Stitch Fix is an online personal styling service that was founded in 2011 by entrepreneur Katrina Lake. Lake's vision was to disrupt the fashion retail industry by curating personalized wardrobe selections for Stitch Fix clients. In short, she sought to make personal shopping more affordable and less time-consuming using an online platform that leverages a blend of human stylists and algorithms. Starting with a modest $42 million in venture capital investment, Lake grew Stitch Fix into a company worth over a billion dollars. In 2017 Stitch Fix underwent a high-profile IPO. Lake was the youngest female founder ever to take a company public and CEO of the only female-led tech IPO of the year.
Today, Stitch Fix's vision is to transform the way people find what they love by helping customers with discovery and decision making. The company's growth is supported by strong leadership values and a sincere belief in the ability of every individual within the organization to be a leader. Stitch Fix employs people with a diverse set of skills, ranging from creative designers to merchandisers to data scientists. Company leadership prides itself on creating an accessible work environment with an approachable leadership team. The company fosters a culture that values dialogue and creative tension.
From a leadership development standpoint, Stitch Fix has established a regular 360-review process in which employees collect feedback from their peers and their leaders around how they engage with the company's "operating system." This operating system incorporates the organization's core values and leadership attributes, framed by the company's vision.
Stitch Fix invests heavily in professional development throughout the employee journey. Its new hire onboarding process is an immersive two-day process, whereby new employees are exposed to all functions of the company and their strategic pillars. Company leaders are an integral part of this training process, with employees hearing from a senior executive panel (including Katrina Lake) on their first day.
Leadership training continues throughout a Stitch Fix employee's career, regardless of his or her level within the organization. It is not limited to just managers and directors. This helps entry-level employees engage with the company in a meaningful way as potential leaders, and it holds senior leaders accountable for continuing to invest in their leadership styles. The company focuses this training around five leadership attributes: learn, develop, trust, inspire, and act. Stitch Fix hires and invests in people who are open to change and personal growth in order to support its bold vision.

Questions

1. In your opinion, how does the Stitch Fix culture of open dialogue, creative tension, and approachable leadership impact organizational innovation?

2. Why do you think Stitch Fix invests so heavily in leadership development, even for entry-level employees? What impact do you think this might have on employee engagement, morale, and retention?

3. If you were an employee, would you want to work in an environment that focused on continual learning and development? Please explain.

4. If you were a manager, would you appreciate participating in a 360-review process? How about as an individual contributor? What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of giving and receiving feedback across different levels of the organization?

5. If you were an entrepreneur with a bold vision such as Katrina Lake’s, what employment leadership values might you instill early on in the founding and scaling of your company? Why would these be important to you?

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