How I Built This with Guy Raz

When Hernan Lopez founded Wondery in 2016, podcasts were just starting to go mainstream. Five years later, his team had scored a number of hit shows and sold to Amazon for a reported $300 million. Not bad for an immigrant from Argentina who moved to the U.S. in his late 20s with “terrible” English skills.  Before launching Wondery, Hernan worked his way up in television, eventually becoming CEO of Fox International Channels. But despite his experience and connections, he struggled to attract investors and break through in an emerging industry. After the success of shows like Dirty John, Wondery began to take off, and today it’s one of the largest podcast networks in the world, with hundreds of shows in comedy, crime, sports, history and business—including this one! This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andrew Lacy is the co-founder and CEO of Prenuvo, a company offering full body scans that have the potential to detect disease early and before symptoms. When Andrew was introduced to radiologist Rajpaul Attariwala, he had already built and sold two tech companies. So after stepping out of Attariwala’s MRI machine, Andrew saw the same opportunity he’d seen years earlier in the iPhone… This week on How I Built This Lab, how Prenuvo is working to change the health care industry one scan at a time. Plus, Andrew responds to medical establishment criticism and outlines the problems in health care that Prenuvo helps solve.  This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 2010, a tragic personal event changed the trajectory of Nancy Twine's life. Suddenly, her promising job at Goldman Sachs no longer seemed fulfilling; she wanted something more.Drawing inspiration from the homemade hair treatments she once made with her mom, Nancy created a line of shampoos and conditioners that catered to all textures of hair without using harmful additives. But as a Black entrepreneur pitching beauty products to white, male investors, she had a tough time raising money.Finally, in 2013, with an investment of $100K, Nancy launched Briogeo and eventually landed it in Sephora. Today the company’s sales revenue is $100M a year.This episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Daryth Gales. Our audio engineer was Josh Newell.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Collaboration is the new competition: that was French entrepreneur Lucie Basch’s philosophy when she approached a group of Danish founders who happened to be working on a similar food waste reduction app. Before long, Lucie and her new co-founders joined forces to create Too Good To Go, an app that enables restaurants and grocery stores to sell leftover items in ‘surprise bags’ at a significantly reduced price. Since launching in 2016, Too Good To Go has raised over $30 million dollars and has expanded to 17 countries, including the U.S.This week on How I Built This Lab, Lucie talks with Guy about her company’s work to leverage the ‘horizontal power’ of consumers to collectively chip away at global food waste. She also discusses the emergence of social enterprises like hers, that fill the gap between charitable and purely profit-driven organizations.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by John Isabella, with research help from Lauren Landau Einhorn.Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Ted Xenohristos and two childhood friends opened their first sit-down Greek restaurant in 2006, they had no idea it would eventually grow into CAVA, a sprawling national chain that serves stuffed pita sandwiches and salads. Raised by Greek immigrants, the three founders understood how to make great food, but were rookies at running a restaurant–maxing out their credit cards, and learning the hard way that you should never write dinner orders on sticky-notes. As the restaurant tried to raise its profile by selling its hummus and tzatziki to grocery stores, it continued to lose money. But eventually the founders decided to hire Brett Schulman as their boss. Brett had invaluable experience in the snack food industry, and predicted that CAVA’s Mediterranean cooking would take off among health-conscious diners. He was right. Today, CAVA is a publicly-traded company with over 280 restaurants across the country.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei and Sam Paulson.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Rommel Wood.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Waymo Co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov is convinced that his company’s vehicles are better at driving than any human. Dmitri has spent thousands of hours riding in them, and recently Guy had the chance to try one out as well...This week on How I Built This Lab, Dmitri recounts the decade-plus journey of building Waymo into the world’s first company to operate a fully-autonomous ride hailing service. Plus, how Waymo’s approach differs from Tesla’s, and Dmitri’s take on when we’ll see more AV’s on the roads than human-driven cars (spoiler: sooner than you may think!)This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Chris Maccini. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Michael Preysman founded Everlane, he knew nothing about fashion–he just wanted to see if he could build an online platform that would generate buzz around anything. He started with a cotton T-shirt, and taught himself every stage of production, from sourcing the fabric, to cutting, dyeing, and finishing. When Michael realized that some luxury brands charged as much as seven times the actual cost of a T-shirt, he decided to sell his for $15, and soon caused a stir by telling the world exactly what it cost to make. Eventually the brand shifted its focus to sustainability and social responsibility, a strategy that invited harsh criticism, especially during the Covid era. Today, Everlane is a multi-million dollar business that has expanded to sweaters, denim, outerwear, and accessories.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard, with music by Ramtin ArabloueiEdited by Neva Grant, with research help from Sam Paulson.Our audio engineer was Gilly Moon.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When it comes to carbon emissions, there’s a major culprit you might not have heard about: cement. The production of cement emits almost as much carbon dioxide as cars do - but Brimstone CEO and co-founder Cody Finke says they’ve found a way to change that.This week on How I Built This Lab, Cody explains where all that carbon dioxide is coming from, and how swapping out a key ingredient in the production of cement could take it from carbon-intensive … to carbon-negative.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from J.C. Howard. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shea Serrano and Jason Concepcion are back! And this time they’re combing through all the NBA news from the past week and handing out six pop culture-themed trophies to six basketball-related activities. Every week, superlatives will reign down on basketball culture like Steph Curry threes when Jason and Shea dish out hoops honors like they’re Stockton to Malone running a pick & roll. Was that too many analogies for one sentence? Hell yes, but get used to it!On this new NBA pop culture show from Wondery, the guys will honor the most magical and messy moments from the NBA and beyond by handing out hardware like  “The Step Brothers Catalina Wine Mixer” Trophy for the matchup they’re most excited about. Or “The Liam Neeson ‘I Have a Very Particular Set of Skills’ Trophy given to an aging player who proves they still got it. And on and on. Till the break of dawn.Enjoy Six Trophies with Shea Serrano and Jason Concepcion wherever you get your podcasts: Wondery.fm/SIX See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Priority Bicycles founder Dave Weiner quit his job as a software CEO to pursue a risky idea: building a new kind of bike. In 2014, he started sourcing parts to make his first low-maintenance model, with a rust-proof aluminum frame and a carbon fiber belt drive instead of a chain. Dave was able to keep costs down by selling DTC, but had to scramble to meet demand when his first Kickstarter campaign yielded 1500 orders. From there, Priority pedaled forward steadily, adding new models, and partnering with hotels to provide low-maintenance bikes for guests. Today, after weathering the extreme whiplash of Covid and a debilitating bike accident, Dave is optimistic that Priority will keep growing, with 25 current models and sales of roughly 25,000 bikes a year.This episode was produced by Josh Lash with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Carla Esteves .Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Steve Ells changed the restaurant industry once when he founded Chipotle in 1993. His idea for fast, freshly prepared food became the model for today’s “fast casual” format. It’s a story he told when he was first on the show back in 2017. Now, he hopes to revolutionize the industry again with a new chain of small, highly automated, vegan restaurants called Kernel. This week on How I Built This Lab, Steve Ells returns to reflect on stepping away from the company he spent decades building and how his concern for climate change inspired his new restaurant concept. Plus, how he thinks that robotic restaurants could be good for workers, customers, owners and the environment. This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Casey Herman. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kona Ice founder Tony Lamb had a knack for sales since he was a teenager - a skill that served him well when he decided to sell Hawaiian-style shaved ice in Kentucky, where people had barely heard of it. After thirteen successful years as a vacuum cleaner salesman, Tony launched his first shaved ice truck in 2007. Fueled by a bad experience buying freezer-burned popsicles off a battered ice cream truck, he built a custom-made vehicle with a tropical vibe and a built-in “Flavorwave” that let customers dispense their own syrups. Two decades after surrendering his salesman’s suit for a Hawaiian shirt, Tony has grown Kona Ice into a sprawling franchise with 1500 trucks across North America.This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Katherine Sypher.Our engineers were Ko Takasugi-Czernowin and Robert Rodriguez.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How does a brand live on after its founders leave the company – especially one that was inspired by their family and their culture? That’s the question Vincent and Andrew Kitirattragarn have had to answer since their original appearance on How I Built This in January 2022. This week on How I Built This Lab, Vincent and Andrew share their aspirations for Dang Foods after a difficult and heartfelt departure. Plus, how they navigated changes in consumer demand post-pandemic and the resources that helped buoy their mental health in the face of consequential entrepreneurial decisions.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Carla Esteves. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rob Kalin founded Etsy for people like him: makers and hobbyists. In 2005, he was kicking around New York trying to find buyers for his hand-made furniture, when he noticed that other craftspeople had the same need. So he and a few friends built a website where makers could sell a wide range of goods. Rob named it after an Italian phrase he heard in a Fellini film, and within three years, Etsy passed $10 million in sales. But as a young founder, Rob struggled to manage the rapidly-growing company; and in 2011, after being fired without warning, he returned to a quieter life as a maker and small-businessman. Meanwhile, Etsy has become one of the most popular online marketplaces in the world, with $2.5 billion in revenue.This episode was produced by Kerry Thompson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Sam Paulson.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luther.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The past few years have challenged Whitney Wolfe Herd like never before. The Bumble CEO kept the company afloat as the pandemic halted in-person meetups, then became the youngest female founder ever to take a company public...all while in the throes of first-time motherhood! This week on How I Built This Lab, Whitney offers perspective on leading and learning in extraordinary times. Plus, how social media may be fueling a loneliness epidemic and Whitney’s current obsession: harnessing the power of artificial intelligence in the name of love. And check out Bumble’s origin story told in October 2017.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan were only college students when they created Sir Kensington’s, a $140-million-dollar condiment brand – with a backstory that’s completely made up.These days, it seems like every brand – every start-up – is trying to tell a story about its authentic and humble beginnings. Scott and Mark went in the opposite direction when they had the idea to create a gourmet ketchup in 2008. They wanted to take on a juggernaut: Heinz. So, to stand out, they told a story about their ketchup that differentiated it from Heinz in every way. Sir Kensington was a fictional luminary of imperial Britain who invented his eponymous ketchup one night while dining with Catherine the Great. And the true story of how Scott and Mark grew and then sold the company to Unilever – it’s a real yarn in its own right.This episode was produced by Alex Cheng, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Andrea Bruce.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Back as the show’s first-ever ‘three-peat’ guest is Julia Hartz, co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite. The events industry has been transformed by the past three years, giving Julia the opportunity to evolve Eventbrite to better serve its key customers — event creators. This week on How I Built This Lab, Julia goes back in time to review how she kept a ticketing service afloat when no one was buying tickets. Plus, thoughts on effective leadership from a public company CEO, and Julia’s tips for designing meetings that your colleagues actually want to go to. Be sure to listen to Eventbrite’s origin story told in February 2020, and Julia’s Resilience series dispatch from July 2020.This episode was produced by Rommel Wood with music by Sam Paulson and Ramtin Arablouei.It was edited by John Isabella with research by Kerry Thompson. Our audio engineer was Patrick Murray.You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack founded Herschel Supply Co to sell modern bags with a timeless feel. While working in the sports and apparel industry, they realized they couldn’t find backpacks and totes with the same stylish but simplified vibe as their favorite sneakers and shirts. With no background in manufacturing, they learned to make bags partly by ripping old ones apart. Then they Googled their way to finding a factory and scrambled to catch up as orders started to roll in.  Since launching in 2009, Jamie and Lyndon have grown Herschel Supply Co. from a handful of samples at a trade show in New York, to a global travel goods brand whose backpacks, luggage, and clothing are sold in more than 9,000 locations.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research from Alex Cheng.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Josh Newell.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ramya Swaminathan is the CEO of Malta Inc, a company that spun out of Google’s moonshot factory in 2018 to work on an energy storage solution using the existing power grid. One thing holding the world back from a transition to clean energy: electricity generated from sources like the sun and wind has to be used right away or it disappears…but one possible answer might be—salt.This week on How I Built This Lab, Ramya recounts how she got into the renewable energy industry with two previous companies focused on hydropower. She also explains how molten salt and coolant might be better than batteries as a low-cost, long-duration and job-preserving energy storage solution.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella with research help from Alex Cheng. Our audio engineer was Maggie Luthar. You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Freshpet co-founder Scott Morris helped transform pet food by sidestepping traditional kibble and cans, and making slice-and-serve meals that almost looked palatable enough for humans. When Scott and his partners launched the business in 2006, the concept of fresh pet food was so novel that retailers balked at installing special refrigerators for it. So Freshpet provided its own refrigerators, a logistical nightmare that nearly ground the business to a halt. More than 30,000 refrigerators later, Freshpet has a 96% share of the fresh pet food sector, with a customer base of 10 million dog and cat households.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Alex Cheng.Our engineers were Gilly Moon and Maggie Luthar.You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.This episode is brought to you in part by Canva, the easy-to-use online design platform for presentations, social posts, videos, websites, and more. Start designing today at Canva – the home for every brand.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.