# Dude Perfect: Cory Cotton and Tyler Toney

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2021-09-20
- Length: 1h 28m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-20-dude-perfect-cory-cotton-and-tyler-toney

## Summary

Cory Cotton and Tyler Toney, co-founders of the entertainment brand Dude Perfect, recount how a backyard basketball bet at Texas A&M led to their first viral YouTube video. They detail the grueling early years of balancing full-time jobs with weekly cross-Texas drives to film trick shots, culminating in a pivotal moment where Cory’s health broke down from exhaustion. The group eventually quit their day jobs in 2014 to professionalize the business, securing major sponsorships like GMC and Nerf to build a multi-platform media empire.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-20-dude-perfect-cory-cotton-and-tyler-toney#t=0) Introduction: Cory Cotton and Tyler Toney
- [5:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-20-dude-perfect-cory-cotton-and-tyler-toney#t=351) College Origins and First Viral Video
- [35:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-20-dude-perfect-cory-cotton-and-tyler-toney#t=2106) The Stadium Shot and Yahoo Homepage Breakthrough
- [50:53](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-20-dude-perfect-cory-cotton-and-tyler-toney#t=3053) First Sponsorship: The Airplane Shot with GMC
- [1:00:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-20-dude-perfect-cory-cotton-and-tyler-toney#t=3616) The Grind: Day Jobs and Weekly Drives
- [1:06:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-20-dude-perfect-cory-cotton-and-tyler-toney#t=3963) Health Crisis and Quitting Day Jobs
- [1:12:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-20-dude-perfect-cory-cotton-and-tyler-toney#t=4347) Professionalizing Dude Perfect and Scaling
- [1:24:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2021-09-20-dude-perfect-cory-cotton-and-tyler-toney#t=5070) Current Business and Future Ambitions

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Founder wellbeing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/founder-wellbeing)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)

## Most relevant to

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

## Mentioned

- Dude Perfect (product)
- YouTube (company)
- Good Morning America (company)
- GMC (company)
- Nerf (company)
- Texas A&M (company)
- Kyle Field (other)
- iMovie (tool)
- Yahoo (company)
- SportsCenter (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [397: The Gift Curtain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2023-05-05-397-the-gift-curtain) (Making It)
- [170 - Wipes and Weenus Wednesday w/Sean Riley and AJ Peek](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2022-11-30-170-wipes-and-weenus-wednesday-w-sean-riley-and-aj-peek) (People of Packaging)
- [Episode 306: Dude…. perfect](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-05-07-episode-306-dude-perfect) (Making It)
- [376: This one only has four utters](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2022-11-04-376-this-one-only-has-four-utters) (Making It)
- [Afterschool Podcast, Episode 9 - Rusty Meadows (10/21)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/core77-podcast/2013-11-05-afterschool-podcast-episode-9-rusty-meadows-10-21) (Core77 Podcast)

## Citing this page

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