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How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy Raz | Wondery
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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 weeklyEpisodes832Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

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Artwork for How I Built This

Latest Episodes

Today’s callers: Rebecca from Australia wants to make her small-batch spirits stand out in a crowded market. Then, Sri from England wonders how to balance commercial and humanitarian interests for her heated mats. And John from Pennsylvania hopes to ... more

A lot of founders spend their lives chasing one big idea.

Antonio Swad had two.

The first? Migrating chicken wings from the Happy Hour buffet to the center of the plate.

The second? Building a pizza business that catered to a very specific demogra... more

Today’s callers: Michelle from California assesses the trade offs of accepting outside investment to scale her organic granola brand. Then, Gloria from Connecticut wonders how to overcome stigma and get more people talking about her pelvic floor ther... more

Back in the early days of ecommerce, Marc Lore took a classic retail loss leader–diapers– and turned it into a DTC giant– Diapers.com. It did so well that it attracted the attention of Amazon, which slashed prices on its own diapers until Marc was fo... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Steve Ells
Founder of Chipotle
Episode: Advice Line with Steve Ells of Chipotle
Antonio Swad
Founder of Wingstop and Pizza Patron
Wingstop, Pizza Patron
Episode: Wingstop: Antonio Swad. A Brilliant Idea — And a Nail-Biting Exit
Marc Lore
Founder of diapers.com and jet.com
Jet.com (at time of jet.com), diapers.com, later Walmart
Episode: diapers.com: Marc Lore. The ecommerce visionary who lost to Amazon but still made billions (2021)
Victor Garcia
Co-founder of Sol Dias Ice Cream
Sol Dias Ice Cream
Episode: Advice Line with Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie (June 2025)
Lydia Welsh
Founder of Clērstory Skincare
Clērstory Skincare
Episode: Advice Line with Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie (June 2025)
Jack Boland
Founder of Wompy Bags
Wompy Bags
Episode: Advice Line with Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie (June 2025)
Matt O'Hayer
Founder of Vital Farms
Vital Farms
Episode: Vital Farms: Matt O’Hayer. How a serial entrepreneur re-branded the egg
Miguel McKelvey
Co-founder of WeWork
WeWork
Episode: Advice Line: What’s Your Value?
Alexa Hirschfeld
Co-founder of Paperless Post
Paperless Post
Episode: Advice Line: What’s Your Value?

Host

Guy Raz
Guy Raz is an acclaimed journalist and radio host known for his engaging interview style. He specializes in uncovering the personal stories behind successful entrepreneurs and brands, offering deep insights into their journeys. His approach fosters genuine conversations that reveal the complexities of building a business.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 42.5k ratings
  • Inspirational

    A broad range of startup stories, well picked founders of different generations and industries and moderated in a well-researched, gentlemen-like manner. Highly recommended.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    UX1800
    Switzerlanda month ago
  • Just an advertising platform

    Title covers it all. I’ve gone through a good 20 episodes now and this is just marketing. Americans are given to wild optimism and positivity but this is pretty blatant marketeering. The recent Chomps episode is bonkers. Just call it an advertising channel for US based start ups and be done with. It.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    hdhsksr
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Two Favorite People

    The interview with Mark Rober was a dream come true, my son’s two most favorite people, Guy Raz from WOW in the World and Mark Rober!! Amazing!!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    elisedaw19
    United States3 months ago
  • Number of ads is insane

    I’ve been listening to HIBT since it started. The six minutes at the beginning of the show are absolutely diabolical. Wondery, you have entirely lost the plot.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    emendee93
    United States3 months ago
  • Music Unnecesaary

    This would be a great podcast if he didn’t feel the need to add music intros every few minutes. It ruins the conversation. I unfortunately had to stop listening to an interview I was really interested in because it was just so distracting and interruptive. There’s literally no purpose to bringing those in throughout the conversation, just let it flow.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    AbbyHeff
    United States3 months ago

Listeners Say

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

The diversity of guests and their unique journeys are frequently praised, making the content relatable for a wide audience.
Many find the interviews inspiring and informative, providing valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Critiques often mention the distracting background music that can detract from the conversation flow.
Listeners appreciate the engaging storytelling and authentic insights shared by entrepreneurs.
Some feedback highlights the excessive number of ads interrupting the listening experience.

Chart Rankings

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

Spotify
#32
United States/Business
Apple Podcasts
#42
United States/Business
Apple Podcasts
#17
Canada/Business
Apple Podcasts
#46
United Kingdom/Business
Apple Podcasts
#26
Australia/Business
Apple Podcasts
#143
France/Business

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Wingstop: Antonio Swad. A Brilliant Idea — And a Nail-Biting Exit
Q: What lessons did you learn from the Wingstop sale and subsequent litigation about working with investment groups?
He learned the necessity of strict contract language and skilled, experienced lawyers, as well as the dangers of over-promising to investors and the importance of protecting one's own financial stake through precise deal terms.
Wingstop: Antonio Swad. A Brilliant Idea — And a Nail-Biting Exit
Q: How did the Wingstop franchise model evolve from first store to franchising, and what were the financial terms for franchisees early on?
Early franchisees paid a total of $20,000 in combined development and franchise fees, with about $125,000 all-in, and the model relied on franchisees to finance real estate and construction while Swad focused on brand and systems.
Wingstop: Antonio Swad. A Brilliant Idea — And a Nail-Biting Exit
Q: Why did you decide to sell Wingstop after five years of rapid growth?
Swad explains a defining moment at a Dallas Cowboys game where the imagery of 65,000 chickens on every seat haunted him, highlighting ethical concerns and spiritual conflict with selling meat, which contributed to his decision to explore exits and pursue other ventures.
diapers.com: Marc Lore. The ecommerce visionary who lost to Amazon but still made billions (2021)
Q: What were the major challenges Jet faced in its early days?
Raising a large round of funding, building the infrastructure for a scalable e-commerce platform, and proving unit economics without a traditional membership model, while competing against Amazon's pricing and logistics prowess.
diapers.com: Marc Lore. The ecommerce visionary who lost to Amazon but still made billions (2021)
Q: What justified selling to Amazon when there was a higher offer on the table?
Amazon threatened to crush the business and cut prices further; Lore chose to accept the Amazon offer despite a higher bid elsewhere because it aligned with a broader strategic objective and the real risk of ongoing harm, protecting employees and stakeholders.

Audience Metrics

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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?

This podcast features conversations with successful entrepreneurs to explore the journeys behind their iconic brands. Episodes highlight personal stories of doubt, resilience, and creativity, allowing founders to share their insights into the challenges of entrepreneurship. This unique narrative approach not only showcases entrepreneurial successes but also focuses on the less glamorous aspects, such as failures and pivotal moments of growth. The variety of guests, spanning different industries, ensures a broad range of experiences and lessons that can inspire aspiring business owners and those interested in the intricacies of brand-building.

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Which podcasts are similar to How I Built This?

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

1. Freakonomics Radio
2. Planet Money
3. Masters of Scale
4. Founders
5. The Economics of Everyday Things

How many episodes of How I Built This are there?

How I Built This launched 10 years ago and published 832 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on How I Built This?

Recent guests on How I Built This include:

1. Steve Ells
2. Antonio Swad
3. Marc Lore
4. Victor Garcia
5. Lydia Welsh
6. Jack Boland
7. Matt O'Hayer
8. Miguel McKelvey

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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