# Spinbrush: John Osher. The Electric Toothbrush That Sold for $475M

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2026-02-16
- Length: 1h 00m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-02-16-spinbrush-john-osher-the-electric-toothbrush-that-sold-for-475m

## Summary

Serial entrepreneur John Osher, founder of Spinbrush, explains how he leveraged his experience with spinning lollipops to invent a $5 electric toothbrush and sold the company to Procter & Gamble for $475 million. Osher details the critical decision to scrap 400,000 defective units to ensure product reliability and the strategic 'bluff' used to force P&G into an acquisition rather than a licensing deal. He also discusses the pricing psychology learned from his early earring business and the operational challenges of scaling production to compete with Oral-B.

## Chapters

- [1:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-02-16-spinbrush-john-osher-the-electric-toothbrush-that-sold-for-475m#t=94) Introduction: John Osher and Spinbrush
- [4:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-02-16-spinbrush-john-osher-the-electric-toothbrush-that-sold-for-475m#t=297) Early Ventures: Earrings, Commune, and Baby Products
- [19:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-02-16-spinbrush-john-osher-the-electric-toothbrush-that-sold-for-475m#t=1162) Cap Toys, Spin Pops, and the Hasbro Exit
- [30:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-02-16-spinbrush-john-osher-the-electric-toothbrush-that-sold-for-475m#t=1803) Inventing Spinbrush: Design and Pricing Strategy
- [42:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-02-16-spinbrush-john-osher-the-electric-toothbrush-that-sold-for-475m#t=2536) The Defective Batch and Quality Control Decision
- [44:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-02-16-spinbrush-john-osher-the-electric-toothbrush-that-sold-for-475m#t=2690) The P&G Acquisition Bluff and Earnout Negotiation
- [51:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2026-02-16-spinbrush-john-osher-the-electric-toothbrush-that-sold-for-475m#t=3099) Post-Acquisition Challenges and Final Sale

## Topics

- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Growth, exits & acquisitions](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/growth-exits-and-acquisitions)
- [Quality & yield](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/quality-and-yield)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Spinbrush (product)
- Procter & Gamble (company)
- Oral-B (product)
- Hasbro (company)
- Spin Pop (product)
- Gerber (company)
- Walmart (company)
- Church and Dwight (company)
- Gillette (company)
- Crest (product)

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- [#115 Pure Gold Series: Lessons on Iterating from Seth Goldman + Updates on Eat the Change & Just Ice Tea](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2023-11-21-115-pure-gold-series-lessons-on-iterating-from-seth-goldman-updates-on-eat-the-c) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Against All Odds: Overcoming Huge Setbacks to Sell 5 Million Worldwide](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/its-only-a-prototype/2025-05-15-against-all-odds-overcoming-huge-setbacks-to-sell-5-million-worldwide) (It's Only a Prototype)
- [#224 - The Rise of Neuro Gum with Kent Yoshimura](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2025-11-25-224-the-rise-of-neuro-gum-with-kent-yoshimura) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [S1E02 $1k to $25M in 12 years | Dan Kasprzyk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-04-29-s1e02-1k-to-25m-in-12-years-dan-kasprzyk) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

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