Description
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. Listen to How I Built This on the Wondery App or wherever you listen to your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting wondery.com/links/how-i-built-this now.
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Episodes
- 2025 / 12 / 11Advice Line with Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of RingCEO 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...
- 2025 / 12 / 8Khan Academy: Sal Khan. From Tutoring His Cousins to Teaching the World For Free (September 2020)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...
- 2025 / 12 / 8(September 2020) Khan Academy: Sal Khan. From Tutoring His Cousins to Teaching the World For FreeKhan 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...
- 2025 / 12 / 4Advice Line with Jane Wurwand of Dermalogica (2024)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...
- 2025 / 12 / 1Meridith Baer Home: Meridith Baer. She Started Over at 50 and Put Home Staging on the Map.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...
- 2025 / 11 / 27Advice Line with Bill Creelman of SpindriftBill 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...
- 2025 / 11 / 24Hydro Flask: Travis Rosbach. How a thirsty surfer changed the water bottle industryWhat if the idea that changes your life… starts with something as ordinary as being thirsty?In 2007, Travis Rosbach walked into a sporting goods store looking for a water bottle—and stumbled onto a problem no...
- 2025 / 11 / 20Advice Line with Anthony Casalena of SquarespaceSquarespace 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...
- 2025 / 11 / 17Gymshark: Ben Francis. From pizza delivery to billion-dollar fitness brand.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...
- 2025 / 11 / 13Advice Line with Chet Pipkin of Belkin InternationalChet 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...
- 2025 / 11 / 10Backroads: Tom Hale. How a desk worker became a trailblazer in active travelIn his 20’s, working an office job he hated, Tom woke up in the middle of the night with a wild idea: why not take people on bike trips? No playbook. No investors. Just a sense that he could make a living...
- 2025 / 11 / 6Advice Line with Tariq Farid of Edible ArrangementsTariq Farid the founder of Edible Arrangements joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tariq updates Guy on how he’s pivoting into a new industry while...
- 2025 / 11 / 3Babylist: Natalie Gordon. How a new mom used nap time to build a $500M business.In 2010, software engineer Natalie Gordon was pregnant– and fed up with the overwhelming baby aisles in big box stores. So she quit her computer job to code the registry she wished existed. No...
- 2025 / 10 / 30Advice Line with Niraj Shah of WayfairWayfair co-founder Niraj Shah joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs about how to bet on themselves – and define themselves to consumers. Plus, Niraj explains...
- 2025 / 10 / 27Nuts.com: Jeff Braverman. From Corner Store to Snacktime PowerhouseA century ago, Jeff Braverman’s grandfather opened a peanut shop in Newark, New Jersey. By the early 2000s, the family business was doing $1M in sales and struggling to stay afloat. Jeff had a high-paying job...
- 2025 / 10 / 23Advice Line with John Zimmer of LyftLyft co-founder John Zimmer joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, John talks about his recent decision to step away from the company he founded in 2012.First,...
- 2025 / 10 / 20Magnolia: Chip & Joanna Gaines. From House Flipping to Household NameWhat happens when a charismatic home renovator marries a budding design whiz? You get the billion-dollar powerhouse that is Chip and Joanna Gaines.The Gaines’ TV show Fixer Upper became a cultural obsession,...
- 2025 / 10 / 16Advice Line with Stacy Madison of Stacy’s Pita ChipsStacy’s Pita Chips co-founder Stacy Madison joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Stacy talks about her hard-won experience of knowing when to stick with...
- 2025 / 10 / 13Faherty Brand: Alex and Mike Faherty. How Jersey Shore + Manhattan Chic grew to 80 stores.When identical twins Mike and Alex Faherty launched their clothing brand, they made a daring move– launching wholesale, retail, and online, pretty much at the same time. Investors said it was outdated,...
- 2025 / 10 / 9Advice Line with Michael Dubin of Dollar Shave ClubDollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Michael shares his latest career pivot into the screenwriting world.First,...
- 2025 / 10 / 6Pressbox and Tide Cleaners: Vijen Patel. The $1.99 Gamble That Built a National BrandWhat if the best startup isn’t sexy at all? In 2013, Vijen Patel left private equity to pursue “the least-worst idea”: dry cleaning. No patents. No app wizardry. Just laundry lockers in high-rises, ruthless...
- 2025 / 10 / 2Advice Line with Tony Xu of DoordashTony Xu, founder of DoorDash, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Tony updates Guy on his latest ventures: expanding into grocery and retail delivery -...
- 2025 / 9 / 29Craigslist: Craig Newmark — The Forrest Gump of the InternetWhat if the founder of one of the internet’s most enduring brands… never wanted to run a company?In 1995, Craig Newmark was a 42-year-old computer programmer in San Francisco who simply wanted to share local...
- 2025 / 9 / 25Advice Line with Randy Hetrick of TRXRandy Hetrick, former Navy SEAL and founder of the suspension training company TRX, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Randy updates Guy on his latest...
- 2025 / 9 / 22Poppi: Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. From Farmers Market Vinegar Drink to $2B Soda SensationA decade ago, Allison Ellsworth was drinking apple cider vinegar for health reasons and doctoring it with fruit so she could stand the taste. Her husband Stephen helped her turn it into a business by...
- 2025 / 9 / 18Advice Line with Bobbi Brown of Jones Road BeautyBobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road Beauty, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her to found...
- 2025 / 9 / 15Nirav Tolia: Nextdoor. How neighborhood chatter went globalMany of us don’t know our neighbors anymore — and Nirav Tolia wanted to change that. He walked away from millions in stock options at Yahoo and eventually co-founded Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social network...
- 2025 / 9 / 11Advice Line with Dave Weiner of Priority BicyclesPriority Bicycles founder and CEO Dave Weiner joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Dave shares his strategy for keeping sales steady and positioning Priority...
- 2025 / 9 / 8Carlton Calvin: Razor. The wild rise, collapse, and reinvention of a mobile toy empire.In the summer of 2000, Razor scooters were everywhere—on sidewalks, in schools, even in Silicon Valley offices. At the center of it all was Carlton Calvin, an ex-lawyer turned toy mogul who had already...
- 2025 / 9 / 4Advice Line: Playing to Your StrengthsThis week, Guy is joined by Lady Gaga’s former manager Troy Carter, Joe Gebbia of Airbnb, and Sadie Lincoln of barre3 in a special mashup episode of the Advice Line about playing to your business’s...
- 2025 / 9 / 1Don Vultaggio: AriZona Beverage Company - The Snap Decision That Outsmarted SnappleWhat does it take to turn a Brooklyn beer salesman into the king of iced tea?In the early 1990s, the iced tea market was dominated by Lipton, Nestea, and Snapple. But Don Vultaggio saw an opening. A single...
- 2025 / 8 / 28Advice Line with Tim FerrissEntrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote— a...
- 2025 / 8 / 25(July 2021) Ben Chestnut: From Side Business to $12 Billion – The Accidental Triumph of MailchimpIn 2001, three web designers built a quirky email tool called Mailchimp.It wasn’t their main business.It wasn’t even meant to make real money.For years, Ben Chestnut and his partners survived on web-design...
- 2025 / 8 / 21Advice Line with Jamie Siminoff of Ring (August 2024)Ring founder Jamie Siminoff joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about balancing short- and long-term goals. Today, we meet Vico, an industrial designer in...
- 2025 / 8 / 18Madison Reed: Amy ErrettAmy Errett had a successful career in finance and venture capital before taking a leap into an entirely new business: hair color. When her wife complained about the indignities of coloring her hair at home,...
- 2025 / 8 / 13Exclusive Update: The Chef Who Shocked the Culinary World and Why He’s Changing Course Again—Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison ParkIn 2021, Daniel Humm shook up the dining world by making his 3-Michelin-star restaurant, Eleven Madison Park, 100% plant-based.No meat. No butter. No cream.It was a first in fine dining, igniting global...
- 2025 / 8 / 11Crumbl: Jason McGowanCrumbl may be a cookie business – but Jason McGowan turned it into a fast-growing restaurant chain by building it like a tech startup. He and co-founder Sawyer Hemsley meticulously A/B tested the recipe,...
- 2025 / 8 / 7Advice Line with Mei Xu of Chesapeake Bay Candle and BluemeChesapeake Bay Candle and Blueme founder Mei Xu joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Mei shares the importance of businesses meeting people everywhere they...
- 2025 / 8 / 4Simon Cowell: Music MogulLong before he became famous as the sharp-tongued TV personality who launched the careers of pop stars, Simon Cowell was a rebellious teenager who dropped out of school and started his career in the mailroom...
- 2025 / 7 / 31Advice Line with Isaac Larian of MGA EntertainmentIsaac Larian is the founder of MGA Entertainment, the company behind Bratz and LOL Surprise dolls. This week, he joins Guy on Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Isaac...
- 2025 / 7 / 28Torchy's Tacos: Mike RypkaLong before founding Torchy’s Tacos, Mike Rypka was a troubled teenager trying to outrun his own self-destruction. Growing up around addiction and falling into heavy drug use himself, Mike’s future looked...
- 2025 / 7 / 24Advice Line with Troy Carter of Atom FactoryFormer manager of Lady Gaga and Atom Factory founder Troy Carter joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Troy’s advice for reaching new audiences...
- 2025 / 7 / 21WHOOP: Will AhmedAs a Harvard squash player, Will Ahmed discovered his game improved when he focused on things like sleep, diet, and time spent recovering from training. He was convinced that granular health and heart...
- 2025 / 7 / 17Advice Line with Justin McLeod of HingeHinge founder and CEO Justin McLeod joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Justin describes Hinge’s new initiatives around intentional dating.First, Jessica in...
- 2025 / 7 / 14Chobani: Hamdi Ulukaya (2022)As a newly arrived immigrant from Turkey, Hamdi Ulukaya learned to be resourceful, determined, and even stubborn when he needed to be. All those traits would serve him well as he began to navigate the hairpin...
- 2025 / 7 / 10Advice Line with Norma Kamali of Norma Kamali (2024)Iconic fashion designer Norma Kamali joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Norma shares her take on balancing a strong creative vision with the...
- 2025 / 7 / 7Rick Steves' Europe: Rick Steves (2021)Rick Steves spent the summer after high school backpacking through Europe on two dollars a day—sleeping on the floor, sneaking into museums, and subsisting on a diet of bread and jam. When he came home, he...
- 2025 / 7 / 3Advice Line with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company (August 2024)Boston Beer Company founder Jim Koch joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three founders about finding product-market fit.Today, we meet Kim, whose tropical-inspired apparel company...
- 2025 / 6 / 30Talenti: Josh HochschulerAfter falling in love with the gelato shops of Buenos Aires, Josh Hochschuler came home to Dallas with a bold idea: bring authentic Argentine gelato to the U.S. He raised $600,000 from friends and family and...
- 2025 / 6 / 26Advice Line with Eric Ryan of MethodMethod co-founder and serial entrepreneur Eric Ryan joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Eric shares his strategies for entering new market categories, and...