DTC Podcast Ep 582: How SURI Sold 5,000 Toothbrushes in a Week: DTC Growth in a Boring Category
Feb 2, 2026
Mark Rushmore, co-founder of SURI, built a design-forward, sustainable toothbrush brand that turned routine oral care into a ritual. He recounts selling 5,000 brushes in a week, using 15,000+ reviews to inform product development, and scaling via in-house creative, Meta ads, subscriptions, Amazon, and big-box retail. The conversation focuses on product design, review-driven growth, ad strategy evolution, and retail expansion.
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Huge Opportunity In A Low‑Expectation Category
- Toothbrushing is a universal, high‑penetration utility category where emotional expectations are extremely low.
- Low expectations create a large opportunity to surprise customers and generate disproportionate happiness and word of mouth.
Sold Out 5,000 Units In A Week
- SURI sold out its first pre‑sale batch of 5,000 units within a week using direct ads.
- That early traction plus high review volume validated product‑market fit quickly.
Found Designer On A Marketplace And Hired Them
- The founders reverse‑engineered toothbrushes via factories, research, and a designer they found online.
- That designer later joined the company after delivering a standout industrial design.