The Download: Brynn O’Connell, Founder of Dauntless

If hosiery has ever made you question your life choices before 9am, Brynn O’Connell feels your pain – and decided to do something radically practical about it. The founder of Dauntless isn’t a fashion insider by trade, but a former data analyst and fintech founder who brought spreadsheets, research and systems thinking to one of fashion’s most universally loathed categories: tights.

“I remember the day really clearly,” O’Connell tells The Modems. “I had exited my fintech startup and was working as a stylist while caring for my grandmother.” What should have been a simple outfit choice turned into a £60 hosiery horror show. “The first pair ripped as I put them on, and the second pair was gone by midday… Why were tights so uncomfortable and so expensive?” she says. That frustration sparked a realisation: “That’s when I realised I had a distinct combination of insights from fashion and tech to solve this problem.”

Instead of mood-boarding her way to a solution, O’Connell did what she knew best. “I started where I was most comfortable: with research and data,” she explains, diving into large datasets on body measurements to underpin product design, alongside surveys, interviews and focus groups. The result is Dauntless – a new hosiery brand engineered specifically for tall bodies, using data rather than guesswork to inform fit.

The journey, however, was anything but seamless. “I made some poor choices with how I allocated funds… I felt incredibly ashamed,” she admits. Add grief, a trademark dispute and even a concussion into the mix, and launch day nearly didn’t happen. “I realised my fear of failing created a sense of urgency leading me to make poor choices,” O’Connell says, crediting a return to a “methodical approach” for getting Dauntless over the line.

At its core, Dauntless is a fashion tech story – one that proves innovation doesn’t always look like AI mirrors or virtual runways. Sometimes, it looks like tights that finally fit. And for O’Connell, that impact is deeply personal. “If I’m having a day where it feels like ‘What’s the point?’ I put on a pair of my tights,” she says. “I feel really lucky that I have a physical product I can touch so I can easily connect with the impact I want for my customers.”

From blockchain curiosity to fit quizzes powered by data, Brynn O’Connell is building a brand that treats women’s bodies as a design brief worth solving – properly.

The Download with Brynn O’Connell:

The reason I became a founder…

I remember the day really clearly. I had exited my fintech startup and was working as a stylist while caring for my grandmother. The outfit I had picked for work required tights. Though I had always felt uncomfortable in tights, I decided to persevere because I wanted to wear that outfit. I lost £60 to hosiery that day – the first pair ripped as I put them on, and the second pair was gone by midday. They had been falling down all morning and laddered as I was adjusting them. Why were tights so uncomfortable and so expensive? That’s when I realised I had a distinct combination of insights from fashion and tech to solve this problem.

I needed to understand…

The problems with hosiery beyond my own experience. So I started where I was most comfortable: with research and data. It was obvious there needed to be design changes so I found large data sets on body measurements to underpin my product design. Simultaneously, I started having casual conversations about hosiery when it was appropriate. That ultimately led to a survey, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups to round out what people really wanted from tights.

The biggest challenges I faced during the early stages…

I made some poor choices with how I allocated funds. It was my own savings, and I felt incredibly ashamed. I’ve always been on the product side of start-ups, so I told myself I needed people to create the sales and marketing because I couldn’t do “that stuff”. I learned a very important (and expensive) lesson from this: nobody knows the brand I’m building better than I do. There is more to refine with Dauntless and it is an ever evolving process. Also, there is no perfect time to build a business. I lost my grandmother during the pre-launch phase, and I didn’t understand the impact my grief would have on my decisions. There is a broader lesson about self compassion here too. 

To secure funding…

I bootstrapped with the money from my first company and personal savings. I was really privileged to have that as an option, because funding creates a significant obstacle to a lot of brilliant ideas from coming into existence. Now that I’ve launched, I’ll be raising an angel round.

There was honestly a moment…

Where I thought I couldn’t launch. I received a “final” sample that was worse than the last, I was under pressure from the manufacturer, negotiating a trademark dispute, and I sustained a concussion – all in the same day. I called my mom and she reminded me I could walk away – I didn’t have to continue. I realised my fear of failing created a sense of urgency leading me to make poor choices. But first, I needed to fix my head (literally) and then return to a methodical approach. Sure enough, all those problems became a lot more manageable.

I had a pitch…

In an accelerator I totally bombed. I stumbled on a word. Though I was determined to continue, it was like a tower crumbling down brick by brick with each slide. I didn’t quit though, and I’m proud of myself for that. Now when I go to pitch, I feel nervous but kind of okay because what’s the worst that can happen? It already did and I survived.

How I stay motivated amidst challenges…

If I’m having a day where it feels like “What’s the point?” I put on a pair of my tights. I observe how comfortable I feel and I think about all the things people have told me in the last year about how hosiery has negatively impacted their self expression and confidence. I feel really lucky that I have a physical product I can touch so I can easily connect with the impact I want for my customers.

The advice I’d give to aspiring entrepreneurs…

I think there is a sweet spot for how much thought to put into an idea before becoming a founder. Definitely make sure the problem exists on a broad enough scale, but after having a very difficult road to launch I’m really grateful I didn’t think more about what could go wrong when I started. It’s certainly possible to scare yourself out of pursuing a really good idea. First make it exist. Then, make it perfect.

My top three gadgets are…

Bose noise cancelling headphones. Jura coffee machine – it’s expensive but will last a long time. Shark Flex Style – the diffuser is great for my fellow curly girlies.

My favourite softwares platforms are…

I use Google Tasks every day. I’m neurodivergent and I live for that little dopamine hit of ticking something off. For projects, I love Trello. I also have running Google Keep notes for content, branding, product ideas so I don’t lose any thoughts.

My top tech tip is to…

Give yourself permission to switch up how you manage your day. Sometimes I timeblock everything, but other times that overwhelms me and I struggle to maintain focus if I’m up against five “deadlines” in a day. So I switch between list prioritisation and timeblocking based on my workload and mental state. 

I stay up to date with tech by…

Incorporating it into other activities. One of my non-negotiables is to move when I wake up so it’s often through podcasts or newsletters at the gym or on a quick walk. This way it’s part of my routine, but with boundaries so I don’t get too drawn in.

The tech I am most excited about right now…

The use of blockchain for sustainable fashion is really exciting!

My favourite books and podcasts are…

I’m currently reading Aesthetic Intelligence by Pauline Brown and it is game-changing. It was recommended to me by another founder and I’ll be passing it on to more founders and friends once I’ve finished it. 

The fashion-tech innovation I love…

Can I say the Dauntless Fit Quiz? Exciting things with that coming up! But also my husband got me the Loop x Swarovski ear plugs for Christmas and I love them! They are so practical and so pretty. I will probably get another ear piercing now to complement them because I am that obsessed.  

My favourite beauty gadget right now is…

The Current Body teeth whitening kit really works for me. I always get compliments when I remember to use it!

The Modems’ Byte-Sized Questions:

💻 iOS or Android? 

iOS

🎧 Earbuds or over-ear headphones? 

Over-ear (noise-canceling)

📱 Text or voice notes?

Text (unless I’m overstimulated)

📸 Phone selfie or proper digital camera?

Phone Selfie but love my Polaroid!

💡 Dark mode or light mode?

Light mode

💄 Filters or no filter?

A little filter never hurt anyone

💳 Apple Pay or designer wallet?

Apple Pay

📺  Netflix marathon or TikTok scroll?

Netflix

📖 E-book or audiobook?

Paperback. It’s my break from screens!

🎶 Spotify playlists or YouTube deep dives?

Spotify

🖥️ Desktop setup or laptop on the go?

Desktop for that lumbar support