The RealReal founder Julie Wainwright has a startling new memoir

Tech Crunch - Apr 26th, 2025
Open on Tech Crunch

Julie Wainwright, who successfully took two companies public, shares her leadership journey in her new memoir, 'Time to Get Real.' She candidly discusses the challenges she faced, including the high-profile failure of Pets.com during the 2000 market crash and the personal struggles that followed. Despite the setbacks, Wainwright managed to reinvent herself and founded The RealReal, a pioneering luxury consignment company, which she also took public in 2019. Her memoir provides a raw and honest look at the intricacies of leadership, offering insights and practical wisdom for entrepreneurs.

Wainwright's career reflects resilience and innovation in the face of adversity. After being ousted from The RealReal in 2022, she continues to forge new paths with her latest venture, Ahara, a nutrition company focused on personalized dietary recommendations. Her story serves as a testament to the complexities of leadership and the importance of transparency and learning from one's mistakes. Through her memoir, Wainwright aims to provide a realistic perspective on entrepreneurship, hoping to inspire others while sharing the lessons she's learned along the way.

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RATING

6.4
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article provides an engaging and mostly accurate account of Julie Wainwright's career, focusing on her achievements and challenges as an entrepreneur. It is well-written and timely, aligning with the release of her memoir. However, the reliance on Wainwright's perspective without additional sources or viewpoints limits the balance and source quality. Greater transparency about potential biases and more diverse sourcing could enhance the article's credibility and impact. Despite these limitations, the story offers valuable insights into leadership and resilience, making it relevant and interesting to a broad audience.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The article provides a generally accurate account of Julie Wainwright’s career and achievements, such as taking two companies public and her role in the growth of Reel.com. However, some claims, like the specifics of her removal from The RealReal and the media scrutiny following Pets.com's collapse, lack independent verification and rely heavily on Wainwright's account. The narrative about her career setback and subsequent resurgence is consistent with known facts, but additional sources or records would strengthen the claims.

6
Balance

The story primarily presents Julie Wainwright's perspective, which is understandable given the memoir's focus. However, it lacks a balanced representation of other viewpoints, particularly from board members of The RealReal or investors involved in her removal. The narrative could benefit from including their perspectives to provide a more rounded view of the events described.

8
Clarity

The article is well-structured and clearly written, making it easy to follow Julie Wainwright’s career trajectory and personal challenges. The language is straightforward, and the narrative flows logically from her early successes to her challenges and eventual resurgence. The use of direct quotes from Wainwright adds to the clarity and engagement of the piece.

5
Source quality

The article relies heavily on Wainwright's memoir and statements, which are subjective and may be biased. There is a lack of diverse sources or third-party verification, such as comments from industry analysts or other stakeholders. This reliance on a single source diminishes the overall source quality and credibility of the article.

6
Transparency

The article does not clearly disclose the methodology used to gather information or address potential conflicts of interest. While it is transparent about the source of the information (Wainwright's memoir), it does not discuss how this might influence the narrative. Greater transparency about the article's sources and potential biases would enhance its credibility.

Sources

  1. https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/26/the-realreal-founder-julie-wainwright-has-a-startling-new-memoir/
  2. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-realreal-founder-julie-wainwright-has-written/id1498270180?i=1000704476956
  3. https://www.overdrive.com/media/11289588/time-to-get-real
  4. https://careerconnect.ph/the-realreal-founder-julie-wainwright-has-written-a-memoir-and-an-entrepreneurial-survival-guide/
  5. https://mollieplotkingroup.com/speaker/julie-wainwright/