Founders Diary February 2026: Research Trips, Store Training, A Launch Dinner, Back Talk with Paloma, Dover St Parfums Pop Up, Japanese Garden, Drops of God.
From rewriting scent briefs in Japan to launching at Selfridges and installing Paris Fashion Week retail — this is the honest layer behind the growth.
February was a month of movement — Japan, Selfridges, Paris, investor meetings, a newborn baby, and a pop-up installation that nearly made me cry.
In this month’s Founder’s Diary (after the paywall), I’m sharing what actually happened behind the scenes: the scent brief I scrapped after Japan, how we structured our Selfridges customer event, what I got wrong at the Valentine’s dinner, securing a new chunk of funding, and the moment in Paris that made 39BC feel global.
If you’re building something — this one is for you.
Feb 1–11 – Research Trip to Japan
I began the month with a research trip to Japan. I was nervous about going, nervous about the cost and the time investment, but it was completely worth it. I had already written the briefs for the four Japan scents, yet the trip validated that one of them was entirely wrong. That alone justified the journey.
I experienced onsen culture first hand and paid attention to every physical detail of the ritual. The architecture, the transitions between spaces, the silence, the textures, the choreography of washing before soaking. It deepened my understanding far beyond what research alone could give me.
The trip also helped me write a formal memo on how we approach research at 39BC. As you know, I like to document everything in the business for myself, for the process, and for future team members. This memo is now added to my Brand Bible.
39BC Research Trip Memo:
