# Lululemon Athletica: Chip Wilson

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2018-06-18
- Length: 52m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson

## Summary

Chip Wilson, founder of Lululemon Athletica, recounts his journey from selling 'barbecue shorts' and snowboard apparel to identifying the yoga trend in the late 1990s. He details the product design decisions, such as using flat-seam machines to prevent rashes and placing the logo discreetly on the waistband, and the guerrilla marketing stunt that launched the brand. The episode also covers the business challenges of scaling, the loss of control to private equity and public markets, and the fallout from his controversial comments during a 2013 product recall.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson#t=0) Introduction: Chip Wilson and Lululemon
- [5:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson#t=357) Early Ventures: West Beach and Barbecue Shorts
- [15:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson#t=943) Identifying the Yoga Opportunity
- [22:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson#t=1351) Product Design: Flat Seams and Fabric Science
- [25:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson#t=1516) Launch Strategy: Yoga Studios and Guerrilla Marketing
- [36:44](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson#t=2204) Scaling and Loss of Control to Investors
- [42:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson#t=2520) The 2013 Recall and Controversial Comments
- [49:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson#t=2957) Postscript: Mike Sorentino and the EyePatch Case

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, companies scaling up, large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Lululemon Athletica (company)
- West Beach (company)
- Homeless (company)
- Moral Snowboards (company)
- Dick's Sporting Goods (company)
- Nike (company)
- EyePatch Case (product)
- Kit and Ace (company)
- Spanx (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [006: Customizable swimwear with Kelsey Duffy of Versakini](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2016-04-19-006-customizable-swimwear-with-kelsey-duffy-of-versakini) (Product Startup)
- [Founder Feature: Zoe Levin of Bim Bam Boo](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-03-21-founder-feature-zoe-levin-of-bim-bam-boo) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Afterschool Podcast, Episode 1 - Rich Brilliant Willing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2013-08-19-afterschool-podcast-episode-1-rich-brilliant-willing) (Core77 Podcast)
- [050: Creating environmentally-friendly athletic apparel,  Tim Christian of OORR](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-04-25-050-creating-environmentally-friendly-athletic-apparel-tim-christian-of-oorr) (Product Startup)
- [Afterschool Podcast, Episode 3  - Robert Brunner](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2013-08-28-afterschool-podcast-episode-3-robert-brunner) (Core77 Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-06-18-lululemon-athletica-chip-wilson. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.