Julia O’Mara on on leaving her product management career to raise $8M for Pickle, the hottest peer-to-peer fashion rental app in NYC
Julia O'Mara joins The Gen She Podcast to share how she co-founded Pickle, the peer-to-peer fashion rental app transforming the industry. In less than a year, Pickle brought over 50,000 items into circulation and powered lucrative side hustles—some users even made enough to cover their rent, with top earners hitting five figures. Julia opens up about her journey from quitting product management at Blackstone to raising $8M for Pickle, and how she and her co-founder took over 4,000 subway rides to hand-deliver rentals and fuel their marketplace in its early days.
We explore the initial pivot from a social polling app to a rental platform, the challenges of fundraising as a female founder, and the importance of a strong co-founder relationship. Julia also dives into key strategies for building a successful marketplace, from marketing to ensuring product quality and fostering a sense of community among users.
Whether you're interested in entrepreneurship, fashion tech, or startup life, Julia’s story is filled with lessons on resilience, innovation, and the hustle behind turning a vision into reality.
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