Episodes

Tariq Farid returns to the Advice Line to tackle the biggest hurdles facing three early-stage founders. Jake DeLeon needs a strategy to make Filipino food mainstream. Heather Thorkelson wrestles with whether the word "cruise" helps or hurts a zero-emission polar expedition brand. Ryan Burkhardt wants to grow a word-of-mouth print shop to five million without losing its concierge soul. Farid's advice cuts through the noise: stop fixating on the name, start obsessing over the customer, and let authenticity scale.

Natalie Gordon transformed sleepless new-mom nights into a $500M empire. While her baby napped, she coded the first version of Babylist, turning personal frustration with baby registries into a smarter solution. What started as a side project during those precious nap windows now helps millions of parents prepare for their newborns—proving that constraint breeds creativity, and the best products often come from solving your own problems.

Guy Raz sits down with Niraj Shah, co-founder of Wayfair, for an Advice Line episode where Niraj helps three early-stage founders navigate real business challenges. Valerie Zweig needs to educate retailers about her dehydrated chicken stock sticks. Bree Van Leeuwen struggles with customer acquisition costs for her mineral sunscreen brand. And Tess Milholland wonders when to quit her day job and go all-in on her travel app for solo women. Niraj shares hard-earned wisdom from building a home goods empire.

Jeffrey Braverman turned a tiny corner store into Nuts.com, a snacking empire that changed how America buys nuts and snacks online. His story reveals how obsessive focus on quality and customer service can scale a local business into a national brand. The episode explores the operational systems and mindset shifts that fueled this transformation. Founders seeking to grow a physical business into a digital powerhouse will learn concrete strategies for sustainable scaling.

Lyft co-founder John Zimmer returns to The Advice Line to guide three founders through scaling challenges. From a UK showerhead innovator expanding to America to a weighted vest bootstrapper financing inventory, and a craft chocolate maker balancing purpose with personal sustainability, Zimmer shares lessons from building a rideshare giant. His advice centers on testing assumptions before scaling, creative financing over waiting for capital, and protecting your health to serve your mission. The episode offers a masterclass in founder resilience from someone who's lived the startup journey.

Chip and Joanna Gaines transformed Waco from "Wacky Waco" to a design destination through the power of authentic storytelling and relentless grit. What began as a struggling house-flipping venture and a tiny home goods store evolved into a media empire spanning television, retail, and consumer products. Their journey reveals how staying rooted in community while daring to dream big can redefine both a city and an entire industry.

Stacy Madison of Stacy's Pita Chips joins the Advice Line to share her journey from farmers market experiment to national brand. She reveals how baking leftover pita bread into chips became a multi-million dollar business, and discusses scaling production while keeping the brand's original spirit. Alex Hildebrandt and Stephanie offer strategic advice on growing with authenticity.

Two brothers from New Jersey built a beachwear empire by blending coastal casual with urban sophistication. Alex and Mike Faherty turned a simple idea-creating high-quality swim trunks from recycled materials-into a lifestyle brand that now spans 80 stores across America. Their secret? Merging the relaxed spirit of the Jersey Shore with the polish of Manhattan chic, creating clothing that feels both effortless and intentional.

On this episode of How I Built This, Guy Raz sits down with Michael Dubin, the founder of Dollar Shave Club. Michael Dubin shares the story of how he launched the company from a simple idea and grew it into a billion-dollar brand. Also joining the conversation are Benita Kasbo of Casbo's Middle Eastern Kitchen, Brandon Davis of Parrs Mobile Mini Golf, and Bria Fleming of Incidental Wildland, who each share their own entrepreneurial journeys and ask Michael for advice.

In this episode of How I Built This, Guy Raz talks with Vijen Patel, co-founder of Pressbox. Patel explains how a simple dorm-room laundry idea at the University of Notre Dame became a national brand, and shares the surprising moment when Procter & Gamble acquired Pressbox and transformed it into Tide Cleaners. He also discusses founding The 81 Collection after the exit.

On this episode of How I Built This, Guy Raz sits down with Tony Xu, the co-founder and CEO of DoorDash. Tony Xu shares the story of how he and his co-founders launched the company from a simple idea in a Stanford dorm room and grew it into a multi-billion-dollar food delivery platform. Also joining the conversation are Ron Khormaei of Steelport Knife Co. and Kathryn Shah of Spring & Mulberry, who each share their own entrepreneurial journeys and ask Tony for advice on scaling their businesses.

Craig Newmark, the unassuming founder of craigslist and the internet’s accidental tech icon, reveals how he built the world’s most trusted peer-to-peer marketplace by rejecting Silicon Valley’s usual growth formulas. He breaks down the user-first choices that kept the platform ad-free for decades, insulated it from dot-com busts, and fostered real global community connection. Listeners get rare, unfiltered lessons on building durable, people-centric technology that outlasts fleeting industry trends.