# CrunchLabs: Mark Rober

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2024-04-15
- Length: 1h 09m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-15-crunchlabs-mark-rober

## Summary

Mark Rober, a former NASA JPL and Apple engineer, explains how his curiosity-driven engineering projects evolved into a massive YouTube channel and the physical product company Crunch Labs. He details the complex engineering behind viral videos, such as the 15-ton Jell-O pool and the glitter bomb, and describes the decision to self-finance Crunch Labs with $3 million to create science subscription boxes. Rober discusses his strategy of using his YouTube channel as a marketing engine for his own IP rather than taking external sponsorships, and his deliberate choice to maintain a small team to preserve creative control and avoid burnout.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-15-crunchlabs-mark-rober#t=0) Introduction: Mark Rober and the Creator Economy
- [5:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-15-crunchlabs-mark-rober#t=354) Early Engineering Mindset and JPL Career
- [13:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-15-crunchlabs-mark-rober#t=800) The iPad Costume and Digital Duds Startup
- [26:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-15-crunchlabs-mark-rober#t=1588) Apple, YouTube, and the Glitter Bomb
- [46:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-15-crunchlabs-mark-rober#t=2816) Engineering the 15-Ton Jell-O Pool
- [54:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-15-crunchlabs-mark-rober#t=3266) Founding Crunch Labs and Subscription Boxes
- [1:00:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-15-crunchlabs-mark-rober#t=3612) Monetization Strategy and Reinvestment

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- NASA (company)
- Apple (company)
- Crunch Labs (company)
- JPL (company)
- Morph Suits (company)
- iPad (product)
- Digital Duds (product)
- Glitter Bomb (product)
- Jell-O (product)
- Vicon motion capture systems (tool)
- Matlab (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S2E41 The Hacksmith | James Hobson](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2021-09-24-s2e41-the-hacksmith-james-hobson) (Being an Engineer)
- [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)
- [S3 E7: Building Bootstrapped Hardware That Sells with Christian Reed](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-builder-circle/2026-01-13-s3-e7-building-bootstrapped-hardware-that-sells-with-christian-reed) (The Builder Circle)
- [397: The Gift Curtain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2023-05-05-397-the-gift-curtain) (Making It)
- [Mike Burroughs (Founder / Creator, Stanceworks)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2026-08-26-mike-burroughs-founder-creator-stanceworks) (Just Gonna Send It)

## Citing this page

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