Hardware Podcasts

Cisco Systems & Urban Decay: Sandy Lerner

How I Built This · 1 Oct 2018 · 1h 00m

What this episode covers

Sandy Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems, recounts building the company's first routers in her living room with Len Bosack, funding the venture through maxed-out credit cards and personal loans before securing Sequoia Capital investment. She details the cultural clash with professional management, her subsequent firing by CEO John Morgridge, and her decision to sell her stake to maintain ethical integrity. Lerner then describes founding Urban Decay, a cosmetics brand focused on edgy colors and cruelty-free ingredients, and her current work managing a sustainable 800-acre farm in Virginia.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Cisco Systems, Urban Decay, Stanford University, Sequoia Capital, Core Performance
Products
PetNet, IcePlate
Also
Don Valentine, John Morgridge, Len Bosack

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