Why “Signature Scents” Are Fading and What DedCool Got Right

Fragrance didn’t fail because people wanted fewer options.
It failed because it forced certainty in a world that isn’t.

In this episode of Ecommerce on Tap, Nathan Resnick and Aaron Alpeter break down how DedCool quietly rebuilt fragrance by questioning its most basic assumptions: gendered scents, signature bottles, and permanence.

We explore:
Why smell is learned, not universal
How fragrance became a social signal (not just a product)
Why layering reduces risk instead of creating confusion
How DedCool grew from a solo founder with an Instagram page into a $25–30M scent platform
What founders can learn from staying founder-led longer than feels comfortable

This is a deep dive into brand behavior, not trend-chasing, and a blueprint for founders building categories the rightway.

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