<strong>Image Credits:</strong>Araya Dohen / Getty Images
Julie Wainwright’s Raw and Revealing Memoir: From Pets.com to The RealReal
Table of Contents
Book Overview
In her compelling new memoir “Time to Get Real,” Julie Wainwright offers an unvarnished look at the realities of leadership, sharing candid insights from her journey of taking two companies public and navigating the volatile tech industry landscape.
Early Career and Rise in Tech
Julie Wainwright’s career began at Clorox before she carved her path through the tech industry in the ’90s, a time when female leadership in the sector was exceptionally rare. Her early success included roles as CEO of Berkeley Systems and Reel.com, where she demonstrated her natural leadership abilities and grew the company’s revenue from $3 million to $25 million, leading to its successful acquisition by Hollywood Video.
Career Milestone
“I just operated better without a boss,” Wainwright reflects on her early leadership roles, highlighting her natural entrepreneurial spirit and ability to drive significant business growth independently.
The Pets.com Era and Downfall
The year 2000 marked a pivotal moment in Wainwright’s career when she took Pets.com public. The company, known for its memorable sock puppet mascot and the catchy slogan “Because pets can’t drive,” became a symbol of the dot-com bubble. However, the same year saw the company’s closure during the market crash, a setback that would impact Wainwright’s career for nearly a decade.
Learning from Failure
The Pets.com experience, while challenging, provided valuable lessons about market timing, business sustainability, and resilience in the face of public scrutiny. These lessons would later prove instrumental in Wainwright’s future ventures.
Personal and Professional Challenges
The professional setback coincided with personal challenges when, on the same day she announced the company’s closure, Wainwright’s husband asked for a divorce. At 42, she faced what felt like a complete life reset, compounded by intense media scrutiny that included reporters appearing at her doorstep.
The RealReal: Building a Billion-Dollar Empire
In 2010, Wainwright launched The RealReal, pioneering the luxury consignment market online. What began in her living room grew into a operation processing hundreds of thousands of luxury items monthly across more than 1.2 million square feet of warehouse space. The company’s 2019 IPO marked Wainwright’s triumphant return to Wall Street.
Business Evolution
The RealReal’s growth from a home-based startup to a publicly-traded company demonstrates Wainwright’s ability to identify market opportunities and scale businesses effectively, even after facing significant setbacks.
Leadership Lessons and Practical Wisdom
Wainwright’s memoir offers practical insights into leadership challenges, including detailed discussions about sales staff compensation strategies and the importance of proper executive evaluation. She candidly shares her experience with hiring a “dumb aggressive” executive, describing how their need to dominate overshadowed their actual capabilities.
| Leadership Area | Key Insights | Practical Application |
|---|---|---|
| Team Building | Careful executive evaluation | Using McKinsey’s leadership quadrant |
| Sales Strategy | Effective bonus structures | Aligning incentives with company goals |
| Crisis Management | Handling public scrutiny | Maintaining transparency and resilience |
New Chapter: Looking Forward
Wainwright continues her entrepreneurial journey with Ahara, a nutrition company developing personalized dietary recommendations based on genetics and individual needs. This new venture represents her ongoing commitment to innovation and solving complex consumer challenges.
Author’s Message
“I personally wrote it for entrepreneurs to give them a realistic view and hopefully inspire them and, you know, maybe they’ll think twice and not make the mistakes I made,” Wainwright explains about her motivation for sharing her story.
Published on April 26, 2025
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