I recently went one-on-one with Federico Marchetti, founder and former CEO of YOOX Net-a-Porter. Federico is also on the board of Giorgio Armani and is the author of the new book The Geek of Chic: An American Dream, Italian Style.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Federico: I was born in Ravenna, an Italian town known for its Byzantine mosaics and ancient history, but my childhood was marked less by beauty and more by struggle. My father was bipolar and often volatile; my mother was a resilient woman who held our family together. Growing up in a modest apartment and sleeping in the same room as my parents until I was thirteen, I always felt the need to escape—to explore a bigger world. I discovered my entrepreneurial instinct early by selling Mickey Mouse comics on the beach. That experience gave me a sense of independence that never left me. I learned to transform setbacks into fuel for the future. My journey took me from Bocconi University in Milan to studying at Columbia in New York and, ultimately, to founding Italy’s first unicorn in early 2000. The merger with my British competitor in 2015 was bold, but essential. I believe in building step by step, like Lego bricks.
Adam: How did you come up with your business idea and know it was worth pursuing? What advice do you have for others on how to come up with and test ideas?
Federico: My idea for one of the first online fashion retailers in the world was born at the intersection of two passions: technology and fashion. After completing my MBA at Columbia University, I returned to Italy with a vision to blend Silicon Valley hard skills with Italian humanism and creativity. At the time, luxury brands were hesitant to embrace the internet. I saw an opportunity where others saw risk. I didn’t test the idea in a lab—I lived it, trusted my instinct, and built a company from zero. My advice: look inward first. Passion must precede process. Then test your idea not just with data, but by talking to people and observing customer behavior.
Adam: What were the keys to growing and scaling your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Federico: Three things: timing, persistence, and reinvention. I founded my company on the spring equinox of 2000, launched on the summer solstice, listed the company on the stock exchange in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis, and sold it for $6 billion in 2018. I was obsessed with getting the timing right.
Adam: What are your best sales and marketing tips?
Federico: Surprise and emotion. I didn’t want to replicate a store online – I wanted to create an imaginative, immersive experience. Luxury is about storytelling and aspiration, not convenience. I drew inspiration from both American speed and Italian elegance. My advice: be culturally sensitive, emotionally intelligent, and never underestimate the value of aesthetic pleasure in marketing, especially in fashion.
Never stop innovating – We were ahead of the times with everything from recyclable packaging, reselling vintage, to offering our products on cellphones before the launch of the iPhone.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams? Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Federico: Leadership starts with listening. I always tried to empower my teams by giving them space to innovate, but I was also deeply hands-on. I cared about every detail – from logistics to design. Half of the executive committee were women, and the average age of around 5,000 employees was under 30.
The best leaders balance vision with humility and surround themselves with people who are better than them in specific domains. Lead with purpose, not ego.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Federico: Curiosity, courage, and coherence. The curiosity to ask questions and never stop learning. The courage to take risks even when the outcome is uncertain. And the coherence to align your actions with your values.
Adam: What are your best fashion tips?
Federico: Now that I lead King Charles III’s fashion task force, I am more than ever focused on sustainable fashion and the concept that good fashion never dies. Buy less, buy better, and of course, invest in quality. Good design never goes out of style.
Adam: What do you hope readers take away from your new book?
Federico: a. Follow your instinct – but prepare rigorously. b. Learn how to manage time – it’s your most precious resource. c. Have a vision rooted in values. Whether you’re building a business or leading a country, purpose matters.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Federico: That it’s okay to think big – even if you come from a small town with no connections. My book is a story of contrasts: Italy and America, tech and fashion, reason and emotion. I hope it inspires future entrepreneurs to be brave, to embrace who they are, and to build something meaningful that reflects their unique vision.
Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?
Federico: Mr. Armani kindly wrote the foreword to my book and underlined several lessons he has taught me throughout the years (I’m honored to now sit on his board, as the only non-family member). I leave with this quote that I believe is more important than my responses above. “I don’t believe in textbooks, and even less in commonplace formulae. Federico thinks as I do.”
