Advice Line with Tim Ferriss

How I Built This · 28 Aug 2025 · 46m

What this episode covers

Tim Ferriss joins Guy Raz to advise three early-stage founders on scaling challenges. Lauren Menard of GOB discusses scaling biodegradable mycelium earplugs across music venues and DTC sleep markets. Emily of EB & Co weighs the growth of wholesale orders against her dominant brick-and-mortar revenue after a viral Taylor Swift moment. Kimberly Becker of K. Becker Designs explores shifting her sustainable clothing brand from inventory to a pre-order model to reduce waste.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 34m

    Founder Feature: Max Luthy of Plink!

    Max Luthy, co-founder of Plink!, discusses scaling his fizzy electrolyte tablet brand from concept to a launch in 1,100 CVS locations. He explains how the company pivoted its value proposition from sustainability to daily hydration, refined its flavor formulation to be less sweet, and optimized its e-commerce conversion rate by switching checkout platforms. Luthy also shares insights on navigating retail category placement and managing the operational challenges of rapid demand growth.

  • Thoroughly Considered · 1h 01m

    92: We’ve Hit Our Ceiling

    Tom Gerhardt and Dan Provost of Studio Neat discuss hitting their growth ceiling as a two-person DIY company and their strategic pivot to hire staff and build systems for sales, marketing, and logistics in 2023. They outline plans to expand revenue through B2B custom sales, affiliate programs, and improved e-commerce infrastructure, while Dan Provost’s Tech Corner evaluates large monitors like the Dell 49-inch and Apple Studio Display for creative workflows.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 33m

    #232 - 2026 Brand Resolutions

    Host Daniel Scharff interviews Rebecca Styn of Blind Tiger Spirit Free Cocktails, Dava Guthmiller of A Dash of, and Andrew Schundler of CH Matcha about their 2026 brand resolutions. Rebecca resolves to eliminate noise by saying no to unaligned opportunities like expensive celebrity gifting, focusing instead on strategic regional growth. Dava aims to step into the spotlight by sharing her personal story and passion for salt terroir to build authenticity, rather than just curating others' products. Andrew plans to double down on retail execution and in-person tastings for his canned matcha brand, learning from early data to avoid stretching the business too thin.

  • The Startup CPG Podcast · 44m

    #258 - How Dossier Disrupted the Fragrance Industry

    Sergio Tache, co-founder of Dossier, explains how the fragrance brand grew from a Brooklyn basement to $150 million in sales and a successful exit by leveraging high-margin 'impressions' of luxury scents sold at affordable prices. He details the DTC strategy of using a single bottle design to manage unit economics and the brutal cash flow shocks encountered when scaling into wholesale partners like Walmart and Target. Tache also discusses the operational challenges of transitioning from online-only to retail, including a complex packaging redesign and the critical importance of supplier relationships during financial crises.

  • Thoroughly Considered · 42m

    59: I’ve Always Wanted to Do a Bleep

    Dan Provost and Tom Gerhardt of Studio Neat discuss the challenges of running a small physical product business during the early pandemic, including their upcoming Kickstarter launch and the importance of diversifying revenue streams beyond advertising. Myke Hurley of Relay FM shares how his podcast network is adapting to economic uncertainty by expanding membership models and creating new content like 'Dithering'. The hosts also engage in a detailed debate about the industrial design compromises of Apple's Magic Mouse and the original Apple Pencil, analyzing how resource allocation and form factor constraints lead to controversial design choices.

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.