides, and it’s one of the things we’re most proud of.

7. Being an entrepreneur is an endless series of failures.

It sounds dramatic, but it’s the reality. The funny part is, over time, you learn to roll with it. Dave would be juggling customer service, logistics, and product development, feeling like everything only got half the attention it deserved. Connor would say the to-do list was just a list of things that wouldn’t get done in a given day. But over time, what feels like failure is really just learning and progress. You stay so busy that when you finally look up, you realize how far you’ve come.

8. Working with good partners isn’t work.

You know that friend from high school with whom you can pick up right where you left off—no matter how much time has passed? That’s how we feel about our best partners. Whether it’s Gates, Dogfish Head, Jetty, Gorewear, or Duzer, we’ve never had to worry about over-structuring how we work together because we know what we want to achieve for each other. Sure, we have briefs and bullet points when necessary, but with our best partners, the work is effortless. There’s a story to tell, our riders send us high-fives and fist bumps, and we have a great time. Plus, at the end of the day, it’s just fun to hang out together.

9. It’s about bicycles, but it’s not about bicycles at all.

We make bikes and accessories, yes. But what we really care about is why people ride them. Is it about getting to work on a winter morning without worrying that your bike will break down? Is it about sharing quality time with your spouse on a pair of bikes? Or is it about your kid’s first bike, knowing that their younger sibling will ride it next? We’re lucky to have amazing customers, and delivering on those “why” moments is our way of showing appreciation.

10. Good people are GREAT.

Our team is full of diverse personalities and backgrounds, but there’s one thing that binds everyone together—and it isn’t riding. It’s being good, caring, and hard-working people. No one is afraid to jump in and help, whether it’s assisting someone at the door while in the middle of a task, getting heavy boxes to the freight elevator, or answering a tough customer question. It’s a team where people genuinely care, ask how you’re doing, and actually listen when you answer. No matter the challenge, the team always rises to the occasion.

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Thank you for all of the learnings these last 10 years - From Dave, Connor, and the Priority Team.