The ever-popular PopSockets was born out of a need for accessibility. The company’s origin story began two years prior when, in 2010, founder David Barnett, a philosophy professor, was frustrated by the cords on his earphones getting tangled, so he glued two buttons to the back of his phone and wrapped the cord around. It worked like a charm. In 2012, he launched a Kickstarter project for an iPhone case with the buttons built-in, and the campaign was funded. Barnett eventually started PopSockets from his Boulder, Colorado garage in 2014.
From those heady days, PopSockets has grown into a global brand, operating in more than 30 countries and selling more than 280 million products over the last decade. The company’s new CEO is Jiayu Lin, who is new to her perch in PopSocket’s catbird seat having assumed the position only on September 1. In a recent interview conducted by telephone, Lin, who previously worked at PopSockets as its general manager of APAC, explained to me PopSockets is the originator of the “phone grip” category. The accordion-like design makes it easier for people to not only grip their phone, but use it as a de-facto stand while watching video or doing FaceTimes. PopSockets, she said, are “for everyone who uses a smartphone” and told me the company “[sits] at the intersection of fashion and functionality.” The company has a slew of partnerships with media companies, including Disney, Warner Brothers, and more. Take a cursory glance at the homepage of PopSockets’ website today and you’ll notice it dominated by products festooned by DC-owned superhero Batman. Besides phone grips, PopSockets’ aperture has widened to offer things like cases, mounts, wallets, and much more.
According to Lin, one of her top priorities as PopSockets’ new leader is to expand the company’s partnerships. One deal is decidedly high-profile, as PopSockets is collaborating with Apple such that the Cupertino-based tech titan carrying an exclusive collection of MagSafe phone grips in both its online store and retail outposts. The collection rolled out at the end of last week, on Friday, November 8, with Lin saying PopSockets is “really excited” about the opportunity to reach “a new generation of customers.” The work with Apple is a key strategic move for PopSockets, as Lin said it’s a huge step towards PopSockets’ goal of “forming strong relationships with partners and collaborators and [finding] new ways to get the brand into new locations.” The company already has a presence in sales channels like Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Walmart; Apple will enable even greater visibility and lots more customers, Lin said.
While I have yet to experience PopSockets personally, I can speak to its accessibility merit at a high level. As I wrote in the lede, Barnett’s original conceit was born from accessibility: he needed a more accessible way to carry his earphones such that the cord wouldn’t become entangled. As the canonical product stands today, the accordion-esque mechanism makes it much easier for someone with certain fine-motor conditions to accessibly hold their phone. The grip adds friction and security, something not everyone gets with even a case alone. The MagSafe grips are that much better, as they use the laws of physics to apply and remove the grip as needed. Lin spoke of PopSockets sitting at the confluence of fashion and functionality—but it’s more than that. If you’re a disabled person who likes PopSockets, it’s accessibility too.
My conversation with Lin coincided with Barnett announcing he was handing over the CEO reins to Lin. In a statement provided to me, he said he was “thrilled” to do so while calling her “a rockstar who has driven incredible growth and enthusiasm for our brand in China.”
When asked about feedback, Lin told me customers “love” their PopSockets. She said people oftentimes tell her on the street how the company’s devices are “lifesavers” because they help prevent damage from accident. Moreover, people also are appreciative how handy PopSockets are for serving as a makeshift stand to prop up the phone while watching video. And because of how easy they are to pop on and off, Lin said there are “loyalist customers” with vast collections of PopSockets. The myriad designs, she said, makes PopSockets akin to jewelry insofar as people like to accessorize with matching PopSockets.
“Customers really enjoy the functionality and fashionable elements of PopSockets,” Lin said.
As to the future, Lin said her overarching goal as she settles into leading PopSockets is to enrich what she characterized as its “success formula.” She envisions the company continuing to grow and continuing to become a “global lifestyle brand” with its ever-burgeoning cadre of products complementing people’s smartphone. “I really see the future of PopSockets [as becoming] this beloved global lifestyle brand,” Lin said.