Free Daily Podcast Summary
How I Built This with Guy Raz: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Guy Raz | Wondery
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.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 4 days ago1h 11m
FIGS: Trina Spear and Heather Hasson. The $2.5 Billion Scrubs Brand That Investors Said Would Never Work
Heather Hasson and Trina Spear saw an opportunity nobody else seemed to notice: millions of healthcare workers were spending long days in uncomfortable, ill-fitting scrubs. So they set out to reinvent them. Heather was a designer with almost no money. To join her, Trina left a prestigious job at Blackstone and cashed out her retirement. They sold scrubs out of a car, got rejected by hundreds of investors, and eventually built FIGS into a multibillion-dollar public company. Along the way, they paid $40 million to fight a lawsuit, navigated a pandemic, and watched their company’s valuation swing by billions. This week, Heather and Trina share how they built the “Lululemon of Scrubs”—and why your net worth is not the same thing as self worth. What you’ll learn How a trip to Kenya changed Heather’s view of uniforms–and led her to start her own scarf and tie business How Heather spotted an opportunity in a stale category: healthcare workers want comfortable clothes, too How free coffee became a tool for customer growth How the founders endured hundreds of investor rejections and learned to pursue a quick no How FIGS built a community that is “diehard obsessed” with their products How it pays–and what it costs– to defend your company against competitor lawsuits Why net worth shouldn’t determine self-worth How Heather and Trina think about resilience, luck, and building a company that lasts Timestamps: 07:05 - Heather’s dreams to become a surgeon and launch a handbag business fall through, so she takes a life-changing trip to Kenya 13:53 - Heather meets a healthcare friend for coffee: “What are you wearing?... This is garbage.” 20:46 - Trina beats Heather in a tennis match, and the two become business partners 29:38 - Trina walks away from Blackstone to join Heather, and everyone asks, “What are you doing?” 35:05 - FIGS launches: Healthcare workers get it, but investors don’t 47:56 - A big-time investor comes on board—from the movie business 52:17 - A competitor sues for $800 million, and Heather and Trina use anger to their advantage 59:46 - COVID hits… and a year later, FIGS goes public 1:08:22 - No major plans to diversify: FIGS is all-in on scrubs for now This episode was researched and produced by Katherine Sypher with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez. Follow How I Built This: Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz Youtube → guy_raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 1 weeks ago43 min
Advice Line with Seth Berkowitz of Insomnia Cookies
Today’s callers: Kohindo from New York is looking to reboot her African-rooted fashion brand after losing a few key retailers. Then Tara from San Diego considers avenues to educate consumers about the benefits of her wool sauna hats. And Carol from Houston wonders whether to market her collegiate purses and accessories l to students or their gift-giving family members. Plus, Seth lays out his ambitions to quadruple Insomnia’s locations and become a global chain — without turning to franchising. Thank you to the founders of Kohindo, Sauna Societé, and Desden for being a part of our show. Be sure to listen to Insomnia Cookies’ founding story as told by Seth on the show in 2024. This episode was produced by Casey Herman with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang. You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy's free newsletter at guyraz.com and on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
- 1 weeks ago1h 4m
Sweet Loren’s: Loren Castle. How A Recipe Makeover Built a National Cookie Brand
Loren Castle started baking cookies after surviving cancer in her early twenties. Five years later, Sweet Loren’s refrigerated cookie dough was generating just $350,000 a year. But instead of giving up, she listened to customers, and reinvented the dough without gluten, dairy, eggs or nuts. That transformation turned a small regional business into a national brand sold in more than 30,000 stores.WHAT YOU'LL LEARNHow surviving cancer at 22 inspired Loren to rethink her career and develop a passion for healthier food.What working at New York’s Levain Bakery taught her about the enormous appeal—and profitability—of cookies.Why Loren decided to sell ready-made cookie dough instead of cookies Why she was totally unprepared for her first Whole Foods meeting—but went anyway Why raising her first $1 million from friends and family was much harder than she expected.Why hundreds of customer requests revealed an unmet need for allergen-free cookie dough.Why growing slowly may have saved the company.Why Loren isn't rushing to sell Sweet Loren’sTIMESTAMPS: 8:40 – After her mother's leukemia diagnosis, Loren is diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma at 22. 13:12 – Watching people line up for cookies at Levain Bakery: “I think this is America’s favorite food.” 14:54 – Selling baked goods at Smorgasburg: customers ask if they can just buy the dough 26:52 – Just as Whole Foods agrees to carry her cookie dough, Loren loses her mom 37:41 – What happens after Sweet Loren’s gets on The Today Show: “The whole country is excited by this.” 50:19 – Loren reconsiders her recipes after customers ask for dough without gluten, dairy, eggs. 56:24 – Loren takes the leap: discontinuing her original product line and going allergen-free for all. 1:05:41 – From one Whole Foods to 30,000 stores–the company expands nationally. 1:07:46 – After years of struggle, Loren explains why she wants to keep building the company instead of pursuing an exit.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley. Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 2 weeks ago46 min
Advice Line with Tara Bosch of SmartSweets
Today’s callers: Lindzi from Chicago wants to expand her gourmet marshmallow brand into retail without cannibalizing her high-margin DTC sales. Then, Vivi from Hawaii considers how to best tell her sustainable swimwear brand’s story to a digital audience. And Aly from Los Angeles wonders whether a subscription model is best for her whimsical curated experiences. Plus, Tara talks about her latest entrepreneurial venture, Snackish, and how starting a new company feels different the second time around... Thank you to the founders of XO Marshmallows, Vivi’s Vacation, and Romanticize Collective for being a part of our show.Be sure to listen to SmartSweets’ founding story as told by Tara on the show in 2024.This episode was produced by Chris Maccini with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.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.
- 2 weeks ago1h 16m
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema: Tim and Karrie League (2023)
In the early 1990’s, Tim League spent $50,000 in savings to lease an abandoned movie theater on the wrong side of the tracks—a shaky experiment that eventually grew into a thriving national chain. As Tim and his wife Karrie built theaters in Austin and beyond, they made a name for themselves by offering dinner with the movie, creative pairings (like sake with Godzilla), and roadshows where movie-goers could watch Deliverance in canoes, or Rocky on the famous steps in Philly. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema now has dozens of locations across the country, but there have been plenty of bruises along the way: a failed first theater, a fractious lawsuit with business partners, and a swan dive into the red during the pandemic.This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Carla Esteves.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 3 weeks ago44 min
Advice Line with Nick Green of Thrive Market
Today’s callers: Mercedes in Utah tries to find harmony between quality and speed as she scales her concert attire brand for musicians. Then Danny in Colorado grapples with the tradeoffs of growing his sustainable and functional coffee brand. And Riya in Illinois wonders how to build awareness for her app that aids people affected by speech loss.Plus, Nick’s insights on how AI is changing the way we fill our grocery carts — and how grocers respond to food and nutrition trends.Thank you to the founders of Blackstrad Concert Attire, Peak State Coffee, and Voice Back for being a part of our show.And be sure to listen to Thrive Market’s founding story as told by Nick in 2024.This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Annlie Huang.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.
- 3 weeks ago1h 10m
10 Years of How I Built This: A Decade of Innovation, Risk and Reinvention
Stories about starting a business are almost always full of drama. They’re about ambition, loss, triumph, catastrophe, resilience. And they’re also full of life lessons – which is why Guy Raz launched How I Built This 10 years ago: He wanted to host a free master class in entrepreneurship, one conversation at a time. Ten years on, he’s conducted over 600 interviews with some of the world’s most successful founders, and on today’s show, he replays some of the most memorable moments and lessons. Joining him is Jamie Siminoff, the founder of RING and a former guest on the show. Why Jamie? He’s a friend, a fan, and – as you may remember from his first interview - he doesn’t hide his emotions.Timestamps:7:38 A lightbulb switches on at an NYC bodega: “Oh my God, look at all those cherries!” 11:52 The moment Stitch Fix founder Katrina Lake realized she should start her own business.13:50 The difference between scary and dangerous, and why it matters for founders21:17 Eileen Fisher’s first, terrifying trade show: “I couldn’t speak. I just stood there.”26:56 “Everything was on one computer?” The chaotic launch of Instagram31:15 How Sara Blakely sold her first Spanx35:45 The marketing genius behind Liquid Death42:22 Why 2008 was the worst year of Joe Gebbia’s life50:01 How the co-founder of Banana Republic fell asleep at the wheel—literally58:39 Makeup mogul Bobbi Brown on selling to Estee Lauder: “I am not a follow-the- leader-kind of person.”1:06:59 Luck, skill, and staying on the surfboardThis episode was produced by Casey Herman, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.Edited by Neva Grant. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 4 weeks ago46 min
Advice Line with Scott Tannen of Boll & Branch and Jamie Siminoff of Ring (2025)
CEO and co-founder of Boll & Branch, Scott Tannen joins Ring founder Jamie Siminoff and Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Jamie and Guy talk about how creating repeat customers often comes from creating social good. First, we hear from Melita in Toronto who's wondering whether to continue bootstrapping her organic clothing business. Then Eric in the Sunshine State asks which direction to take to grow his sunscreen apparel lines. And Chris in Alpine Meadows, California, is trying to figure out how to get his sleek binoculars into the hands of more people.Thank you to the founders of Q for Quinn, L Cubed Lifestyle, and Nocs Provisions. 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 the story of how Jamie founded Ring from our episode back in 2020, as well as his appearance on the Advice Line in 2024.. And how Scott and his wife Missy started Boll & Branch, a story they told on the show in 2024.This episode was produced by J.C. Howard with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Andrea Bruce. Our audio engineer was Jimmy Keeley.Follow How I Built This:Instagram → @howibuiltthisX → @HowIBuiltThisFacebook → How I Built ThisFollow Guy Raz:Instagram → @guy.razYoutube → guy_razX → @guyrazSubstack → guyraz.substack.comWebsite → guyraz.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Get How I Built This with Guy Raz summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
Founder's Story
Raw conversations with entrepreneurs about the struggles, doubts, and pivotal moments behind their ventures.
Living Your Legacy
Entrepreneurs share their journeys building businesses and movements, discussing challenges, leadership, and lessons learned.
Right About Now - Legendary Business Advice
Raw business insights from founders and industry leaders, revealing real wins, failures, and actionable strategies without the fluff.
Business Movers
True stories of visionary business leaders and the bold decisions that shaped iconic companies and transformed industries.
My First Million
Two entrepreneurs analyze market trends and generate business ideas, often with guest collaborators.
Your Brand Amplified
Explores the strategies and mindsets of successful entrepreneurs in business growth, marketing, and personal branding.
Marketing Made Simple
Strategies for crafting clear marketing messages that connect with customers and grow businesses.
The Vault Unlocked
Founders share hard-earned lessons on what actually worked, what failed, and the pivotal decisions behind growing successful companies.
The Entrepreneur DNA
Entrepreneurs share lessons on building businesses and personal growth through real experiences and mistakes.
David Senra
David Senra hosts conversations with the greatest living founders.
The Best One Yet
A daily 20-minute podcast breaking down the three key business stories with sharp, accessible takes.
The Knowledge Project
Conversations exploring mental models, decision-making, and the foundational principles behind success in business and life.
About 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.
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from How I Built This with Guy Raz in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's How I Built This with Guy Raz daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of How I Built This with Guy Raz as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the How I Built This with Guy Raz podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official How I Built This with Guy Raz product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Guy Raz | Wondery.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts, any in the catalog. Basic raises that to 15, Pro to 40 and Max to 100. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does How I Built This with Guy Raz release new episodes?
How I Built This with Guy Raz publishes 2x weekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does How I Built This with Guy Raz cover?
How I Built This with Guy Raz covers topics including Business. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting How I Built This with Guy Raz summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.