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Artwork for How I Built This

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy Raz | Wondery
Entrepreneurship
Airbnb
E-Commerce
Covid-19
Business Growth
Amazon
Nike
Unilever
Social Media Marketing
Tatcha
Small Business
American Express
Procter & Gamble
Bombas
Travel
Walmart
Franchising
California
Norma Kamali
Crumbl Cookies

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.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes858Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

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Artwork for How I Built This

Latest Episodes

What do you do when the family business you've spent decades building... gets bought out from under you?

That’s what happened to Nima and Salma Fotovat.

Devastated, the family rebuilt a new company from the ground up. This time they set out with a... more

Today’s callers: Tony in Michigan is considering bringing on partners to run different parts of his brew pub and theater business. Then Monica in London is exploring the best way to reach style-conscious parents with her line of children’s clothes. A... more

Many founders think the hardest thing about business is finding customers.

It's not.

It's surviving success.

When Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan launched a luxury baby linen business, they had no manufacturing experience, no inventory, and barely an... more

Today’s callers: Adrian from California wants to grow his apparel company to complete with big-name athletic brands. Then, Preet from the Rockies looks for strategies to reach seniors and their children with his daily check-in app. And Derek from Vir... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Monica Soni
Founder and Creative Director of Tres London
Tres London
Episode: Advice Line: "Strategy Sessions"
Sarah LaFleur
Founder of MM LaFleur
MM LaFleur
Episode: Advice Line: "Strategy Sessions"
Sandy Dininger
Founder of Brain Buffs
Brain Buffs
Episode: Advice Line: "Strategy Sessions"
Serena Dugan
Co-founder of Serena & Lily
Serena & Lily
Episode: Serena & Lily: Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter. They Built a $20M Brand—Then One Investor Almost Destroyed It
Lily Kanter
Co-founder of Serena & Lily
Serena & Lily
Episode: Serena & Lily: Serena Dugan and Lily Kanter. They Built a $20M Brand—Then One Investor Almost Destroyed It
Chuck Surack
Founder of Sweetwater Sound
Sweetwater Sound
Episode: Sweetwater: Chuck Surack. How a Customer Service Strategy Built a Billion Dollar Online Pro Audio and Music Company.
Curt Richardson
Founder of OtterBox and Blue Ocean
OtterBox, Blue Ocean
Episode: Advice Line with Curt Richardson of OtterBox
Aman Narang
Co-founder and CEO of Toast
Toast
Episode: Toast: Aman Narang. How a Long Wait for the Dinner Check Launched a $2 Billion Business.
Kenneth Cole
Founder of the Kenneth Cole fashion brand
Kenneth Cole Productions
Episode: Advice Line with Kenneth Cole

Host

Guy Raz
Host known for interviewing founders; long-running series focused on founder journeys, branding, and growth.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 42.7k ratings
  • I play wow in the world instead are you the host of wow in the world

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Pokémon cards Acess
    Australiaa month ago
  • Amazing

    You should totally do a Lego, Nintendo or Sony episode

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Book reader 97
    Canada2 months ago
  • Can’t believe YOBEE my favorite products was on!

    I heard Dr. Ruchi speak once before and was hooked to her story. I immediately bought the Yobee scalp mask and cream. I use all the products every day and so does my whole family! She is AMAZING and Yobee is even better. Loved hearing her story again! You are an inspiration Dr. Ruchi!!!

    Audible
    5
    John Maxwell
    United States2 months ago
  • Something I would like to listen to but too badly executed to enjoy

    1. Host interrupts the speaker way too much.

    2. Why is there music playing and stopping throughout? It’s just distracting.

    3. Why do I need to be reminded at regular intervals what the podcast I’m listening to is called and what the hosts name is?

    For the love of God, take a page out of Chris Williamson’s book and learn how to host a podcast.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    No to G-side
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Hi I’m listening to to wow in the world 🌎

    Super good and I’m only 10 years old🤪😜😝

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Harry prince I am not
    Canada3 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show is praised for thoughtful questions and deep-dive interviews with diverse industries.
Guests and host are seen as well-researched and credible, offering real-world insights for startups and marketers.
Some listeners feel the format relies too heavily on advertising or promotional content in certain episodes.
Listeners appreciate the breadth of founder stories and practical takeaways on branding and growth.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Spotify
#32
United States/Business
Apple Podcasts
#52
United States/Business
Apple Podcasts
#26
Canada/Business
Apple Podcasts
#47
United Kingdom/Business
Apple Podcasts
#22
France/Business
Apple Podcasts
#50
Australia/Business

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Advice Line: "Strategy Sessions"
Q: How would you evaluate staying the course as the sole owner of all these different business units versus bringing in partners?
Discusses the pros and cons of equity partners, suggests exploring milestone-based equity with performance-based ownership or using silent partnerships, and considers structuring mini-CEOs for each unit to maintain focus.
Advice Line with Curt Richardson of OtterBox
Q: If you were in Vince's shoes, would you bet on many marketing channels or pick a lane and go deep?
Curt and co-hosts recommend starting with a few four to five channels, then measure and iterate. Focus on understanding who buys the product, test small bets, and expand only where you see measurable impact.
Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (2025)
Q: What are you looking for when considering funding vs. staying independent?
The guests discuss maintaining control, choosing partnerships that add value, evaluating how capital would be used (e.g., packaging and store expansion), and the role of SBA loans or bank financing as viable options.
Advice Line with Jeni Britton of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (2025)
Q: What would you have done differently in the early days of your business?
Jeni explains she would have built a stronger advisory network, including a great attorney and a business advisor, and focused more on communications to ensure the team was aligned on messaging from day one.
Sweetwater: Chuck Surack. How a Customer Service Strategy Built a Billion Dollar Online Pro Audio and Music Company.
Q: How did you transition from musician and studio operator to a full-fledged retailer and dealer network?
The Kurzweil breakthrough and becoming a dealer allowed me to leverage a network of customers and reps. I expanded into higher-end gear for serious musicians, built Sweetwater University to train staff, and focused on value and service over price to scale the business.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About How I Built This

What is How I Built This about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on founder-led storytelling, examining how iconic brands were created and scaled through persistence, experimentation, and smart go-to-market decisions. Episodes frequently explore branding, distribution, partnerships, and operational bets across consumer goods, tech, retail, and services, with real-world examples from franchising to DTC and marketplace strategies. A notable strength is the mix of deep, candid journeys from well-known entrepreneurs and actionable takeaways on building and sustaining growth, brand purpose, and customer experience. Listeners can expect practical lessons on storytelling, product positioning, and navigating capital and partnerships, often illustrated with diverse industry case studies.

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To see how many followers or subscribers How I Built This has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to How I Built This?

These podcasts share a similar audience with How I Built This:

1. Planet Money
2. Freakonomics Radio
3. The Daily
4. Masters of Scale
5. TED Radio Hour

How many episodes of How I Built This are there?

How I Built This launched 10 years ago and published 858 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact How I Built This?

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What guests have appeared on How I Built This?

Recent guests on How I Built This include:

1. Monica Soni
2. Sarah LaFleur
3. Sandy Dininger
4. Serena Dugan
5. Lily Kanter
6. Chuck Surack
7. Curt Richardson
8. Aman Narang

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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