Hardware Podcasts
How I Built This podcast cover art

How I Built This

Interviews with entrepreneurs and innovators about how they built their companies, including hardware startups.

876 episodes · 775 hours · since 2016

Visit How I Built This

How I Built This is filed under founder stories, startups, consumer products & cpg, sales & marketing and interviews. Its most recent episode published on , so it is still actively publishing. Listeners have left 29,708 ratings on Apple Podcasts, averaging 4.7 out of 5.

Latest episodes

The 10 newest episodes of How I Built This, each with a summary and chapters.

  • · 1h 16m

    Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Tim and Karrie League (2023)

    Tim and Karrie League, co-founders of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, recount their journey from a failed first theater in Bakersfield to building a national chain in Austin. They detail the operational challenges of combining movie exhibition with full-service dining, including securing liquor licenses and managing complex logistics. The episode covers their strategic expansion, a contentious legal battle with franchise partners that resulted in a merger, and their resilience through the pandemic-induced bankruptcy and subsequent acquisition by Sony Pictures.

    Starting a product companyScaling production
    8 chapters

  • · 44m

    Advice Line with Nick Green of Thrive Market

    Nick Green, co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market, joins Guy Raz to advise three founders: Mercedes Smith of Blackstrad Concert Attire, Danny Walsh of Peak State Coffee, and Riya Jane of Voice Back. Green discusses how Thrive Market uses data and AI to drive product selection and customer experience, while advising Mercedes on balancing quality with speed by focusing on a core product line. He counsels Danny on funding a mission-driven brand without compromising values, suggesting debt or equity from mission-aligned partners, and advises Riya on scaling awareness for her speech-loss app by targeting clinicians and influencers rather than broad ad channels.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceFundraising & investors
    6 chapters

  • · 1h 10m

    10 Years of How I Built This: A Decade of Innovation, Risk and Reinvention

    Guy Raz and Jamie Siminoff, founder of Ring, review highlights from ten years of 'How I Built This,' discussing the emotional and financial struggles of founders like Sam Kalagani of Dogfish Head, Eileen Fisher, and Sarah Blakely of Spanx. They explore the distinction between scary and dangerous decisions, the importance of scrappy experimentation in products like Justin's Nut Butters and Liquid Death, and the psychological toll of fundraising rejections faced by founders of Whole Foods and Airbnb. The conversation emphasizes that failure and doubt are integral parts of building physical products, often requiring founders to persist through cash flow crises and technical failures before achieving market success.

    Starting a product companyFundraising & investors
    16 chapters

  • · 43m

    Advice Line with Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of Ring (2025)

    Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of Ring advise three early-stage founders on scaling physical product businesses. Tannen and Siminoff counsel Melita of Q for Quinn on the trade-offs between bootstrapping and venture capital, emphasizing the preservation of brand vision. They advise Eric of L Cubed Lifestyle to position his UV-protection apparel against sunscreen rather than traditional athleisure, suggesting retail placement in sunscreen aisles. Finally, they help Chris of Knox Provisions identify new use cases for his binoculars, such as sports and festivals, to expand beyond traditional outdoor channels.

    Fundraising & investorsRetail, wholesale & distribution
    5 chapters

  • · 1h 31m

    Seventh Generation: Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender. A Partnership that Flourished—until it Failed. (2021)

    Alan Newman and Jeffrey Hollender, co-founders of Seventh Generation, recount their partnership, which built an eco-friendly household brand from a Vermont catalog into a major retail presence before fracturing in 1992. They discuss the operational challenges of early production, including a software failure with French string bags and manufacturing resistance to recycled toilet paper, and the strategic pivot to retail that led to a $700 million acquisition by Unilever. The episode highlights the bitter fallout of their breakup, including a 'Dear John' letter and subsequent firings, while reflecting on the importance of clear co-founder agreements and complementary leadership styles.

    Starting a product companyLeadership, teams & culture
    6 chapters

  • · 41m

    Advice Line with Danny Meyer of Shake Shack

    Danny Meyer, founder of Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack, joins Guy Raz to advise early-stage founders on scaling physical product businesses. He helps Janelle Bass of Pony Boy Slings design a brand persona for canned cocktails, advises Jade Taylor of Angel Oaks Smokehouse on the risks and logistics of direct-to-consumer salmon shipping, and guides Bar Ruhis of Boost Coos on entering the food service market with high-protein couscous. Meyer also shares insights on building company culture and maintaining resilience during business downturns.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceRetail, wholesale & distribution
    5 chapters

  • · 58m

    Banza: Brian Rudolph. The Chickpea Pasta That Nearly Turned to Mush

    Brian Rudolph, co-founder of Banza, explains how he created the first chickpea pasta after discovering wheat sensitivity, launching the brand with his brother Scott Rudolph. The company scaled from a Detroit apartment to over 25,000 stores by leveraging reality TV exposure on *Restaurant Startup* and securing early retail deals with Italy and Meijer. When initial production runs resulted in mushy pasta, Brian and Scott solved the issue by instructing consumers to 'steep it like tea' rather than boil it. Later, Banza navigated a severe PR crisis involving glyphosate allegations by partnering with the Detox Project to publish transparent test results and rebuild consumer trust.

    Materials & manufacturing processesManufacturing partners & offshoring
    7 chapters

  • · 41m

    Advice Line with Michelle Wahler of Beyond Yoga

    Michelle Wahler, co-founder and former CEO of Beyond Yoga, joins Guy Raz to offer advice to early-stage founders. She discusses the importance of focusing on sustainable growth rather than chasing a massive exit, and shares insights on building a brand through superior materials and emotional storytelling. The episode features calls from founders of Elective Study Abroad, Grace Ann Upholstery, and Sacred Pause Soap Company, who seek guidance on conversion, relationship repair, and digital marketing.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceMarketing & brand
    6 chapters

  • · 48m

    Thrive Causemetics: Karissa Bodnar. How a Beauty Business Made Millions for a Mission

    Karissa Bodnar, founder of Thrive Causemetics, explains how the death of her friend Christy Lamond inspired her to leave L'Oréal and build a beauty brand with a mission to give back to cancer patients and other causes. She details the formulation of specialized false eyelashes and waterproof adhesatives free of toxic ingredients, funding early production through her life savings and a full-time job at Bulletproof while pitching major retailers like Sephora and Nordstrom who rejected the vision. After years of struggling with near-zero sales, a viral moment driven by customer advocacy for her Infinity Waterproof Eyeliner propelled the company to $30 million in revenue, leading to a strategic decision to remain direct-to-consumer and privately held to maintain control and focus.

    Starting a product companyMaterials & manufacturing processes
    8 chapters

  • · 38m

    Advice Line with Kip Tindell of The Container Store

    Guy Raz is joined by Kip Tindell, co-founder of The Container Store, to answer calls from early-stage hardware founders. Juliette Bruce of CoolaWand asks how to build awareness for her reusable cooling wand without ad spend; David Hyam of Hazel Grove Customs seeks advice on scaling his engraved gifts wholesale channel; and Caitlin Kale of Kaomi Sleep wants to turn her viral fitted sheet into a lasting brand. Tindell emphasizes patience, humble growth, and protecting intellectual property.

    Direct-to-consumer & e-commerceRetail, wholesale & distribution
    5 chapters

If you like How I Built This

The Startup CPG Podcast

Founders, buyers and operators of consumer packaged goods brands on co-packers, sourcing, retail buyers, pricing and scaling a physical product on the shelf.

consumer productssales marketing
Visit Website

Catalyst

Latitude Media's weekly interview show on the energy transition, covering the technologies, costs and investment behind clean power, the grid, fuels and decarbonization.

climate energysupply chain
Visit Website

The Manufacturing Executive

Joe Sullivan talks with the leaders driving midsized manufacturers forward, alongside B2B sales and marketing experts, about growth strategy, industrial marketing, and modernising the shop floor.

manufacturingsales marketing
Visit Website

Thoroughly Considered

Dan Provost, Tom Gerhardt, and Myke Hurley on product design, entrepreneurship, and the ups and downs of running a small indie physical-product business.

designconsumer products
Visit Website