Hardware Podcasts

Melissa & Doug: Melissa And Doug Bernstein (2016)

How I Built This · 5 Feb 2018 · 39m

What this episode covers

Melissa and Doug Bernstein, founders of the toy company Melissa & Doug, recount their journey from quitting high-powered careers to bootstrapping a business that now generates over $350 million in annual revenue. They detail their pivot from failed interactive VHS videos to creating tactile 'fuzzy puzzles' and reinventing wooden toys as an antidote to digital trends. The episode highlights their early struggles with distribution, a major failure with the 'Puzzle World' product line, and their eventual decision to bring in outside investors after 20 years of self-funding.

Most relevant to

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

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Morgan Stanley, Target
Products
Puzzle World, Thomas the Tank Engine, Brio, The Cut Buddy
Also
Shark Tank

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