Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.
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Most entrepreneurs think the hardest part of building a company is the product. For Jim McKelvey — co-founder of Square — the hardest part was the system around the product. Because Square wasn’t just competing with other startups … It was competing with regulations, middlemen, entrenched networks, and monopolies designed to keep outsiders out. In this episode, Jim shares the mindset and tactics that helped Square go from a tiny card reader that processed credit card payments … to a company—now ...
Today’s callers: Yadi from New York thinks through an expansion strategy for her college campus-based empanada business. Then, Zachary from New York looks for ways to break into big retailers with his fresh-made frozen pies. And Josh from Indiana wonders how to go all-in on his small mouth bass lifestyle brand without overhauling his family’s lifestyle. Plus, Pete and Rashid reflect on the ‘protein-ification’ of our food, and how a scare last year reaffirmed the importance of doing right by the ...
Before Spinbrush became the top selling toothbrush in the U.S—and before Procter & Gamble paid $475M for it—John Osher was a teenager selling earrings for $4.99. In this episode, John walks through the strange, scrappy, but disciplined path that led to one of the fastest consumer-product breakouts ever: from a six-year stint in a commune (where he learned plumbing and carpentry), to selling baby products and battery-powered spinning lollipops. Finally, the big bet: a $5 electric toothbrush t...
Today’s callers: Mia from Germany wants to know how to balance her pottery business between an online shop and a YouTube channel. Then, Jen from Connecticut is looking for ways to reach more families with her print magazine for tweens and teens. And Anagha from California wonders how to convince people to embrace the time required for her globally-inspired baking kits. Plus, Julia reflects on Eventbrite’s recent acquisition announcement, and how in-person events can help brands and creators buil...
Netflix shouldn’t have survived. In 1997, Blockbuster owned home entertainment— 9,000 stores , a business fueled by late fees, and a brand that felt untouchable. Netflix was a scrappy DVD-by-mail experiment that almost sold itself off to stay alive. So how did Netflix win? In this conversation, Reed Hastings breaks down the behind-the-scenes decisions that helped the business thrive: the uncomfortable leadership choices, the culture blueprint that surprised corporate America, and a near-catastro...
Plus, Jon’s take on why now is a good time to start a business — in spite of market uncertainty. Today’s callers: Dan from Washington considers new offerings beyond his core loose leaf yerba mate product. Then, Mike from New Hampshire wants to expand his woodworking business beyond his basement, without taking on debt. And Maggie from Georgia wonders how to respond to rising customer acquisition costs for her soccer-themed dog brand. Thank you to the founders of Heretic Yerba, MTS Woodworking, a...
In the late 2000s, two French mountain athletes set out to build a running shoe that captured the feeling of flying. Jean-Luc Diard and Nicolas “Nico” Mermoud had spent decades inside the innovation engine at Salomon—where product was obsession. In 2007, as Nico recovered from a brutal ultramarathon around Mont Blanc, the founders fixed on a problem that Big Footwear didn’t care about: downhill running was destroying bodies . Their solution: make the shoe bigger, softer, and shaped like a rocker...
Serial entrepreneur Mark Cuban offers direct advice on the "How I Built This" Advice Line, guiding founders through their business challenges. Discussions range from prioritizing profit over sales in premium peanut butter, to strategic marketing for youth-safe skincare, and elevating handcrafted razors as an artisan product. Cuban also stresses the importance of operational efficiency, managing supply chains amid tariffs, and leveraging AI for business growth, emphasizing profitability as key.
A bright blue guitar covered in orange koi fish vanished from a museum display … and Swifties immediately knew what it meant. That distinctive guitar—the one Taylor Swift used to record Speak Now —had been a gift. Hand crafted, by the founders of Taylor Guitars. When she brought it back on stage during her Eras tour, the fans went wild. In this episode, Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug tell the unlikely story behind one of the world’s most respected acoustic guitar brands—how it grew from a tiny San D...
Plus, how candor has been a more effective press strategy than talking points for (the literal) Mrs. Meyers. First we meet Allison in California, seeking marketing ideas for her novel wig designs which aren’t done justice by photos alone. Next, Nick in Idaho wonders whether retail expansion or content development is best to grow his children’s toy and book franchise. And finally, Ben in Virginia considers options like acquiring a nearby company to grow his chandelier cleaning business. Thank you...
This episode chronicles Joan Barnes's journey from a lonely new mom's playgroup to building Gymboree, a beloved children's brand that became a cultural icon. Despite its public success, the company faced critical internal issues like a flawed franchise model and a failed acquisition, pushing Joan to the brink. She candidly shares her struggles with ambition, addiction, and the pressure of public image versus private collapse, ultimately choosing her health over the company she founded, learning profound lessons about balance and humility.
Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, how AI integrations with glasses are helping us see the world in a whole new way. First we meet Kimber in Utah, who wants to take her chewable toothpaste gummies mainstream. Then Brian in California, who’s wondering how to vet franchisees for his light therapy studios. And Tanner in Tennessee, who needs help building a team he can trust to scale his countr...
When Todd Carmichael and J.P. Iberti met at a grunge concert in Seattle in the 1980s, they were an unlikely pair. But they shared a love for great coffee, and the two friends began to dream about opening a cafe and premium roastery that would produce coffee at a higher quality than anything in the U.S. at the time. A few years later, Todd and J.P. co-founded La Colombe in Philadelphia, and went on to play a leading role in the third wave of specialty coffee in the U.S. Today, their coffee drinks...
Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders about marketing and building community. First we meet Zac from Indiana, who’s looking to grow his coffee company with a subscription offering for newlyweds. Then Rowena from New York, who wants to expand her international cooking kits for kids to all ages. And Melissa from Florida, who’s hoping to break into schools with her handwriting program for preschoolers. And sti...
It started with a massive pile of razors sitting in a Rancho Cucomonga warehouse, and Michael Dubin’s chance meeting of the man who wanted to get rid of them. In 2010, Michael was working in marketing in Los Angeles, producing online video content. As a hobby, Michael took improv comedy classes. At a holiday party, he met a man named Mark Levine. Mark was looking for ideas to sell razors he had imported, but didn’t know how to unload. Michael’s background in video and comedy helped him create a ...
This week, Guy is joined by TRX exercise straps founder Randy Hetrick, chicken restaurant giant Raising Cane’s Todd Graves, and Chesapeake Bay Candle Company founder Mei Xu in a special episode of the Advice Line. We talk about how to navigate today’s crowded social media landscape... And ways founders can start thinking about AI. First, Shireen from Pennsylvania wants to know how to do better getting customers to attend her cooking demos… Then, Valerie from Idaho wonders whether separate social...
For decades, snack companies believed Americans wanted everything sweeter . More sugar. More chocolate. More indulgence. But what if that assumption was wrong? In this episode, a mother-daughter team set out to make a sleeker version of a chocolate almond— and nearly lose everything in the process. Val Griffith was a longtime TV producer in Seattle. Her daughter Breezy was bouncing between failing business ideas in Miami and New York. When a family tragedy brought Breezy back home, the two began...
Raising Cane’s founder Todd Graves joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders who are each considering a big, next step to grow their businesses. First, Evan in Texas wants to know if he should franchise drive-thrus for his coffee business. Then, David in St. Louis is trying to get around dents in his financial history to secure financing for his pasta company. And finally, Shane in Los Angeles is weighing the pros and cons of opening a brick-and-mortar rest...
This episode delves into the entrepreneurial journey of Elan Lee, co-founder of Exploding Kittens, tracing his path from Microsoft to developing one of Kickstarter's most successful campaigns. He shares how a simple idea transformed into a global phenomenon through innovative marketing, fan collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of interactive storytelling. The discussion covers the challenges of scaling production, developing new games, and balancing the company's analog core with digital expansion, ultimately creating a thriving business focused on face-to-face interaction.
Tempur-Pedic founder Bobby Trussell joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Bobby talks about his new book, The Logic That God Exists . First, Lyf from Oregon asks about how to expand his fresh seafood business. Then, Colleen from Colorado has questions about where to focus her efforts in growing her whitewater paddleboarding company. And finally, Amanda from Illinois looks for advice on fundraising for her lifejacket brand. Thank you to the founde...
What happens when three outsiders try to reinvent access to money… during the worst financial crisis in decades? Before Kickstarter. Before GoFundMe. Before crowdfunding became a thing, there was Indiegogo, an idea born from frustration, inequity, and more than 93 rejections from investors. It was a funding platform built not for banks, studios or gatekeepers… but for everybody else. In this episode, co-founders Danae Ringelmann and Slava Rubin reveal the unpolished and often painful story behin...
CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good. First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris ...
Khan Academy offers hundreds of free tutorials in fifty languages, and has 170 million monthly global users. It all began in 2009 when Sal Khan walked away from a high-paying job to start a business that had no way of making money. His idea to launch a non-profit teaching platform was sparked while helping his young cousins do math homework over the computer. When he started posting his tutorials on Youtube, the world took notice. You will learn: Not just cat videos: How Sal discovered the early...
Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand. First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And S...
Meridith Baer grew up on the grounds of San Quentin prison, acted in TV and movies, wrote scripts in Hollywood … and then, at 50, started over – and built one of the best known home-staging companies in real estate. Meridith’s life unfolds like a movie: As a teenager, she was forced to give up her baby for adoption. In her twenties, she was a writer for Penthouse. In her thirties and forties, she was a screenwriter in Hollywood, hobnobbing with Sally Field and dating Patrick Stewart. But in her ...
Bill Creelman, CEO and founder of Spindrift, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bill and Guy talk about the importance of solving one problem at a time. First, we hear from Josh in West Hollywood, California - a pickle beer maker - who's wondering whether to drop his home-made brine to save money by using a manufactured flavor instead. Then Zac in Marshfield, Massachusetts, is trying to figure out how to get marketing help for his Hawaiia...
This episode chronicles Travis Rosbach's improbable journey to create Hydro Flask. Frustrated by existing water bottles, he innovated a double-walled, vacuum-insulated design, overcoming manufacturing hurdles in China and bootstrapping sales at farmer's markets. Despite financial crises and personal struggles, his vision led to a hugely successful brand, ultimately acquired for over $200 million, even after his departure.
Squarespace founder Anthony Casalena joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Anthony shares how Squarespace is leveraging AI to help people bolster their sites and digital presence more effectively. First we meet Bob in Connecticut, who’s wondering how to pump up awareness for his custom-made mattresses. Then Stacy in California asks how her new first aid products can stand out in a category dominated by legacy brands. And Mehek in Ne...
At 19, Ben Francis was lifting weights during the day and delivering pizza at night. He didn’t have money. He didn’t have fashion experience. He didn’t even know how to sew. What he did have was a front-row seat… to a new online trend. Before Instagram and influencers became a strategy, a handful of YouTubers were redefining gym culture — building identity and community online. With his gymwear brand Gymshark, Ben didn’t try to compete with Nike. He didn’t try to buy ads. He did something much m...
Chet Pipkin, former CEO and founder of the electronic goods company Belkin International, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Chet and Guy drill into why solving problems for consumers is the key to success. First, we hear from Daniel in Toronto, who’s wondering how to educate customers about his company’s plastic-free, dissolvable shampoo and conditioner tablets. Then Meredith in Long Island asks how to manage inventory for her booming ba...
