Julie Wainwright Launches Memoir Detailing Her Journey in Silicon Valley

Maggie Stamets, Podcast Producer for TechCrunch in Denver, Colorado, recently put the spotlight on Julie Wainwright’s new memoir. Her memoir is called Time to Get Real. This book tells the story of Wainwright’s inspiring entrepreneurial journey. It’s an immensely useful roadmap for anyone else taking on the tech industry’s big challenges. Wainwright, the founder of The RealReal, candidly reflects on her experiences, including facing one of the most public failures in tech history with Pets.com.

In “Time to Get Real,” Wainwright takes us deep into her fierce life lessons on resilience. She highlights the importance of being a part of a nurturing business environment. She thoughtfully equipped The RealReal with a board of advisors that created a collaborative community of experience and guidance. She has replicated this practice of assembling a supportive board with her current venture, Ahara. This speaks to her commitment to create a culture of empowerment within their teams.

Connie Loizos, Editor-in-Chief at TechCrunch, interviewed Wainwright recently for the StrictlyVC Download podcast, which goes out every Tuesday. Wainwright discussed the key takeaways that helped her turn her misses into memorable hits. She pointed out how often Silicon Valley ignores women founders. Through her memoir, she aims to inspire others to remain steadfast in their pursuits despite the obstacles they may encounter.

Wainwright has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in English from Hofstra University in New York. Her scholarly qualifications have profoundly informed a singular talent for storytelling that shines bright in the pages of her memoir. She highlights how telling your story can be an act of empowerment and how it can build understanding across the tech industry.

Wainwright’s The RealReal has been at the forefront of the luxury resale boom, driving their sustainability and transparency forward and helping customers double down on circularity. Her legacy is still one marked by a focus on inclusion, collaboration, and mentoring. Her approach has served her companies extremely well. In doing so, it has created an important model for future entrepreneurs seeking mentorship in a challenging industry.