Bill Gates performs customer support for daughter's startup Phia

Bill Gates recently spent a day performing customer support duties for Phia, a sustainable fashion startup co-founded by his daughter, Phoebe Gates, and Sophia Kianni. Acting as a ‘luxury customer advisor,’ Gates engaged with users to gain direct insight into the customer experience.

Phia offers an app and Chrome extension designed to promote more sustainable shopping habits. The technology scans over 40,000 websites to identify fashion deals and second-hand alternatives, aiming to nudge consumers toward lower-impact choices during their regular shopping routines.

Following the experience, Gates noted on LinkedIn that leaders benefit from staying close to their users to understand how products function in real-time and to hear direct feedback.