A few years ago, we interviewed a well-known, extremely successful real estate developer. We asked him what it takes to be successful in building homes, condos, and hotels, all within the UHNW luxury bandwidth. He said, “It takes two people -- who, if you were lucky enough to hire, you would be very successful: one, a visionary who sees things that were not there before, and an operationalizer, a person who understands moving the vision into reality. It is a rare time when you have both, or even rarer, when both talents evolve into one person.” 

It was around this time, in 2021, we interviewed just such a person, Gadi Ponte, the founder of ThinOptics, an eyewear company that was just beginning its journey to success. 

Mr. Ponte conceptualized this idea of thinner, more wearable glasses due to an event that occurred to a friend of his, Teddy Shalon. Teddy was out on a bike ride with a friend; and his friend left his glasses at home when he received a text on his mobile phone. The friend couldn’t read the text without his reading glasses. So, Teddy gave him his glasses. The friend read the text, was grateful, and they rode on. 

A small, almost forgettable experience like this, as related to Gadi Ponte, was for most of us not very important — but to a visionary? It was the birth of a great idea. The ThinOptics idea, the creation of thin reading glasses, ultra light and easily stored – having the capability of being, literally, always with you, which is ThinOptics’s slogan.

Gadi Ponte’s education is in industrial engineering and was a colleague of Teddy’s. Mr. Ponte agreed with the product’s necessity and was the one who envisioned and operationalized the idea. In other words, he knew how to make the idea into a reality. Mr. Ponte was, and remains, the inventor/entrepreneur, visionary/operationalizer of the ThinOptics product. 

Recently, Mr. Ponte has envisioned and created a new, greatly needed dimension of ThinOptics — the Prescription-On-Demand (PoD) component of this product. JustLuxe was grateful to Mr. Ponte for discussing this new insightful dimension of ThinOptics: 

JustLuxe: What unique challenges has ThinOptics faced in the eyewear industry over the past few years, and how has the company adapted to succeed and grow? 

Mr. Ponte --The biggest challenge we've faced is disrupting an industry that's been stagnant for decades. The corrective eyewear market is dominated by a handful of giants who seem content with the status quo. At ThinOptics, we're pushing the envelope of what's possible with modern technology. We're not just making reading glasses; we're reimagining what eyewear can be in the 21st century. By staying nimble and embracing innovation, we've been able to create products that truly meet the needs of today's consumers, something the industry dinosaurs have been slow to do. 

So, our PoD line is our way of bringing personalized, prescription eyewear directly to consumers. It merges convenience with customization, allowing users to get prescription lenses in our innovative, ultra-slim frames. 

JustLuxe:  Apart from PoD, has ThinOptics seen more (relatively) a younger aged population needing readers, especially with the popularity of newer handheld devices and phones? 

Mr. Ponte:  With the rise of digital devices, eye strain is becoming an issue for all ages. That's why we developed our blue light blocking solutions. These aren't just for traditional 'reader' age groups - they're an age-agnostic solution for anyone spending significant time looking at screens. It's our way of addressing a modern problem with a modern solution. 

JustLuxe: Since the company’s inception, how has ThinOptics’ customer feedback shaped the design and functionality of ThinOptics products?  

Mr. Ponte:  Customer feedback is the blueprint lifeblood of our innovation. We've intentionally kept our team small and agile, which allows for fluid communication between our customer success team and product development. Every new iteration of our products is a direct result of what we hear from our users.

If a customer suggests an improvement or identifies an issue, that feedback goes straight to our design team. It's like having thousands of co-designers helping us perfect our products. 

JustLuxe:  How do you see optometrists collaborating with ThinOptics to leverage the PoD service for enhancing client care and service offerings? 

Mr. Ponte:  Optometrist insights are invaluable to our innovation efforts! By collaborating, we refine our products to better meet real-world needs. In turn, once optometrists see the unique solutions we offer, they can introduce ThinOptics to more people who could benefit from our innovative approach. 

JustLuxe: Finally, with the holidays approaching, can we expect any interesting bundles and deals? 

Mr.Ponte: Absolutely! We're putting together some unique holiday bundles that’ll be perfect for gifting. You'll see our MagSafe® compatible Vision Solutions featured prominently, as well as protective bundles combining our blue light blockers with reading sunglasses. As for other cool developments... we've got a few surprises up our sleeve.

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Mr. Ponte, though he has some surprises in store, is very aware of the statistics from the Vision Council: 166.5 million people in the US wear corrective vision glasses, and it has recently been predicted in the journal, Ophthalmology, that 4.8 BILLION people will require glasses by 2050. 

We look forward on hearing more from Mr. Ponte in the immediate future.