How I Built This (September 2016) is an NPR podcast hosted by Guy Raz featuring conversations with founders about how they built their companies. The show became the definitive entrepreneurship podcast.
Format & Philosophy
Guy interviews founders of iconic companies (Airbnb, Instagram, Spanx, Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks, Patagonia) in long-form conversations (60-90 minutes) about their origin stories — the struggles, pivots, lucky breaks, and key decisions.
The show emphasizes the messiness of entrepreneurship: failures before success, accidental discoveries, self-doubt, and the role of luck vs. skill. Guy’s enthusiastic interviewing elicits candid reflections.
Guest Range
From multi-billion dollar unicorns (Brian Chesky of Airbnb) to niche successes (the founders of Clif Bar), the show demonstrates diverse paths to building businesses. The show features both household names and lesser-known entrepreneurs.
Live episodes feature audience Q&A and on-stage interviews. The show spawned a book (How I Built This), TV adaptation on CNBC, and fellowship program for entrepreneurs.
Impact
By 2023, with 400+ episodes, How I Built This became required listening for aspiring entrepreneurs. The show humanized founders, demystified entrepreneurship, and created a canon of startup origin stories.
https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this
https://www.forbes.com/