Looking back on 2016: delivering the first whole-home WiFi system

And forward to next year

We started eero in my apartment in 2014, but 2016 has been the year I’ll never forget. In February, we delivered the world’s first whole-home WiFi system to tens of thousands of pre-order customers and to Amazon warehouses across the country. Reviewers told us they couldn’t remember the last time they’d been this excited — or even written — about a router. Customers loved it too, and have installed more eeros systems in the first year than we ever imagined.

As this memorable year comes to an end, I’d like to take a look back at some of the highlights. We’ve seen incredible growth, which wouldn’t be possible without the early and continued support of our customers. So, from all of us at eero, thank you.

A product that keeps getting better

While we’ve put an incredible amount of care into the fit and finish of our hardware — what really makes eero unique is the software. We’ve pioneered the concept of continuous improvement in the networking space — modeled after what Tesla has done for cars. When you buy eero today, you’re also buying what it will become tomorrow. If you’ve been a customer since February, your system’s been upgraded 19 times: Family Profiles, user-initiated updates, a custom Alexa skill, and even TrueMesh. Plus, every eero system stays up-to-date with the latest in WiFi security, so you always know your network is safe.

WiFi for real people

From our beta program to reddit fans to the larger eero community, we’re lucky to have an engaged and vocal customer base we look to for feedback. Since homes are as unique as the people in them, learning from different configurations and setups helps ensure that no matter what your WiFi needs are, we’ve got you covered. If you ever have problems of any kind — and we mean any kind — our support reps are absolute badasses. Call and you’ll talk to an actual person in less than a minute, or shoot questions to people like Jeff (our community manager) and me during an AMA on /r/eero.

A team to get behind

This year alone we’ve been featured in over 2,000 publications, on the Ellen DeGeneres show, Live! With Kelly, and in countless gift guides. We’ve also expanded our retail footprint, launching in nearly 1,500 retail outlets including Best Buy, B8ta and others, as well as through our own eero Pro channel. We’ve also received over 1,800 reviews from customers on Amazon, 80% of which are 5-stars. Doing all of this takes an amazing team. We’ve doubled in size since January — our team is now over 130 people — and we’re always on the lookout for talented folks to join us in building the future of the home.

The home WiFi system is clearly an idea whose time has come. In the past few months, we’ve seen copycat products come to market from companies big and small. We’re on the cusp of what we’re calling internally “The Great Router Upgrade,” as homes ditch the single-router model and upgrade to whole-home systems.

Finally, to thank you all for your support this year, we made it easier to share eero with those you love. Through Christmas Day, get $100 off a 3-pack eero system on store.eero.com and at any eero retailer.