# FIGS: Trina Spear and Heather Hasson. The $2.5 Billion Scrubs Brand That Investors Said Would Never Work

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2026-10-26
- Length: 1h 11m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-10-26-figs-trina-spear-and-heather-hasson-the-2-5-billion-scrubs-brand-that-investors

## Summary

Heather Hasson and Trina Spear, co-founders of FIGS, explain how they reinvented the stagnant scrub industry by focusing on fit, fabric, and direct-to-consumer community building. They detail their journey from selling scrubs out of a car and facing 300-400 investor rejections to securing funding from Thomas Tull and navigating a $40 million legal battle with Strategic Partners. The founders discuss their decision to fight the lawsuit rather than settle, their rapid pivot to PPE during the pandemic, and their eventual IPO, emphasizing that their net worth is transient and distinct from their self-worth.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-10-26-figs-trina-spear-and-heather-hasson-the-2-5-billion-scrubs-brand-that-investors#t=8) Introduction: The Transience of Net Worth
- [3:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-10-26-figs-trina-spear-and-heather-hasson-the-2-5-billion-scrubs-brand-that-investors#t=222) Heather’s Journey: From Failed Medical Dreams to Kenya
- [13:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-10-26-figs-trina-spear-and-heather-hasson-the-2-5-billion-scrubs-brand-that-investors#t=823) Identifying the Gap: Healthcare Workers Deserve Better
- [20:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-10-26-figs-trina-spear-and-heather-hasson-the-2-5-billion-scrubs-brand-that-investors#t=1223) Trina Joins: From Blackstone to Selling Scrubs Out of a Car
- [35:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-10-26-figs-trina-spear-and-heather-hasson-the-2-5-billion-scrubs-brand-that-investors#t=2100) Product Innovation and Investor Rejections
- [47:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-10-26-figs-trina-spear-and-heather-hasson-the-2-5-billion-scrubs-brand-that-investors#t=2871) The $40 Million Lawsuit and Legal Strategy
- [59:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-10-26-figs-trina-spear-and-heather-hasson-the-2-5-billion-scrubs-brand-that-investors#t=3571) Pandemic Pivot, IPO, and Public Market Volatility

## Topics

- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- FIGS (product)
- Blackstone (company)
- Thomas Tull (other)
- Legendary Entertainment (company)
- Strategic Partners (company)
- Cherokee (product)
- Dickies (product)
- Lululemon (product)
- Nike (product)
- Under Armor (product)
- Shopify (tool)
- Craigslist (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Founder Feature: Erica Groussman of Trubar](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-12-05-founder-feature-erica-groussman-of-trubar) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#80 From turning down Shark Tank offers to raising $2.7 million for Nopalera with Sandra Velasquez](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-02-21-80-from-turning-down-shark-tank-offers-to-raising-2-7-million-for-nopalera-with) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Founder Feature: Hannah Perez of SEEQ Supply](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-09-13-founder-feature-hannah-perez-of-seeq-supply) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [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)
- [350 - Beyond the Dieline - Dr Juan from PNuff Crunch joins Tom Seymour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-05-27-350-beyond-the-dieline-dr-juan-from-pnuff-crunch-joins-tom-seymour) (People of Packaging)

## Citing this page

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