Hardware Podcasts

Calm: Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith

How I Built This · 26 May 2025 · 1h 17m

What this episode covers

Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith, co-founders of Calm, recount the journey from their early internet ventures (Firebox, Moshi Monsters) to building the meditation app Calm. They discuss overcoming investor skepticism about monetizing mindfulness, the strategic pivot to 'Sleep Stories' narrated by celebrities like Matthew McConaughey and Harry Styles, and the scrappy user acquisition tactics that drove growth without early VC funding. The episode highlights their decision to step down as CEOs to focus on healthcare expansion via the acquisition of Ripple Health Group.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies and companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Firebox, Mind Candy, Ripple Health Group, United Healthcare
Products
Calm, Moshi Monsters, Perplex City, Million Dollar Homepage, Headspace
Also
Matthew McConaughey, Stephen Fry, Harry Styles, LeBron James

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 37m

    Founder Feature: Daniela Suarez of iCalm

    Daniela Suarez, co-founder of iCalm Health, explains how she developed a high-potency natural stress relief shot after a stress-induced tumor made her realize existing supplements were too weak or tasted terrible. She details the years-long formulation process, including working with a specialized flavorist to mask bitter herbs like magnesium, and discusses their DTC launch strategy via a private Facebook community and e-commerce. Suarez also shares a painful lesson about being scammed by celebrity Chet Hanks, emphasizing the importance of founder community trust and warning against paying upfront for endorsements.

    Validation & product-market fitMaterials & manufacturing processes
    9 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 44m

    #100 Toasting to 100 Episodes of The Startup CPG Podcast with Our Favorite Moments

    Host Jessi Freitag counts down the top 10 moments from 100 episodes of The Startup CPG Podcast, featuring insights from founders like Seth Goldman of Honest Tea, Alexiou Gibson of The Sea Moss Transformation Factory, and Rosa Li of wildwonder. The episode highlights strategic decisions in fundraising, marketing, and product launches, including Sandra Velasquez’s Shark Tank experience with Nopalera and the collaboration between Partake Foods and Ben & Jerry’s. It emphasizes the importance of resilience, storytelling, and direct outreach in scaling consumer brands.

    Crowdfunding & preordersFundraising & investors
    10 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 38m

    #115 Pure Gold Series: Lessons on Iterating from Seth Goldman + Updates on Eat the Change & Just Ice Tea

    Seth Goldman, Co-Founder of Eat the Change and Honest Tea, discusses the rapid scaling of his new beverage brand, Just Ice Tea, which has reached $16 million in gross sales and distribution in over 5,000 stores. He details the strategic decision to discontinue the company's first product, mushroom jerky, due to low velocity, and the subsequent packaging redesign of Cosmic Chews to improve consumer appeal. Goldman also covers the company's recent $14 million raise, the upcoming launch of a canned product line, and his leadership philosophy on mental health support and prioritization during hyper-growth.

    Scaling productionPricing, margins & unit economics
    7 chapters

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 51m

    #79 First Hire Series: Behind the scenes on hiring with Sweet Nothings

    Jake Kneller, CEO and co-founder of Sweet Nothings, and Lucy King, VP of Marketing, discuss the company's hiring trajectory from a two-person garage operation to a 13-person scaling team. They detail the strategic decisions behind their first hires, including Gavin Myers for retail expertise and Lucy for marketing, emphasizing the importance of hiring for a 'no job too small' attitude over pedigree. The episode covers their remote culture, goal-setting frameworks, and the reality of managing early-stage growth with products like Spoonable Smoothie Cups and Nut Butter Bites.

    Hiring & workforceLeadership, teams & culture
    9 chapters

  • The Hardware Entrepreneur · 39m

    #028 - Meet the creators of FitBit for medication, with Peter Havas of PillDrill, USA

    Peter Havas, co-founder and CEO of PillDrill, discusses his journey from a successful food-tech startup to creating a medication management system inspired by the Fitbit. He explains how PillDrill’s design principles of simplicity, flexibility, and dignity address the psychological stigma of medication, while leveraging a direct-to-consumer strategy to gather critical user feedback. Havas also details his reliance on the Brinc accelerator for manufacturing connections in Shenzhen and his philosophy on managing startup risks and investor relationships.

    Starting a product companyIndustrial & consumer product design
    9 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by How I Built This. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.