# Stitch Fix: Katrina Lake

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2018-04-02
- Length: 50m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-04-02-stitch-fix-katrina-lake

## Summary

Katrina Lake, founder of Stitch Fix, explains how she validated a personal shopping service by manually curating boxes for 20 friends using a $6,000 credit card and wholesale inventory before launching. She details the struggle to raise seed funding from 30 angel investors who rejected the inventory-heavy, human-stylist model, ultimately securing a term sheet from Steve Anderson. Lake describes building Stitch Fix as a data company from day one, hiring Netflix alum Eric Colson to develop recommendation algorithms that combine human stylist judgment with machine learning to solve the discovery problem in e-commerce. The episode covers her journey from a Harvard MBA student prototyping in Boston to taking Stitch Fix public as the youngest female CEO, while navigating gender dynamics in venture capital and managing early team dynamics.

## Chapters

- [0:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-04-02-stitch-fix-katrina-lake#t=24) Introduction: Katrina Lake and the Genesis of Stitch Fix
- [4:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-04-02-stitch-fix-katrina-lake#t=275) Early Career: Consulting, VC, and Retail Ideas
- [11:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-04-02-stitch-fix-katrina-lake#t=682) Validating the Model: The 20-Friend Beta and Inventory Strategy
- [19:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-04-02-stitch-fix-katrina-lake#t=1147) Fundraising Struggles: Angel Investors and Steve Anderson
- [25:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-04-02-stitch-fix-katrina-lake#t=1508) Launch: No Website, PayPal, and Manual Operations
- [33:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-04-02-stitch-fix-katrina-lake#t=2019) Building the Data Engine: Eric Colson and Recommendation Algorithms
- [39:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-04-02-stitch-fix-katrina-lake#t=2343) Going Public: Youngest Female CEO and Gender Dynamics in VC
- [45:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-04-02-stitch-fix-katrina-lake#t=2727) Co-Founder Departure and Leadership Lessons

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Stitch Fix (company)
- Steve Anderson (other)
- Eric Colson (other)
- Netflix (company)
- U.S. Bank (company)
- Harvard Business School (other)
- Nordstrom (company)
- Blockbuster (company)
- Amazon (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Oddball's Path From Idea to Funding a Nationwide Target Launch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-07-11-oddballs-path-from-idea-to-funding-a-nationwide-target-launch) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [023: Making Personal Connections to Customers with the Cheerbox, Tamar Lucien of Mental Happy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-10-18-023-making-personal-connections-to-customers-with-the-cheerbox-tamar-lucien-of-m) (Product Startup)
- [Founder Feature: Val Emanuel of Rif Care](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-01-03-founder-feature-val-emanuel-of-rif-care) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Steph Nightingale of Stimmie](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-08-15-founder-feature-steph-nightingale-of-stimmie) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Dip Into Paradise with Founder Emily Edwards](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2021-03-01-dip-into-paradise-with-founder-emily-edwards) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

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