If you’ve ever doomscrolled through a feed of content that felt generic and out of touch, you’ve felt the problem Philippe von Borries and Justin Stefano solved first.
Philippe von Borries and Justin Stefano are the co-founders of Refinery29, the digital media powerhouse that became a cultural touchstone for a generation of young women. Their ability to build a brand that resonated on a massive scale made them giants in the media world.
Then they took the winnings from that success and dove headfirst into the grocery aisle to solve a completely different kind of problem, ultimately creating a new beverage category together.
They ran a completely different playbook from most media founders. I analyzed the strategy. Here’s the breakdown.
The First Win: Refinery29
Before Refinery29, digital media for young women was an echo chamber. It was a top-down world of celebrity gossip and runway looks that didn't reflect the creativity and diversity of its audience.
The duo saw a different reality.
The Problem: The internet was great for broad content but terrible for curated discovery. Young women were hungry for a brand that spoke to their real lives, and independent designers had no platform to reach them.
The Insight: They realized that media didn't have to be just content; it could be a community. A platform built on authentic storytelling and inclusivity could build a fiercely loyal following that legacy media couldn't touch.
The Play: They launched a purpose-built brand that started as a guide to local fashion and grew into a global voice for everything from style to social issues. With initiatives like the immersive "29Rooms" art exhibit, Refinery29 proved it wasn't just a website; it was a cultural movement built by a visionary team.
The result? A media empire with a valuation of over $400 million, built on authentic connection and a deep understanding of its audience. This proved their playbook could turn a content gap into a culture-defining brand.
The Founders' Second Act: From Inspo to ESSPO
What do you do after a huge win?
Most founders would become angel investors or launch another media company.
Von Borries and Stefano were inspired to go into another direction. The success of Refinery29 wasn't just about articles or videos; it was about identifying a "stale" category and injecting it with energy, story, and a distinct point of view. After a brief intermission where von Borries explored the corporate world, the itch to build together returned. The question sparked: Why was the coffee aisle so boring? What if they could apply the same brand-building principles to a physical product?
This question reunited the partnership and brought them from the world of digital media into consumer packaged goods. It was time to run the second-act playbook.
Running the Playbook: A Caffeinated Revolution
Their strategy was to use the insight from their first success to fuel a complete reinvention of a complacent product category.
ESSPO
The Disruption: They shifted their focus from building a digital community to shaking up a physical one: the grocery store shelf. They aimed to disrupt the "brown, stale, forgettable" world of coffee.
The Play: The founding duo spent two years developing a product that was fundamentally different. A sparkling coffee that combines unique flavor profiles with the crispness of carbonation. They bypassed traditional retail, launching direct-to-consumer on platforms like TikTok Shop to build a community first.
The Result: ESSPO launched in early 2026 with immediate buzz and a planned national rollout across Whole Foods, proving that the principles of brand-building are universal. The biggest wins come from seeing excitement and opportunity where others see only a boring routine.
The 3 Rules of the von Borries & Stefano Playbook
So, what's the repeatable formula for building a second act that's completely different from the first? It boils down to three core rules from this founding team.
Find the Stale Category. Refinery29 succeeded in a media landscape that had grown complacent. ESSPO is tackling a coffee aisle that hasn't changed in decades. Look for the categories that everyone else is ignoring.
Build the Brand, Not Just the Product. Refinery29 was never just a website; it was a voice. ESSPO isn’t just a drink; it’s an energetic alternative to a boring routine. The story and identity are as important as what’s in the can.
The Playbook is Portable. The core principles of identifying a bored audience, telling a great story, and building a community are not tied to a single industry. A great founding team can build a great brand anywhere.
Which categories do you think have gone stale? Could you be the one to give it a fresh look?
