I have always enjoyed sharing the benefits of whatever useful information I encounter, not only as an attorney for Arizona businesses, but also as a business owner who enjoys helping other business owners thrive. Thanks to the prevalence of podcasts, the invaluable insights and opinions of many of the world’s great entrepreneurs and innovators have become more widely available than ever. This post will begin a six-part series of overviews of some of my favorite business podcasts, in the hopes that other business owners will find them as interesting and helpful as I do. I can think of no better way to start than by taking a look at the NPR podcast, How I Built This, hosted by Guy Raz.
Guy Raz probably needs no introduction to many business owners who have followed his work as an NPR personality of long standing. His work on How I Built This features detailed interviews with some of the most brilliant, bold, and successful entrepreneurs in America today. The stories his guests share run the gamut from frightening risks and heartbreaking setbacks to ultimate victory — overcoming obstacles that might easily cause many business owners to give up. You hear first-hand “origin stories” from the people who built some of the most famous and enduring brands in the world today. Some notable recent examples include:
Tobias Lütke (Shopify) — Programmer Tobias Lütke created Shopify in 2006, and since then the e-commerce platform has become a billion-dollar institution. It all started, however, with Lütke’s efforts to sell snowboards online using his own e-commerce software — software that soon grabbed the attention of other online businesses seeking to improve their own e-commerce processes. This exposure led to the seamless online shopping experience made possible by Shopify. Lütke talks to Raz about his amazing (and entirely unanticipated) tale of success through innovation, in spite of early-life challenges such as ADHD.
James Dyson (Dyson) — Bagless vacuum cleaners are so commonplace these days it seems as if they’ve always been around. But it took James Dyson to discover the value of this idea through 5 years of hard work and over 5,000 prototypes — and even then, he had to fight an entire industry convinced that the vacuum cleaner couldn’t possibly be improved upon. Dyson discusses this lengthy journey, from his earliest jobs as a designer/inventor to his creation of the world’s best-selling line of vacuum cleaner brands.
Chet Pipkin (Belkin International) — In today’s networked world, computers are only as effective as their cables and accessories permit. Chet Pipkin realized this back in the early 1980s. He also saw that he could make a big mark in the business world by producing these critical products. This insight led Pipkin to develop Belkin International into one of the most recognizable and popular names in the electronic goods industry. In his interview, Pipkin discusses his early days as an amateur tinkerer, the potential market in computer-to-printer cable sales, and the evolution of his idea into a multi-million dollar enterprise.
You can find and listen to episodes of How I Built This through the NPR Podcast Directory.
You can find Part 2 of our Great Podcasts for Business Owners Series HERE. Click HERE for Part 3 of this series. Part 4 of this series is available HERE. Part 5 of this series can be found HERE. The final installment of this series can be found HERE.
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This website and article have been prepared by Harrison Law, PLLC for informational purposes only and does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal or financial advice. The information is not provided in the course of an attorney-client relationship and is not intended to substitute for legal advice from an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction.
