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. New episodes release on Mondays and Thursdays.
OtterBox founder Curt Richardson joins Guy Raz to mentor early-stage entrepreneurs on scaling strategies and operational hurdles. The discussion emphasizes that innovation often lies in business processes rather than just product development. For service-based businesses like Mr. Game Show, success hinges on replicatin...
The development of Toast, a leading cloud-based restaurant management platform, originated from the founders' frustration with the inefficiency of legacy, server-based point-of-sale systems. Initially attempting to build a simple consumer payment app, the team pivoted after realizing that restaurants required a compreh...
Building a lasting brand requires moving beyond transactional sales to establish a deep, emotional connection with customers. Kenneth Cole, founder of his eponymous fashion label, emphasizes that success hinges on identifying a unique narrative that distinguishes a brand from market noise. Rather than dictating trends,...
Tom Rinks, a serial entrepreneur and branding expert, details his journey from selling furniture to building iconic brands like Sun Bum. His design philosophy centers on the "Elvis Principle," which leverages the juxtaposition of edgy, countercultural aesthetics with mass-market appeal. Rinks recounts his early success...
Scaling a consumer packaged goods business requires balancing product quality with sustainable growth strategies rather than relying solely on massive capital injections. Founders should leverage smaller, local markets to test concepts and build loyal customer bases before pursuing national retail distribution. Establi...
Krishna Kaliannan transformed his personal health challenges—a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes and epilepsy—into a $200 million business by developing Catalina Crunch, a high-protein, low-carb breakfast cereal. Frustrated by the lack of healthy, crunchy options, Kaliannan utilized ingredients like pea protein and monk fru...
Entrepreneurs face critical growth and operational challenges in this advice-driven session featuring Spin Master co-founder Ronnen Harary. Businesses must balance internal innovation with strategic acquisitions to maintain market relevance, especially in volatile industries like toys. For jewelry brand Yearly Co., ris...
Joey Shamah co-founded e.l.f. Cosmetics in 2004 to challenge the beauty industry’s pricing model by offering high-quality products for just one dollar. By bypassing traditional, expensive marketing and leveraging early e-commerce, the brand successfully disrupted a market dominated by high-end incumbents. A pivotal mom...
Entrepreneurs receive strategic guidance on scaling businesses and navigating market challenges. Success hinges on building trust through authentic founder stories and leveraging local communities before pursuing national distribution. For niche products like probiotic skincare, specialized wine, or artisanal coffee, f...
Stephen Starr transformed from a Philadelphia-based concert and comedy promoter into a titan of the restaurant industry by applying the principles of showmanship to dining. Lacking formal culinary training, Starr focused on creating immersive, theatrical environments—prioritizing lighting, sound, and design to deliver ...
The Advice Line on How I Built This Lab provides strategic business guidance to early-stage entrepreneurs through direct consultations with industry experts. In this session, founder Shazi Visram shares insights on scaling consumer brands, emphasizing the necessity of leveraging third-party validation and scientific re...
Maxine Clark transformed the retail landscape by launching Build-A-Bear Workshop, a concept born from observing children’s desire for hands-on, personalized experiences. After a successful career as president of Payless Shoes, Clark leveraged her deep retail expertise to create a "Willy Wonka-esque" environment where c...
Scaling a business requires balancing immediate revenue with long-term brand equity. Collaborations, such as limited-edition product partnerships, serve as powerful tools for gaining earned media and expanding brand reach beyond traditional sales channels. For service-based businesses, fostering community through pre-s...
Shopify’s evolution from a niche online snowboard retailer into a global e-commerce powerhouse stems from Tobias Lütke’s desire to solve his own technical frustrations. After moving to Canada and struggling to find suitable software to sell snowboards, Lütke leveraged his programming background to build a custom platfo...
Entrepreneur and author Tim Ferriss joins Guy Raz to provide strategic advice to founders navigating growth challenges. The conversation centers on balancing multiple business verticals, managing inventory, and maintaining personal well-being. Lauryn Menard of Gob explores scaling mycelium-based earplugs across live mu...
Brian Smith transformed Australian sheepskin boots into a multi-billion dollar global phenomenon by identifying a significant gap in the U.S. footwear market. Initially struggling as a chartered accountant, Smith pivoted to entrepreneurship, enduring years of financial instability and failed retail strategies. Success ...
Building a purpose-driven business requires balancing social impact with a rigorous financial strategy to ensure long-term viability and competitiveness. Founders must move beyond generic marketing by addressing consumer skepticism directly and leveraging humor or scientific evidence to highlight product benefits. Effe...
Justin Gold transformed a simple kitchen experiment into the category-defining nut butter brand, Justin’s. After moving to Boulder, Colorado, in 2001, Gold began refining recipes using a food processor, eventually overcoming texture issues by using palm oil and introducing unique flavors like honey and cinnamon. His br...
Founders navigate the emotional and operational complexities of scaling businesses, with a focus on managing persistent self-doubt and refining market positioning. Success requires shifting from a founder’s initial vision to a CEO’s disciplined focus on metrics, operations, and team management. For niche products, such...
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang traces the company’s evolution from a struggling graphics chip manufacturer for gamers to the central architect of the global AI revolution. A pivotal, high-risk bet on the CUDA platform transformed GPUs into general-purpose supercomputers, despite years of financial instability and market skept...
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