33ILLUSTRATIONS
BY
SUJIN
KIM
◼ STRATEGIES Bloomberg Businessweek March 1, 2021two quarters, was depleted. Its Indiana-based
manufacturer dropped Piecework in favor of
larger clients that were also facing huge demand;
a final delivery arrived a month late in mid-June.
“We thought the order was going to last us for a
considerable amount of time, and we sold through
all of that, too,” Hochhauser says.
About a year into lockdown, the duo have
learned a lot about how to do business in a pan-
demic. Here are some of their main takeaways:● Prioritize the priorities
It was only late spring, but Piecework needed to
figure out how to fill holiday orders. Even though
sales had been unexpectedly robust, losing out on
the biggest shopping season would’ve been a huge
missed opportunity for a company whose prod-
uct is often gifted. “If we didn’t have puzzles for
the holiday season, we probably wouldn’t be in
business” today, Hochhauser says. Manufacturers
need four to six months of lead time, and some-
times longer, to fill Christmastime requests. Covid-
related shipping delays were also a factor.
By June, Piecework had found a new manufac-
turer in China’s Guangdong province. Hochhauser
says she knew people who’d contracted with the
company and vouched for its work, and she did
an extensive review of samples.● Keep the creative juices flowing
Although there was uncertainty about the
production process prior to finding the new man-
ufacturer, Hochhauser and Wolfe didn’t let reality
stymie innovation. Eventually the creative team
came up with 14 puzzles—in addition to the orig-
inal six— including Bread Head, which melds psy-
chedelic Deadhead imagery with a cornu copia
of starches, and the Eighties-inspired Power
Lunch, featuring sushi, lipstick, and floppy disks.
(Many puzzles have a corresponding playlist on
Spotify. Power Lunch’s includes Peter Gabriel’s
Sledgehammer, Tina Turner’s What’s Love Got to
Do With It, and Prince’s Purple Rain.)● Rely on existing infrastructure
Exponential sales growth continued into the fall.
Stores such as Anthropologie, Madewell, and West
Elm started selling Piecework’s puzzles, trigger-
ing a 5,897% leap in the wholesale business from
the previous year. Hochhauser and Wolfe dealt
with the workload by treating Piecework like any
other agency client, just one that demanded more
meetings and resources. Major Studio’s two other
partners became puzzle designers; a director of
operations and a chief financial officer were brought
on; and part-time contractors were hired to help
with social media, marketing, wholesale accounts,
and customer service. “They’re very much sister
companies,” Hochhauser says. “Our time is not
blocked out for one company vs. the other.”● If you’re going to hire people, give
them something to do
“Both of our personalities lean toward just doing
everything ourselves, because it’s easier,” Wolfe
says. But neither she nor Hochhauser is the only
one who can track down a missing package in
Canada or correct a spelling mistake on Instagram.
Both women reluctantly let go of their obsession
with maintaining “inbox zero,” too. Well, sort of.
“I feel truly calm when I have zero unread emails,”
Hochhauser says.
By the end of this year, Piecework will have
50 puzzles available and a line for kids. Although
the founders decline to give particulars on the
business’s finances, Hochhauser describes it as
“extremely healthy.” With supply chain issues
mostly resolved, they’re turning their attention
to next steps: When should a puzzle be retired—if
ever? What other formats and sizes would work?
What puzzle-adjacent products would customers
enjoy? Hochhauser isn’t ready to divulge. “From
the beginning, we’ve talked about Piecework as
a lifestyle company focused on quality time,”
she says. “One of our catchphrases is ‘the great
indoors.’ So we’ll be staying close to home.”
�Arianne CohenThe average Piecework puzzle takes 6 to 20 hours to
complete, the company says. To make sure the painstaking
process is fun, the puzzles are manufactured to exacting
standards. Individual pieces must feel substantial and
pleasing to the fingers yet click together precisely with
a soft snap, triggering that tiny burst of dopamine in our
brains. The gloss can’t wear off, but there can’t be so much
that pieces reflect a blinding amount of light. �A.C.