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How I Built This with Guy Raz

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Written by: Guy Raz | Vox Media
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About this listen
 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. How I Built This is part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Economics
Episodes
  • Panera: Ron Shaich. The Big Bet That Changed Fast Food (2018)

    Panera: Ron Shaich. The Big Bet That Changed Fast Food (2018)
    Nov 12 2026
    In the early 1980s, Ron Shaich took over Au Bon Pain, a struggling group of Boston bakeries, and helped grow it into a national chain with 250 locations. But Ron saw an even bigger opportunity in a small bakery chain in St. Louis. So he made a remarkable gamble: he sold Au Bon Pain to focus entirely on what would become Panera Bread. That bet helped transform the way Americans eat—and turned Panera into a multibillion-dollar business. What You’ll Learn How customers asking for sliced baguettes helped Ron discover a bigger business in sandwiches What he saw in a 19-store bakery chain with surprisingly low real estate costs Why Ron sold Au Bon Pain after building it into a national chain to concentrate on Panera How Panera used falling real estate and construction costs to expand during the Great Recession Why Ron believed staying on Wall Street could threaten the long-term bets that made Panera successful Production Credits How I Built This is produced by Podcast Pointman and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Follow How I Built This: YouTube → @HowIBuiltThis Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • Dr. Squatch: Jack Haldrup. From a Closet Full of Soap to a $1.5 Billion Brand

    Dr. Squatch: Jack Haldrup. From a Closet Full of Soap to a $1.5 Billion Brand
    Nov 9 2026
    Jack Haldrup didn’t set out to build a billion-dollar company. He just wanted a way out of consulting and a bar of soap he actually liked. After developing psoriasis, Jack started paying closer attention to the products he used on his skin. A chance purchase at a farmers market introduced him to handmade soap and sparked a business idea. With just $1,500, he launched an online soap company, shipping orders from his closet. Eventually, his mom took over fulfillment from his childhood bedroom. But growing the company meant navigating a trademark dispute, a painful split with a lifelong friend and business partner, and rising expenses that forced Jack to cut staff and rethink the business. Then, in 2018, a video ad made on a small budget went viral and transformed Dr. Squatch into a rocket ship. By 2020, annual sales had reached $113 million, and Unilever acquired the company in 2025 in a deal reportedly worth $1.5 billion. In this episode, Jack explains why spending most of his remaining savings on a marketing class became a turning point, how Dr. Squatch found its voice through funny ads, and why he eventually stepped down as CEO of the company he’d built. What You’ll Learn Why Jack saw an untapped opportunity in a product that had been around for centuries How subscription boxes helped Dr. Squatch find its first customers Why Jack made a $3,500 bet on a marketing class when money was running low How Facebook ads helped Dr. Squatch grow before its viral video breakthrough What Jack learned about hiring, managing costs, and scaling a fast-growing business How Jack navigated the transition from founder to CEO—and eventually stepped away Production Credits How I Built This is produced by Podcast Pointman and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Follow How I Built This: YouTube → @HowIBuiltThis Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Dell Computers: Michael Dell. The College Dropout Who Took on IBM (2018)

    Dell Computers: Michael Dell. The College Dropout Who Took on IBM (2018)
    Nov 5 2026
    Michael Dell was building a tech business in his dorm room long before it became a familiar startup story. In 1983, the UT Austin student began selling PC upgrade kits. Within months, he left college to devote himself to the business. When Dell entered the Fortune 500 in 1992, Michael was just 27—the youngest CEO on the list. In this episode, Michael explains how a teenage job selling newspaper subscriptions taught him to find customers, why he abandoned plans to become a doctor, and how Dell became a global powerhouse in computing technology. He also shares what he learned from the mistakes that came with building a business so quickly. What You'll Learn How Dell sold computers for half the price of IBM's and still made a profit Why a customer visit led Michael to rethink his entire business How Michael scaled his startup to $66 million in annual sales by age 21 Why he returned as Dell's CEO in 2007—and how he navigated a changing PC industry What Michael learned from Dell's early missteps, and why he prioritized customers over competitors Production Credits How I Built This is produced by Podcast Pointman and part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Follow How I Built This: YouTube → @HowIBuiltThis Instagram → @howibuiltthis X → @HowIBuiltThis Facebook → How I Built This Follow Guy Raz: Instagram → @guy.raz X → @guyraz Substack → guyraz.substack.com Website → guyraz.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    47 mins
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