# Atari & Chuck E. Cheese's: Nolan Bushnell (2017)

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2018-03-26
- Length: 49m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-03-26-atari-chuck-e-cheeses-nolan-bushnell-2017

## Summary

Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese, recounts building Atari from a $500 garage startup to a public company, detailing the pivot from arcade games to the home console with the Pong unit sold to Sears. He explains how he later created Chuck E. Cheese by combining pizza with animatronic entertainment to capture family spending, eventually franchising the chain to 280 locations. Bushnell also reflects on his tenure at Warner Communications, the cultural clash that led to his firing, and his philosophy on failure and continuous learning.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-03-26-atari-chuck-e-cheeses-nolan-bushnell-2017#t=0) Introduction: Nolan Bushnell and the Origins of Atari
- [2:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-03-26-atari-chuck-e-cheeses-nolan-bushnell-2017#t=163) Early Lessons and the Birth of Atari
- [10:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-03-26-atari-chuck-e-cheeses-nolan-bushnell-2017#t=600) Pong's Success and the Sears Deal
- [22:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-03-26-atari-chuck-e-cheeses-nolan-bushnell-2017#t=1333) Scaling Production and Financing with Sears Bank
- [25:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-03-26-atari-chuck-e-cheeses-nolan-bushnell-2017#t=1558) The Atari Console and Silicon Valley Culture
- [32:17](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-03-26-atari-chuck-e-cheeses-nolan-bushnell-2017#t=1937) Warner Communications Acquisition and Cultural Clash
- [35:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-03-26-atari-chuck-e-cheeses-nolan-bushnell-2017#t=2148) Creating Chuck E. Cheese and Franchising
- [43:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2018-03-26-atari-chuck-e-cheeses-nolan-bushnell-2017#t=2606) Lessons on Failure and Future Ventures

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, companies scaling up, large enterprises

## Mentioned

- Atari (company)
- Chuck E. Cheese's (company)
- Sears (company)
- Warner Communications (company)
- Pong (product)
- Space War (product)
- Brain Rush (company)
- H2OPS (company)
- Steve Jobs (other)
- Steve Wozniak (other)
- Ted Dabney (other)
- Al Alcorn (other)
- Nutting Associates (company)
- Bally (company)
- Ampex (company)

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- [Arduino's Invisible Touch with Massimo Banzi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-17-arduinos-invisible-touch-with-massimo-banzi) (The Amp Hour)
- [Founder Feature: Sean Knecht of Tantos!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-05-08-founder-feature-sean-knecht-of-tantos) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [An Interview with Chuck Peddle (Repeat, in memoriam)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-12-30-an-interview-with-chuck-peddle-repeat-in-memoriam) (The Amp Hour)
- [Stan Bentley | Starting an Engineering Business, Day Care, & Powdercoating](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-09-16-stan-bentley-starting-an-engineering-business-day-care-powdercoating) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

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