Hardware Podcasts

Cisco Systems & Urban Decay: Sandy Lerner (2018)

How I Built This · 10 May 2021 · 55m

What this episode covers

Sandy Lerner, co-founder of Cisco Systems and later founder of Urban Decay, recounts her journey from Stanford graduate student to tech pioneer and cosmetics entrepreneur. She details the early days of building networking hardware in her living room, the struggle to secure venture capital from skeptical investors, and the hostile takeover of Cisco by CEO John Morgridge that led to her ousting. Lerner explains how she reinvented herself by launching the punk-aesthetic makeup brand Urban Decay and establishing a sustainable farm in Virginia.

Most relevant to

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

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Cisco Systems, Stanford University, Sequoia Capital, LVMH, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Ayrshire Farm
Products
Urban Decay, PetNet
Also
Don Valentine, John Morgridge, Len Bosack, Chatton House Library, Jane Austen

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