Bart Szaniewski, Grant Eastey and Ejay O’Donnell had been close friends for years when each of them started becoming a dad. They had a group text where they talked to each other about the highs and lows of fatherhood, and “dad gang” became a phrase they used constantly. But when they looked for products that reflected what being a dad actually meant to them, they found that much of the marketing aimed at fathers leaned heavily on stereotypes. “We were looking for something that would represent fatherhood, and we just couldn’t find it,” O’Donnell said. “It was always goofy, dorky stuff — mow lawns, drink beer, wear your Nike Monarchs.”

So one day, Szaniewski, who was working in marketing for other people’s brands, suggested stitching “dad gang” on a hat. Each of them put in $250, for a total investment of $750. The minimum order from the factory was 100 hats. They posted the hats on personal social media and listed them on the brand’s new Shopify store, which Szaniewski had whipped up in under 30 minutes. They sold out in 36 hours.

That was four years ago. Since then, Dad Gang Co. has sold more than one million hats and crossed $35 million in revenue. Shopify has also taken notice of Dad Gang’s growth on its platform. That’s why the e-commerce technology company tapped the dad-focused apparel brand to launch a limited-edition Shopify hat.