# PODS & Red Rover: Pete Warhurst

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2022-05-09
- Length: 1h 20m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-09-pods-red-rover-pete-warhurst

## Summary

Pete Warhurst, founder of PODS and Red Rover, recounts his journey from a volunteer firefighter to launching the portable storage industry with PODS, where he engineered a unique hydraulic lift system to solve delivery logistics. After selling PODS for approximately $450 million, he launched Red Rover, a 'fetchable storage' competitor that allows customers to drive the truck themselves to eliminate costly and error-prone delivery services. Warhurst details the capital raising, manufacturing scaling, and regulatory battles faced in both ventures, as well as his personal motivations for starting a second company in his late 60s.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-09-pods-red-rover-pete-warhurst#t=0) Introduction: Pete Warhurst and the Evolution of Storage
- [5:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-09-pods-red-rover-pete-warhurst#t=307) From Firefighter to 911 Systems Entrepreneur
- [28:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-09-pods-red-rover-pete-warhurst#t=1701) Founding PODS: The Box and the Lift System
- [41:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-09-pods-red-rover-pete-warhurst#t=2474) Scaling PODS: Financing, Franchising, and Regulation
- [57:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-09-pods-red-rover-pete-warhurst#t=3422) Selling PODS and Personal Turmoil
- [1:04:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-09-pods-red-rover-pete-warhurst#t=3890) Launching Red Rover: The 'Fetchable Storage' Concept
- [1:14:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2022-05-09-pods-red-rover-pete-warhurst#t=4465) Red Rover's Business Model and Future Growth

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

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

## Mentioned

- PODS (product)
- Red Rover (product)
- U-Haul (company)
- Mayflower (company)
- Econometrics Associates (company)
- Verizon (company)
- Bay News 9 (company)
- Oppenheimer group (company)
- Home Depot (company)
- OSHA (other)

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- [178 - A company started by Packaging Engineers! Dwayne Rainey from Advanced Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-01-10-178-a-company-started-by-packaging-engineers-dwayne-rainey-from-advanced-packagi) (People of Packaging)
- [Founders Feature: Lucy Dana of One Trick Pony](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-11-21-founders-feature-lucy-dana-of-one-trick-pony) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
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- [Selling Your Company and Creating the ‘Netflix of Manufacturing’ with Darrin Mitchell](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-01-11-selling-your-company-and-creating-the-netflix-of-manufacturing-with-darrin-mitch) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

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