Founder wellbeing
Careers, craft & community
291 episodes across 23 shows cover founder wellbeing. The shows that cover it most are Making It, How I Built This and Embedded.fm. The most recent, from 5 Oct 2026, is “10 Years of How I Built This: A Decade of Innovation, Risk and Reinvention” from How I Built This.
Stress, burnout, mental health, work-life balance and motivation of the people building things.
291 episodes from 23 shows, most relevant and most recent first.
291 episodes
481: It Lost It’s Fun…
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss the intersection of hobbies, content creation, and personal fulfillment. They explore the psychological challenge of justifying hobby time through public content, with Bob detailing…
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…
S6E16 Jake Kennington | Engineer Yourself First, Personal Reflection, & Accepting Change
Jake Kennington, a structural engineer and founder of Human Engineer Coach, discusses his transition from a decade-long engineering career to personal development coaching. He explains the 'Engineer Yourself First' philosophy, using the…
S7E28 Justin Rittenhouse | What Engineering School Doesn’t Teach You About Industry
Justin Rittenhouse, a mechanical engineer and author of 'Secret Keys to a STEM Degree,' discusses the gap between academic training and industry reality. He highlights that while school emphasizes complex math, industry requires project…
HIBT Lab! Burn Rate: Andy Dunn
Andy Dunn, co-founder of Bonobos, discusses his new book, Burn Rate, and his public disclosure of living with bipolar disorder. He details a severe manic episode in 2016 that led to hospitalization and arrest, which occurred while he was…
523: We Didn't Podded
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their recent projects, including Jimmy's sheet metal forming class at Gas Monkey Garage and his go-kart build, David's preparation for an art show featuring a broken walnut cookie…
Rick Steves' Europe: Rick Steves (2021)
Rick Steves, founder of Rick Steves' Europe, explains how he built a $100 million travel business by giving away content for free, starting with self-published guidebooks like 'Europe Through the Back Door' and low-cost minibus tours. He…
425: Burnout Leads to the Dark Side
Keith Hildesheim, Director of Learning and Development at Slolam, discusses the causes, symptoms, and prevention of burnout with hosts Elecia and Christopher White. They explore the distinction between stress and burnout, the importance of…
515: I Heard You Like Spoil boards...
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss the psychological bottlenecks that slow down makers, specifically perfectionism and the fear of catastrophic failure. They share personal anecdotes about Bob's trade show work with…
Ep. 39 - Starting a Hardware Company
Stephen Hawes and Lucian Chapa, founders of Opulo, discuss the realities of starting a hardware company, emphasizing the necessity of accepting failure and overcoming imposter syndrome. They share personal anecdotes about failed projects…
532: Attacked with Ideas
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their recent activities, ranging from David setting up a new shop and Jimmy preparing for a bowling event, to Bob's summer break and recovery from a slump. The core of the episode is a…
Advice Line with Ronnen Harary of Spin Master/PAW Patrol
Ronnen Harary, co-founder of Spin Master, joins Guy Raz to advise early-stage founders on business challenges. He discusses his new book, 'No Experience Necessary,' arguing that one's 20s are the best time to start a business due to unique…
220 - Managing Oneself, Reflections and a New Series on ICH
Host Subhi Saadeh reflects on Peter Drucker’s book 'Managing Oneself' to discuss his career transition from pharma to launching Let’s ComBinate BioWorks. He outlines his learning style, which involves teaching through podcasting, and…
S6E30 Jake Whinnery | Resources for Interviewing & Landing Engineering Jobs
Jake Whinnery, a mechanical engineer at Apple and co-founder of Hardware Is Hard, discusses his journey from internships at Tesla, Relativity Space, and NASA to leading a community resource for 13,000+ engineers. He explains how Hardware…
Advice Line with John Zimmer of Lyft
Lyft co-founder John Zimmer joins Guy Raz to discuss his recent departure from the company he built with Logan Green, his new venture Yes, and the mental health challenges of entrepreneurship. Zimmer provides advice to three early-stage…
490: A Croissant of Rust
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their recent projects, including Jimmy's 'Jimmy's Speedway' go-kart event, David's new corner router table, and Bob's rusting truck bumper. The hosts then explore the 'blessings and…
How I Built Resilience: Morra Aarons-Mele of Women Online
Morra Aarons-Mele, founder of the digital agency Women Online and host of The Anxious Achiever podcast, discusses leading with resilience as an anxious introvert during the pandemic. She explains how her agency pivoted after losing 30% of…
S4E40 Gina Covarrubias | The Engineering Life Coach
Gina Covarrubias, founder of Deliberate Doing LLC, shares her journey from a 12-year career in aerospace engineering to becoming a life coach for technical professionals. She explains how the pursuit of a 'dream job' and reliance on…
526: Maybe It Doesn't Really Matter
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their current projects, including Diresta's El Dorado emblem casting and go-kart build, Clagett's pool house interior and climbing wall, and Picciuto's art show preparations. The…
Diving In with Robert Bogart
Robert Bogart, a former Division I swimmer at the University of Texas and current engineer at Google, joins Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal to discuss the parallels between elite college athletics and raising venture capital. Bogart…
Episode 320: I’m an idiot, help me…
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their experiences with imposter syndrome, sharing personal anecdotes about feeling inadequate when tackling new skills like building a travel trailer, operating a backhoe, or working…
Achieving greater things with Adam Grant
Organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant joins Guy Raz to discuss his book 'Hidden Potential,' arguing that character skills developed early in life are more predictive of success than innate genius. Grant shares frameworks for…
S4E46 Jeff Perry | The Intentional Engineer
Jeff Perry, a leadership and career expert, discusses his book The Intentional Engineer, which guides technical professionals toward purpose-driven careers through mindset shifts and alignment. He explains the concept of moving from…
Ep. 40 - Influential Media
Hosts Steven Hawes and Thea Flowers of Opulo discuss the books, documentaries, and creators that shaped their engineering and entrepreneurial journeys. They highlight Steven's early inspiration from Everett Bradford's flamethrower and…
Live From The HIBT Summit: Cynt Marshall, Chieh Huang, and Sadie Lincoln on Leadership
Cynt Marshall, CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, Chieh Huang, CEO and co-founder of Boxed, and Sadie Lincoln, CEO and co-founder of Barre3, discuss leadership strategies, emphasizing vulnerability, trust, and empathy. Marshall details her…
Episode 308: How are you doing?
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their personal well-being, career sustainability, and the psychological pressures of running a successful maker business. They explore the tension between creative freedom and the…
Advice Line with Angie & Dan Bastian of Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP
Angie and Dan Bastian, co-founders of Angie's Boom Chickapop, join Guy Raz to advise three early-stage founders. They counsel Michelle Pusiteri of Nana Joe's Granola on balancing mission-driven growth with outside investment, Gloria Kulb…
158 - 3 Years Straight of Drug/Device Podcasting, Guarding the Process, and the Future of the Show
Host Subhi Saadeh reflects on three years of consistency in producing the 'Let's Combinate' podcast, drawing analogies to strength training and Robert Greene's 'Mastery' to explain his process-focused approach. He shares a significant life…
472: Sunk Cost Fallacy
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss the psychological hurdles of making physical products, specifically focusing on the 'sunk cost fallacy' and creative burnout. Jimmy details his progress on a 1947 Cadillac/Woody…
Navigating Entrepreneurship and the Stigma of Autism
Peter Mann, founder and CEO of Oransi (now part of Avimore Technologies), discusses his journey as a late-diagnosed autistic entrepreneur and the stigma surrounding the condition. He explains how his bottom-up thinking style and…
468: The Gap
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss the psychological 'gap' between their current abilities and their creative aspirations, exploring how this gap drives motivation or causes paralysis. The hosts share specific project…
Gymboree: Joan Barnes. How Building a Beloved Brand Nearly Destroyed Its Founder
Joan Barnes, founder of Gymboree, explains how a lonely new mom's playgroup evolved into a national franchise and retail brand, detailing the fatal flaws of the early franchise model and the pivot to brick-and-mortar stores. She recounts…
S6E38 Wally Waldron | How to Successfully Exit A Manufacturing or Industrial Services Business
Jason Wally Waldron, founder and CEO of Exitology, explains how technical founders of manufacturing and industrial service companies can prepare for a successful exit by shifting from an operator to an investor mindset. He discusses the…
Founder Feature: Lex Evan of Lexington Bakes
Lex Evan, founder of Lexington Bakes, discusses his transition from a 20-year graphic design career at Johnson & Johnson to creating luxury baked goods with radical ingredient transparency. He explains his trademarked 'no naughty…
Advice Line with Niraj Shah of Wayfair
Wayfair co-founder Niraj Shah joins Guy Raz to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. He advises Valerie of Cookstix on literal product messaging for dehydrated stock, Bree of Daily Shade on using purchase orders and…
506: The Fun is in the Glue Up
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their recent projects, including Jimmy's collapsible fire pit and kitchen island, Bob's sculptural coat rack, and David's pool house roofing struggles. They reflect on the impact of…
#246 - BevNET 101 with John Craven
John Craven, founder and CEO of BevNET, Nosh, and Brewbound, traces the 30-year evolution of CPG media from a 1996 college project to a multi-platform empire. He explains how landmark acquisitions of brands like Snapple and Vitamin Water…
439: Ditches and Psychology
Hosts Elecia White and Chris White discuss personal projects and burnout, with Chris detailing his experience using CircuitPython and the MIKROE 8800 board to run Conway's Game of Life, and Elecia sharing her paper engineering class. They…
458: YouTuber-Y
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss the psychological pressure of being YouTubers and the struggle to balance artistic integrity with algorithmic success. David Picciuto shares his decision to stop wearing a lavalier mic…
Founder Feature: Keya Wingfield of Keya's Snacks
Keya Wingfield, founder of Keya's Snacks, explains how a pandemic pivot from custom desserts to shelf-stable chips launched her brand, leading to a relaunch with professional packaging in 2025. She details the intentional design of her…
457: Horse Poopie Smell
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their current projects, including Diresta's new Log Saul sawmill and barn renovation, Clagett's Goodwill crate restoration, and Picciuto's mystery woodworking video. The conversation…
498: To Consume Stickers
Hosts Elecia White and Christopher White discuss personal projects, including Christopher building a high-frequency GPS logger for a radio-controlled airplane using an ESP32 and Arduino, and Elecia’s journaling habit. They also cover…
HIBT Lab! Stolen Focus: Johann Hari
Author Johann Hari discusses his book 'Stolen Focus,' explaining that the global attention crisis is caused by 12 systemic factors, including tech design, sleep deprivation, and poor diet, rather than just individual willpower. He details…
How I Built Resilience: Live with Kevin Hart
Guy Raz interviews actor, comedian, and entrepreneur Kevin Hart about resilience, racial justice, and his career. Hart discusses his production company, Heartbeat Productions, and his new audiobook, The Decision, which outlines his '11…
338: Working With People Is Terrible
Christopher White, an embedded software engineer and co-host of Embedded.fm, discusses his 25-year career spanning Cisco, the startup Procket, and medical device companies like Reliant Technologies and Sawtooth. He details his work on…
455: Put The Knots In
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss their current projects, including Diresta's restoration of a Ghia, Clagett's construction of a massive CNC-drawn chest of drawers and a horse barn, and Picciuto's walnut bed build. The…
Investor Spotlight: Deborah Benton of Willow Growth Partners
Deborah Benton, Founder and Managing Partner of Willow Growth Partners, discusses her investment philosophy and the realities of building consumer brands, drawing on her operational background with Nasty Gal and ShoeDazzle. She outlines…
Fanatics: Michael Rubin
Michael Rubin, founder and CEO of Fanatics, recounts his journey from a struggling student with undiagnosed ADD to building a $25 billion sports commerce and betting empire. He details his early ventures in ski tuning and closeout…
502: That’s The Perfect Amount of Strangers
Jimmy Diresta, Bob Clagett, and David Picciuto discuss the tension between craftsmanship and commercial reality, specifically the idea that makers often do work they won't get credit for. Bob Clagett shares anecdotes from his prop-making…
STL342: What We Wish We Knew
Bridgid Gruber of Dinkle's Woodshop joins hosts Ben and Amanda to discuss what she would tell her younger self after starting woodworking eight years ago. Gruber, a former engineer turned video editor, shares advice on avoiding niche jigs…