# Exploding Kittens: Elan Lee. How cat-themed Russian Roulette changed game night forever

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2025-12-22
- Length: 1h 27m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo

## Summary

Elan Lee, co-founder of Exploding Kittens, recounts how a card game born from a Sharpie and a deck of cards became a global phenomenon, raising nearly $9 million on Kickstarter. Lee details the company's evolution from a garage startup to a scaling business, navigating manufacturing crises, the dread of being a 'one-hit wonder,' and securing investment from The Churning Group and Asmodee to expand into IP and international markets. He emphasizes treating fans as collaborators and using interactive storytelling to build a cult-like audience, ultimately finding stability with the hit game Throw Throw Burrito.

## Chapters

- [2:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo#t=176) Introduction: Elan Lee and Exploding Kittens
- [8:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo#t=505) Elan Lee's Career: Microsoft, Halo, and The Beast
- [28:09](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo#t=1689) The Origin of Exploding Kittens in Hawaii
- [39:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo#t=2360) The Record-Breaking Kickstarter Campaign
- [45:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo#t=2742) Manufacturing Crisis and Retail Expansion
- [50:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo#t=3049) Marketing Genius: The Vending Machine and Flops
- [1:02:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo#t=3752) Finding Stability with Throw Throw Burrito
- [1:06:04](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo#t=3964) Investment, IP Expansion, and Company Mantra

## Topics

- [Crowdfunding & preorders](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/crowdfunding)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Fundraising & investors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/fundraising)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Exploding Kittens (product)
- Kickstarter (tool)
- Microsoft (company)
- Halo (product)
- The Beast (product)
- 42 Entertainment (company)
- Matt Inman (other)
- The Oatmeal (product)
- Throw Throw Burrito (product)
- The Churning Group (company)
- Asmodee (company)
- Cards Against Humanity (company)
- Netflix (company)

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- [085: Scaling Your Product Up After Crowdfunding](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2021-07-21-085-scaling-your-product-up-after-crowdfunding) (Product Startup)
- [#75 Behind the Scenes of Equity Crowdfunding with tbh (+ Popadelics)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-01-10-75-behind-the-scenes-of-equity-crowdfunding-with-tbh-popadelics) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [25: Q&A](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/thoroughly-considered/2017-03-30-25-q-a) (Thoroughly Considered)
- [Turning Customers Into Investors: A Popcorn Brand's Crowdfunding Playbook](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-09-05-turning-customers-into-investors-a-popcorn-brands-crowdfunding-playbook) (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/2025-12-22-exploding-kittens-elan-lee-how-cat-themed-russian-roulette-changed-game-night-fo. 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.