Plenty of startups like to pitch themselves as disruptors, iconoclastic entrants to well-established markets promising to upend their industries in ways that provide more value to consumers. Sounds great, but sometimes it’s painfully obvious marketing nonsense.

But back in 2011, entrepreneurs Mark Levine and Michael Dubin met at a party, and they decided to genuinely take on the disposable razor market, eschewing the literal textbook strategy of the razors and blade marketing model by creating Dollar Shave Club (DSC). As a club, DSC could offer higher-quality personal grooming products to members directly, truly cutting down on costs and passing the savings along to its customers. Thanks to an earnest and sarcastic video that went viral, DSC took off and spawning a D2C revolution, not just in the razor game, but in seemingly every space, from soft drinks to tampons.