How I Built This with Guy Raz
Guy Raz interviews the world’s best-known entrepreneurs to learn how they built their iconic brands. In each episode, founders reveal deep, intimate moments of doubt and failure, and share insights on their eventual success. How I Built This is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.New episodes release on Mondays and Thursdays.
Latest Episodes
Today’s callers: Kristina in Ohio looks for avenues beyond organic social media to market her furniture designed for toddlers and parents alike. Then Phil in Michigan considers the best messaging to brew interest in his farm-made cherry vinegar. And Caroline in California scouts new ways to cultivate curiosity around her plant-based dog food.
Plus, Jeffrey discusses the quiet momentum of social businesses as they navigate ‘greenhushing’ and a polarized political climate.
Thank you to the founders of Twenty Five and Pine, Red Truck Orchards, and Petaluma for being a part of our show.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.
And be sure to listen to Seventh Generation’s founding story as told by Jeffrey and his co-founder Alan in 2021.
This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
At 25, Justin Gold was making experimental peanut butter in his home kitchen with a food processor and a stack of recipe journals. His singular obsession: bring new life to a tired lunchtime staple.
What started as late-night experiments with honey, cinnamon and banana eventually became Justin's — one of the most influential natural food brands of the last two decades.
At first, Justin got rejected by most grocery stores he approached. He worked overnight in a shared industrial kitchen, hand-filling jars one at a time. He couldn’t get a distributor, so he stocked the shelves at the Boulder Whole Foods himself.
And when growth stalled… he had an idea during a mountain bike ride that would transform the company: What if peanut butter came in a squeeze pack?
In this episode, Justin explains how relentless experimentation and stubbornness helped him build a category-defining brand — and how, with each entrepreneurial milestone, an even more challenging one emerged.
YOU’LL LEARN:
- How Justin reverse-engineered flavored peanut butter in his apartment
- How launching in Boulder gave him a big advantage
- How he learned when to listen to feedback, and when to ignore it
- The deal he made with Whole Foods: “I’ll stock the shelves myself.”
- How the squeeze pack transformed the business, and why it almost didn’t work
- The power of naïve persistence in entrepreneurship
Timestamps:
- 00:09:35 — The obsessive recipe experiments that became Justin’s edge
- 00:16:25 — Getting support from Boulder’s startup food community
- 00:21:28 — Raising $35,000– and shocking his family: “I wanna make peanut butter!”
- 00:42:51 — The farmers market feedback that changed the product line
- 00:46:56 — Justin talks his way into the first Whole Foods
- 00:51:47 — Justin’s gets into more stores, but sales start to stagnate
- 00:53:35 — The mountain bike ride that sparked the squeeze-pack idea
- 01:19:43 — The brand gets sold, Justin gets fired…and invited back
This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.
Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.
Follow How I Built This:
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Today’s callers: David from New Jersey struggles with self-doubt as he works to grow his muscle-scraping soap brand. Then, Marnie from Australia wants to convince customers that her colorful tick-repellent socks are worth the premium price. And David from New York wants his company to end the practice of throwing away burned out candles.
Plus, Sarah recounts rebuilding her brand in the wake of the pandemic and the changing fashion preferences of professional women.
Thank you to the founders of Sorsoap, Tick Socks, and Siblings for being a part of our show.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.
And be sure to listen to M.M. LaFleur’s founding story as told by Sarah on the show in 2020.
This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
NVIDIA is one of the most valuable companies in human history. Its chips run the AI systems transforming everything from entertainment to warfare. But for years, almost nobody believed in co-founder Jensen Huang’s vision. Jensen spent nearly a decade pouring billions into a technology called CUDA, long before AI made it profitable.
In this deeply personal conversation, Jensen tells Guy why NVIDIA’s very first chip was a catastrophic failure … and how at one point, the company was 30 days away from going out of business.
Jensen also explains why he thinks fears about AI are overblown, and why he believes the next generation will have more opportunity — not less — because of AI.
What You’ll Learn:
- Why NVIDIA nearly collapsed before becoming an AI giant
- How researchers sparked the AI boom using NVIDIA gaming chips
- How to lead through uncertainty when a huge bet hasn’t yet paid off
- How Jensen approaches hard decisions like an engineer
- We’re “doing ourselves a disservice” by being afraid: Jensen on AI and job loss
- How Jensen defends his demanding management style
- Why past failures still haunt him
Key Moments From the Interview:
- 00:07:51 — Jensen Huang’s childhood at an unusual Kentucky boarding school
- 00:14:50 — Why Jensen left a stable career to help start NVIDIA
- 00:17:14 — NVIDIA’s first failure: the NV1 disaster
- 00:19:51 — The desperate trip to Japan that gave the company a lifeline
- 00:23:11 — “The only idea we had” for prototyping: the emulator Hail Mary
- 00:30:53 — The book that shaped Jensen’s thinking about innovation
- 00:35:04 — Why NVIDIA kept investing in CUDA while Wall Street lost faith
- 00:41:38 — The moment AI researchers discovered the power of NVIDIA’s chips
- 00:53:17 — Jensen on fear of job loss from AI, and why America risks falling behind
- 01:01:56 — Knowing what he knows now, would he do it again? Yes — and no
This episode was researched and produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.
Follow How I Built This:
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Facebook → How I Built This
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Today’s callers: Kristina in Florida wants to take her local pottery workshops nationwide. Then Jim from Colorado wonders if retail is right for his quick release camera straps. And Will in Ohio hopes his business will change what consumers expect from tool rental services.
Thank you to the founders of Seagrass Pottery, Lemur Strap and Tool Club for being a part of our show.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.
And be sure to listen to our episodes with Chieh Huang of Boxed, Hernan Lopez of Wondery and David Neeleman of Jet Blue.
This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
John Gabbert built a massive furniture brand. But in order to do it, he had to defy his family.
John grew up working at his dad’s furniture store in the suburbs of Minneapolis. It sold classic, American-made furniture, with flowery prints and curved legs. But in 1972, John took a life-changing trip to Sweden, where he discovered an obscure store called IKEA. It was selling an entirely different type of furniture: simple, modern, and inexpensive, with a manufacturing process they controlled. To John, it looked like the future of furniture. The only problem, his dad didn’t agree.
That disagreement led to a 10-year family rift—but also a new business.
In 1980—zafter a deal to buy out his dad broke down—John spun out his own furniture brand, Room & Board. Today, it sells hundreds of millions of dollars of furniture in its own classic designs, mostly made by small American manufacturers.
This is the story of how John did it, without outside investors, and without chasing growth for growth’s sake.
What You’ll Learn
Why the right thing for your business might be the hardest thing for your family
How John connected with young boomers—not their parents
The key to long-term success: growing slow and saying “no”
Why John refused private equity money
Why Room & Board transitioned to employee ownership
Timestamps:
00:06:10 - Gabberts: flowery furniture in a fake living room
00:09:41 - Becoming president of the family business at age 23
00:13:33 - A fateful trip to IKEA in Sweden: “That's what the future needed to be”
00:18:36 - John tries to buy out the family business… until his dad backs out
00:35:47 - Design inspiration from modern art—and steel frames
00:46:38 - Why making furniture in America makes sense
00:55:27 - Investors come to call… and John says no
01:01:48 - The decision that transferred ownership to employees
This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Rommel Wood. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Kwesi Lee.
Follow How I Built This:
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X → @HowIBuiltThis
Facebook → How I Built This
Follow Guy Raz:
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Today’s callers: Anthony from Miami considers the best method to grow his pop-up outdoor movie theater business. Then Andrew in San Francisco asks how to set his cat wrestling toy apart from competitors. Finally, Melissa in Massachusetts seeks strategies for getting busy parents excited about her healthy frozen muffins.
Plus, Jonah shares what’s next for Buzzfeed as the company marks 20 years of business.
Thank you to the founders of Motion Flix, CATSUMO, and Unrefined Foods for joining us on the show.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.
And be sure to listen to Buzzfeed’s founding story as told by Jonah on the show in 2017.
This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Gregg Renfrew started a movement by making better-for-you cosmetics, then enlisted an army of women to build the business through direct sales. But after selling Beautycounter, she was pushed out of the company she created.
Then she got to do something almost no founder gets to do:
She bought her company back. Then lost it again. Then took the risky step of rebuilding it into a new brand, now called Counter.
This is a story about ambition, humility, and second chances.
Gregg learned her first lessons by launching an early online wedding registry and selling it to Martha Stewart. She briefly led a clothing company and was summarily fired—by messenger.
In this candid conversation, Gregg talks about the bold innovation she brought to the beauty industry, and the lessons she learned from working with difficult people—including, at times, herself.
What You’ll Learn:
How to build a movement—not just a product
The hidden risks of “growth at all costs”
Why direct sales (done right) can outperform traditional DTC
The emotional toll of being fired from your own company
How to rebuild your identity after losing your business
What it takes to come back—and do it differently the second time
Timestamps:
(00:06:15) – Selling Xerox machines and getting doors slammed in her face
(00:08:09) – The early inspiration for an online wedding registry.
(00:16:44) – The brutal lesson of the dot-com crash: “growth at all costs”
(00:21:58) – Standing up to Martha Stewart: “I was cocky.”
(00:23:51) – Getting fired as CEO… by messenger… in front of her team
(00:32:47) – The moment she realized the beauty industry had a massive gap
(00:35:25) – “Clean beauty didn’t exist”—and why that made it so hard
(00:47:04) – Building a 60,000-person sales force, scaling to hundreds of millions in sales
(00:46:40) – Selling Beautycounter for $1B… and losing control months later
(01:00:13) – The emotional aftermath of being pushed out—and what came next
This episode was produced by John Isabella with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Noor Gill. Our engineers were Patrick Murray and Jimmy Keeley.
Follow How I Built This:
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Facebook → How I Built This
Follow Guy Raz:
Instagram → @guy.raz
Today’s callers: Barbara in Massachusetts wonders how her nutrition education theater company might live on past her own involvement. Then Jeff in Illinois looks to carry the momentum from his Ninja Warrior-inspired gyms to form a professional league around the sport. And Vince in Virginia weighs the risks from introducing new SKUs for his men’s organic underwear brand.
Plus, David breaks down the resource management necessary to keep an airline aloft as rising fuel prices grip the industry.
Thank you to the founders of FoodPlay Productions, Ultimate Ninjas, and Gotchies for being a part of our show.
If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.
And be sure to listen to JetBlue’s founding story as told by David in 2019.
This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Kwesi Lee.
You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In the late 1990s, Shep and Ian Murray looked at a shrinking category–men’s ties–and saw an opportunity: a necktie isn’t just functional. It’s expressive. It can signal identity, taste, aspiration.
With no fashion experience and no outside investors, the Murray brothers started making colorful ties inspired by their childhoods in Martha’s Vineyard — tiny whales, sailboats, island street signs. What began as a small, improbable tie business grew into Vineyard Vines: a half-billion-dollar lifestyle brand with more than 100 stores and major department store distribution.
In this episode, Shep and Ian talk about why they quit their stable jobs to turn a sleepy product into a national brand, which began as a family business and remains so to this day.
What you’ll learn:
- Why a great business can start in a category that everyone thinks is dying
- How to build distribution when you have no roadmap and few connections
- What bootstrapping teaches founders that outside capital often doesn’t
- How improvised marketing can create outsized attention
- Knowing the difference between a fashion brand and a “brand” brand
Timestamps:
- 00:10:22 - The brothers both hate their desk jobs: “How was your day?” “It sucked.”
- 00:11:20 - Vineyard Vines starts on a family trip, with a nudge from a hotel manager
- 00:13:46 - Early designs: whales, fish, jeeps, street signs
- 00:25:39 - Finally quitting their jobs– they’re thrilled, their parents–not so much
- 00:30:42 - Landing their first order for $1800. “We’re never gonna have to work anymore!”
- 00:34:40 - The brand gets a boost from a PR stunt during the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal
- 00:47:00 - The “Get to $5 million” mentor advice that kept them focused
- 00:49:23 - The brothers open their first store - and realize they have a lot to learn
- 01:01:18 - The 2008 financial crisis, and the brutal inventory decisions that help save the business
- 01:09:06 - Why stepping back from the CEO role didn’t work — and what it taught them about brand culture
This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research help from Casey Herman.
Follow How I Built This:
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Facebook → How I Built This
Follow Guy Raz:
Instagram → @guy.raz