# Wondery: Hernan Lopez

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2023-12-11
- Length: 1h 16m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-11-wondery-hernan-lopez

## Summary

Hernan Lopez, former CEO of Fox International Channels, explains how he left a lucrative corporate career in 2016 to found Wondery, a podcast network focused on 'emotionally immersive storytelling.' Lopez details the struggle to raise venture capital in an emerging industry, the pivotal success of the true-crime hit 'Dirty John,' and the strategic decision to reject early acquisition offers to build a library of evergreen IP. He also discusses the company's eventual $300 million sale to Amazon and his personal journey through a federal bribery indictment related to his time at Fox.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-11-wondery-hernan-lopez#t=0) Introduction: Hernan Lopez and Wondery
- [5:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-11-wondery-hernan-lopez#t=330) Lopez's Background and the TiVo Analogy
- [30:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-11-wondery-hernan-lopez#t=1836) Leaving Fox and Struggling to Raise Capital
- [41:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-11-wondery-hernan-lopez#t=2515) Pivot to True Crime with 'Dirty John'
- [47:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-11-wondery-hernan-lopez#t=2872) Rejecting Acquisition Offers and Scaling
- [1:04:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-11-wondery-hernan-lopez#t=3859) Federal Indictment and Legal Battle
- [1:09:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-11-wondery-hernan-lopez#t=4156) Selling to Amazon and Reflections on Luck

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Wondery (company)
- Fox International Channels (company)
- Dirty John (product)
- Amazon (company)
- Gimlet (company)
- Spotify (company)
- Apple Podcasts (product)
- La Times (company)
- Dr. Death (product)
- Gladiator (product)
- American History Tellers (product)
- Business Wars (product)
- Secrets, Crimes, and Audiotape (product)
- How I Built This (product)
- Cereal (product)
- Startup (product)
- Ted Radio Hour (product)
- Greycraft (company)
- Bravo (company)
- Stitcher (company)
- SiriusXM (company)
- The Ringer (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Founder + Funder: Fundraising, Founder-Investor Fit, and Building the Next Big Breakfast Brand with Emily Groden of Evergreen and Brian Bernstein of Rich Products Ventures](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-06-20-founder-funder-fundraising-founder-investor-fit-and-building-the-next-big-breakf) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Jeri Ellsworth and the demise of CastAR](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-05-29-jeri-ellsworth-and-the-demise-of-castar) (The Amp Hour)
- [#77 Making a deal on Shark Tank with wildwonder's Rosa Li](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-01-24-77-making-a-deal-on-shark-tank-with-wildwonders-rosa-li) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#100 Toasting to 100 Episodes of The Startup CPG Podcast with Our Favorite Moments](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-07-25-100-toasting-to-100-episodes-of-the-startup-cpg-podcast-with-our-favorite-moment) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [#80 From turning down Shark Tank offers to raising $2.7 million for Nopalera with Sandra Velasquez](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-02-21-80-from-turning-down-shark-tank-offers-to-raising-2-7-million-for-nopalera-with) (The Startup CPG Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-12-11-wondery-hernan-lopez. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to How I Built This.