This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Bob Verlaat, cofounder of Hears. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I like to party and enjoy being close to loud music. I knew I should be wearing earplugs at music festivals, but I didn’t. By the time I was 21, I started experiencing ringing in my ears. Soon after, I noticed slight hearing loss in my left ear.
I’m lucky that my hearing loss doesn’t impact me as severely as it does some people. I only hear the ringing when I’m in bed, mostly. And yet, I could see there was a problem: I knew I should protect my ears, but I didn’t because the available earplugs were ugly, uncomfortable, and deadened the music I was trying to enjoy.
I realized that if I could create earplugs that people would actually use, I could solve an important problem. It was also a great business opportunity, with global demand and a lightweight product.
Running the company with a friend allows me to make decisions quickly
At that point, I was already working with my childhood best friend, Nick, on another company, Dore & Rose. We started selling silk pillowcases and later expanded into a variety of sleep products. With my understanding of branding and Nick’s expertise in marketing, that company took off quickly and today generates about $30 million in annual revenue.
Courtesy of Bob Verlaat
Nick and I work well together because we share the same ambition. We’ve always said we’d start a company together, but we never expected to be running two at the same time.
Because we’ve been best friends since we were 12, we’re able to be fully honest with each other. That means we can make decisions quickly. Our responsiveness has helped us scale both companies to millions in sales.
We created a more attractive, clearer earplug
Nick and I hired people to lead Dore & Rose. Although we still see what’s happening at that company every day, we now have employees who do their jobs better than we could. That freed us up to focus on Hears.
We invested about two years in research and development before launching the company in 2024. I knew our product needed to address all the reasons I hadn’t worn earplugs. Most importantly, it had to be super aesthetic and instantly recognizable. That would allow us to build it into a brand and ultimately partner with other brands in the festival scene.
Next, we focused on sound quality. We didn’t want to just muffle sound; we wanted the music to be clear. Eventually, we settled on an exclusive sound-filtering technology. Because of that, Hears has the clearest earplugs in the world, I believe. Customers seem to agree: its first year, Hears did $7 million in sales.
I don’t think much about work-life balance
Hears has an office in Amsterdam, but our team is global. We like being able to hire the top talent, no matter where they’re based.
Having a remote team also means Nick and I can travel. Right now, we’re in Bali together; sometimes we travel separately. I’ve also run the business from Dubai, South Africa, and Spain.
Usually, I stay for at least a month or two, renting a house that has office space. That allows me to continue my routines, including exercising and eating healthy foods. Most of our days are still full of meetings, but I’m able to surf and spend time in the sun, which is important to me.
I don’t think much about work-life balance because my life is fully integrated with my work. I still like to go out once a week — usually on a Friday night — but on the other six days, I can’t wait to get back to my laptop. I genuinely enjoy running this company. I’m not worried about burnout, because I’m having so much fun.