Knobby Underwear didn’t start in a sleek city studio or investor-backed incubator. It began on a dusty dirt road in Chilago, a tiny town in outback Queensland, Australia, where more cows roam than people. That’s where founder Rob Rand first imagined a business that would blend design, surprise, and community into one quirky, confident brand. Fast forward a decade, and Knobby now ships over a million pairs of underwear a year from a purpose-built warehouse on the Sunshine Coast—and they’ve done it by building more than just a product.
They’ve built systems. They’ve built culture. And they’ve built a movement.
Designing Delight: The Power of Anticipation
Every month, Knobby members receive a surprise pair of underwear in a limited-edition design—something playful, expressive, and entirely unexpected. Customers don’t choose what they’ll get. They sign up for the experience.
That deliberate design of surprise is what makes Knobby different. From the beginning, Rob knew that underwear didn’t have to be basic. It could be art. It could be confidence. It could even be fun. The idea of applying design principles to something as intimate—and often overlooked—as underwear made space for self-expression in a very private way.
In Rob’s words…
“You might love pink unicorns… and now you can wear them—even if no one else sees.”
Systems Make Scale Possible
Knobby’s rapid growth didn’t come from a viral TikTok or celebrity endorsement. It came from planning, documenting and implementing procedures and processes, and a commitment to doing the hard things early.
From shipping their first pairs out of a garage in Batina to now operating in an 1,800-square-meter logistics facility on the Sunshine Coast, the team has kept a laser focus on systems. Every part of the business—from subscription lifecycle management to new SKU generation—is documented and refined.
“People think overnight success is sustainable,” Rob explains.
“But if you’re having problems at a small scale, they explode when you grow.”
Instead of chasing growth at any cost, Knobby engineered for controlled growth. The subscription model gave them predictability. Complex, custom-built software allowed them to manage hundreds of unique monthly product designs, avoid duplication, and forecast production needs months in advance. Artificial intelligence is now helping them refine predictions further, smoothing out everything from customer retention to supply chain planning.
From Transactional to Transformational
Where many eCommerce businesses focus on single sales, Knobby focuses on lifelong loyalty. That shift—from transaction to relationship—is what powers their business model.
The team obsessively maps the subscription lifecycle: from first discovery, to delivery, to renewal, and back again. They know where engagement drops and where value must be added. That’s why Knobby includes fun extras like collector keyrings, posters, and even limited-edition collabs with people like snake catcher Stu or Sea Shepherd Australia.
The goal? Build emotional connection. Make every month feel like a gift—not just a reorder.
“We’re so much more than an underwear brand,” says Rob. “We create experiences that people look forward to.”
Culture Built for Creativity and Accountability
Knobby isn’t just about external brand love—it’s also become one of Australia’s most celebrated employers. Named one of AFR’s Best Places to Work, their workplace culture mixes playfulness with performance.
They’ve created what they call the Culture Club, built around four pillars: Body, Brain, Belly, and Buddies. Team members get gym memberships, mental health support, a fully-stocked kitchen (the heart of the office), LEGO lounges to encourage play, and plenty of offsite events that help forge real connections.
But Knobby also understands that culture without accountability is chaos. Every team member has quarterly goals aligned to broader business objectives. They also receive scorecards and performance reviews—designed not to punish, but to help people grow.
This combination of fun and focus is one of Knobby’s biggest strengths.
“Free snacks don’t build loyalty,” Rob says. “Accountability does.”
Sustainability That Goes Beyond Buzzwords
Knobby’s approach to ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is refreshingly real. They don’t greenwash. They experiment. They partner. They educate.
From day one, Knobby has refused to participate in fast fashion’s wasteful cycle. Instead, they build underwear to last—and design every product with its end-of-life in mind.
They’ve launched initiatives like:
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The Flipside Project: Customers send back worn-out Knobby underwear, which is shredded and compressed into resin blocks. These are now being prototyped into functional furniture—a true closed-loop initiative.
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Borrow Box: Instead of throwing away the mountains of cardboard from incoming shipments, Knobby offers it free to locals moving house, extending its life and reducing landfill.
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Fabric Innovations: Their “Naturals” line uses wood-pulp-based fibers instead of bamboo (which, despite popularity, is chemically intensive). Their “BottleBlend” line repurposes plastic bottles into fabric for high-performance styles.
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Partnerships with purpose: They donate underwear to charities like Thread Together and The Shack in Nambour—giving people in crisis a moment of confidence and dignity.
“We know we’re just a grain of sand,” Rob admits, “but we still want to do the right thing.”
Lessons from the Underdogs
Rob wrapped his talk with lessons learned the hard way—and the right way:
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Start small, celebrate often: They toasted every 10 subscribers at the beginning (until daily champagne made them rethink the ritual).
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Invest in your brand early: Your tone, design, and message are your differentiators.
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Don’t fear KPIs or accountability: They bring clarity and fuel growth.
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Live your values, daily: Don’t let them fade into wall art.
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You don’t need to be loud to lead: You just need purpose and process.
A Model Worth Following
Knobby’s story is a masterclass in modern entrepreneurship. It’s not just about underwear. It’s about building a business that’s values-driven, system-powered, and community-fueled. Whether you’re a startup founder, an operations leader, or a brand strategist, there’s inspiration here for how to do things differently—and do them better.
Knobby didn’t just find a gap in the market. They created a cult following by doing the hard things early: documenting and implementing their processes and procedures, building sustainable practices into their product life cycle, and treating every customer (and team member) like part of something bigger.
As Rob put it, “Culture, business, and impact aren’t just tick-boxes. You’ve got to weave them together. That’s when the magic happens.”
