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.&nbsp;How I Built This&nbsp;is a master-class on innovation, creativity, leadership and how to navigate challenges of all kinds.New episodes release on Mondays and Thursdays.

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Today’s callers: Whitney in Utah  wonders how to bridge the gap between pre-seed and institutional investment for her fitness/retail combo space. Then Chloe in the U.K. considers which markets to target for her at-home crafting kits. And Christy in Washington wants to convert gifters into repeat customers for her coffee flavoring brand.
Plus, Christina’s take on why Milk Bar is better served with her as Chief Experimenter rather than Chief Executive.  
Thank you to the founders of The Beau Collective, Cotton Clara, and Vashon Island Coffee Dust. 
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 the story of how Christina founded Milk Bar from our episode back in 2019.
This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.


You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack.
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Advice Line with Christina Tosi of Milk Bar 

In 2004, German programmer Tobias Lütke was living in Ottawa with his girlfriend.
An avid snowboarder, he wanted to launch an online snowboard shop, but found the e-commerce software available at the time to be clunky and expensive.
So he decided to write his own e-commerce software.
After he launched his online snowboard business, called Snowdevil, other online merchants were so impressed with what he built that they started asking to license Tobi's software to run their own stores.
Tobi and his co-founder realized that software had more potential than snowboards, so they launched the e-commerce platform Shopify in 2006.
Since then, it has grown into a publicly-traded company with over 7,000 employees and $11 billion in revenue.
Timestamps: 

07:20 - Tobi discovers snowboarding–and meets his future wife–on vacation in Canada
11:25 - Building a new kind of snowboarding company
29:35 - Pivot point: skateboards or software?
34:25 - The night before Tobi’s wedding, Shopify switches business models
45:25 - The 2008 financial crisis hits… revealing a huge opportunity 
58:55 - After a decade, Shopify goes public

This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. This archive episode was produced by Katherine Sypher.


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Shopify: Tobias Lütke. How a snowboarder built a $150 billion business (2019)

Entrepreneur, author, and podcaster Tim Ferriss joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Tim shares the inspiration behind his latest venture, Coyote—a 10-minute card game that encourages time spent with friends and family.


First, Lauryn from San Francisco asks about the best way to scale her biodegradable ear plugs in two very different directions. Then Emily from Kansas City weighs whether DTC or wholesale is where to focus her accessory brand after Taylor Swift wore one of her rings and sales exploded. And finally, Kimberly in Woolwich, Maine wonders how to incentivize her customers to pre-order her high-quality, sustainable, clothing. 


Thank you to the founders of GOB, EB & Co, and K. Becker Designs 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 Tim Ferriss’s founding story as told by Tim on the show in 2020. 


This episode was produced by Noor Gill with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.


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.

Advice Line with Tim Ferriss (August 2025)

In 1978, Brian Smith quit his accounting job in Australia and headed to California with a surfboard, some savings, and ambition. He figured California was where he’d find an idea or a product to bring back home to Australia to build a business. A year in, he was still looking.
But then he saw an advertisement in a surfing magazine for Australian sheepskin boots. Uggs were so widespread in Australia at the time, the name was a generic term - like flip flops - not a brand. Brian was immediately stoked: these boots were virtually unknown in America. If he could get ugg boots for sale in the U.S., they would be a huge success! Almost nobody else agreed.
For years, Brian lived on the edge of collapse. He sold boots from the back of his van and worked construction and golf course maintenance jobs to survive. Retailers laughed him out of stores. He lost control of his company twice. At one point, he literally crawled across the floor from stress, ready to walk away forever.
And yet…he kept going.
What followed was one of the most unlikely brand-building stories in modern retail history — involving surf culture, trademark wars, miraculous timing, brutal financing mistakes, and a product the fashion world initially dismissed.
Today, UGG generates more than $2.5 billion a year in sales.
You’ll hear how Brian:

Turned rejection into problems to solve
Discovered marketing insights that changed UGG forever
Survived years of cash-flow disasters
Lost control of the company and regained it a couple of times.
Used surf culture to build an emotional connection with customers
Nearly quit… over and over again…
And how he eventually sold UGG to footwear giant, Decker


Timestamps:

09:51 Brian's eureka moment that led to the birth of UGG
12:41 The first sales trip results in ZERO sales
21:10 The mantra that kept Brian going while doing odd summer jobs to survive
28:32 Brian gets a critical lesson in marketing…from some 12-year-old kids
51:59 Brian’s most effective strategy for retail: the “Six-Pair Stocking Plan”
56:42 On track to regain his ownership - Brian hits a huge snag
01:01:57 A midnight phone call from Australia saves the business
01:11:28 Brian gets the last laugh in the trademark dispute - and acquires a boot factory
01:14:54 Pamela Anderson wears UGGs on the set of Baywatch
01:23:39 A chance meeting in the Atlanta airport leads to a deal to sell UGG


This episode was researched and produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Andrea Bruce.


Follow How I Built This:
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UGG: Brian Smith. How an epiphany, surfers, and $500 launched an iconic sheepskin footwear company.

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.

Advice Line with Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation

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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Justin’s Nut Butter: Justin Gold. He Was Waiting Tables, Then...He Reinvented Peanut Butter.

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.

Advice Line with Sarah LaFleur of M.M. LaFleur

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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NVIDIA: Jensen Huang. From near collapse to becoming the world’s biggest company

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.

Advice Line: New Offerings, Bigger Markets

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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