Hardware Podcasts

Burton Snowboards: Jake Carpenter

How I Built This · 23 Oct 2017 · 45m

What this episode covers

Jake Carpenter, founder of Burton Snowboards, recounts building the company from a barn in Vermont in 1977, starting with prototypes made from wood and laminated materials. He details the early struggles of selling to uninterested ski shops, the pivotal sponsorship of rider Craig Kelly, and the decision to remain a private company despite the success of competitor Ride. The episode also covers Burton's cultural impact, the challenges of gaining resort acceptance, and Carpenter's personal health battles.

Most relevant to

founders before launch, early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Burton Snowboards, Brunswick, Sims, K2, Ride, Stratton, Bromley
Products
Snurfer, Guac-Lock

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • People of Packaging · 45m

    51 - Jib Hunt CEO of Kemper Snowboards

    Jib Hunt, CEO of Kemper Snowboards, discusses reviving the classic snowboard brand by leveraging 1980s nostalgia and his background in design and marketing. He details the company's transition from a solo operation to hiring its first employee, focusing on direct-to-consumer sales and wholesale distribution. Hunt explains how packaging serves as both a protective measure for high-value boards and a critical branding element, featuring retro graphics and sustainable cardboard end caps. The conversation highlights the strategic decision to bring back classic Kemper graphics while maintaining a distinct, vibrant brand identity in a consolidated market.

    Packaging designStarting a product company
    6 chapters

  • People of Packaging · 34m

    228 - BUCKED UP FRIDAY! Use code CEO50 to get 50% off! interview with CEO Ryan Gardner

    Ryan Gardner, co-founder and CEO of Bucked Up, explains how he and his twin brother Jeff transitioned from lead generation to building a supplement empire by acquiring key domain names like LR9.com and buckedup.com. Gardner details the strategic importance of distinctive packaging, highlighting the Consumer Convenient Packaging Award-winning 'Buckshot' energy drink designed to resemble a shotgun shell to compete with Five Hour Energy. He also recounts a critical product failure where 200,000 cans of an early energy drink launch were destroyed due to a bitter aftertaste that emerged after five days, emphasizing the need for rigorous taste testing.

    Packaging designStarting a product company
    7 chapters

  • Shop Talk Live · 52m

    STL INT: Interview with Garrett Wade founder Garry Chinn

    Garry Chinn, founder of Garrett Wade, recounts how a 13-year-old shop class experience inspired him to launch a catalog business in 1975 to supply high-quality hand tools to American woodworkers. Chinn details his early sourcing trips to Europe, where he partnered with Swiss manufacturer Inca and Japanese maker Toshio Odate to bring precision machinery and tools to the US market. He explains how the company evolved from a niche woodworking catalog into a broader retailer of unique home goods, including gardening tools and toys, while maintaining a focus on educational content and functional design.

    Starting a product companySourcing & supply chain
    8 chapters

  • Just Gonna Send It · 1h 01m

    Jake Holland (CEO, HAViK)

    Jake Holland, CEO of HAViK, discusses his journey from a rural upbringing and a 20-year racing career to engineering roles at GE and Hamilton, and finally to founding his outdoor gear company. He details the launch of HAViK's first product, the Blaze knife, including the challenges of packaging iteration and the strategic decision to manufacture in-house using a VF-2 mill. Holland shares advice on transitioning from side hustle to full-time entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of leveraging external manufacturing partners like SendCutSend for raw materials while retaining control over the final assembly and brand growth.

    Starting a product companyDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    7 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.