Business of HYPE: Ben & Bobby Hundreds

Business of HYPE is a weekly series brought to you by HYPEBEAST Radio and hosted by jeffstaple. It’s a show about creatives, brand-builders and entrepreneurs and the realities behind the dreams they’ve built. For episode 16,  Bobby and Ben Hundreds of The Hundreds dive into their brand’s origin story, one many revere as the first streetwear brand born on the internet.

A self-described “2-part project that houses a Classic Californian Streetwear brand and media platform dedicated to Global Street Culture,” The Hundreds have served as a blueprint of success for much of this new, globalized generation of urban youth-minded brands. While the early days of The Hundreds are fairly well-documented, often from the perspective of its own inanimate self, we seldom hear the full story from Bobby and Ben, starting all the way back to before they befriended one another in law school. As a result, we learn much more about the intricacies of a partnership, one that finds the rare balance between the “creative guy” and the “business guy.”

In addition to detailing their brand’s history, from their first run of shirts, to their first employee and first tradeshow, Bobby and Ben tackle outside investment, using Supreme as a case study. The two then talk about industry misconceptions, maintaining relevancy and much more.