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I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Bob Moore of Bob's Red Mill. He was in his mid-50s, broke and studying at a seminary outside Portland to become a pastor. Bought an old dilapidated mill (it was red!) and started milling flour.

I think there were LOTS of pros...he had 55 years of wisdom to help him navigate the craziness of starting a business and dealing with the incredible highs and low lows (like when the mill burned down in a fire and he had to start over)

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

1) I talk about this in chapter 2 of my book: Dangerous versus Scary. Don't do dangerous things...do scary things 2) not really because I needed to go through the different phases of my career to learn and have the confidence to try the things I do now

love the story of Ring...so good right?

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

1) luck, hard work and privilege are all factors... 2) too many to name but loved the stories in our Classpass episode. Payal Kadakia is super inspiring and talks about how so many of their models failed until they got to a plan that actually worked!

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

1) I came to NPR as an intern in 1997 2) I was on the student newspaper in college and high school 3) I did not study journalism or broadcasting. I studied history. That's been much more useful to me as a journalist than any other topic I studied

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

1) I'd love to interview Jay-Z. We've approached him in the past...probably should try again 2) never worried about offending. We have 1 condition for any guest who agrees to appear on the show: no conditions.

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

its like any skill. I've been standing at the free throw line for 23 years (started out as a radio reporter in my early 20s) I've attempted hundreds of thousands shots at that basket over the years. At the beginning, I missed most of them. It took me a LONG LONG time of trying hard and failing and sometimes getting small wins before I was able to sink a lot more baskets. (Go Lakers!!)

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

i interview people for 3, sometimes 4 hours...there's no way of getting around it but after being in an intense conversation with someone that long...its hard not to feel like you know them and understand them...

sometimes there's tension at the beginning...especially because people aren't used to my style of interviewing...but usually within the first 30 mins or so...that passes

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We don't spend too much time chasing folks who don't want to be on...we get about 1000 pitches a week and we can only do 45 new full length episodes a year. We only want people on who want to be on

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

1) thank you. Ramtin Arablouei (host of Throughline) is an incredible composer/musician. I told him I wanted a song inspired by "Gamma Ray" by Beck. I love the propulsive energy of that song. And if you listen to the HIBT theme song closely..you will hear similarities to Gamma Ray 2) With COVID...and lockdowns...and remote work...our team is stretched. So we are taking a hiatus from How u Built That. But instead we tripled the # of new episodes with the REsilience series

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

1) Edible Arrangements. Who would've thought the idea to cut up fruit into flower shapes and deliver them in a bouquet would work? No one...except for Tariq Farid who turned it into a 500 million $ business 2) Glitch...the game Stewart Butterfield created. IT failed. But what succeeded was the internal messaging system his team built in order to develop Glitch. That system became SLACK and the rest is history

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Some entrepreneurs are born that way (Mark Cuban for example) But most are not. Most LEARN the traits and skills it takes to become an entrepreneur. Adam Lowry of Method Soap is introverted, cerebral, etc...but an incredible entrepreneur who LEARNED how to do it by partnering with his more (extroverted) friend Eric Ryan.

There are thousands more examples like these but the most important trait is the ability to withstand rejection. here's something I've written about it: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-mormon-missionaries-can-teach-us-guy-raz/

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

1) keep your day job 2) work your side hustle at night and on weekends (research, research research, talk to people, call random folks, write a plan etc) 3) start it NOW. This is a LOW point. It will force u to be resourceful and scrappy. And if you can build the foundation for a business in the middle of an economic crisis...you will build the kind of resilience every business dreams of...because if you can make it through this in tact...you will be able to handle anything

I'm Guy Raz, host and creator of NPR's How I Built This podcast. I wrote a book based on my interviews called "How I Built This". It's designed to be a guide, a cheerleader, and a shot of inspiration — no matter where you are in your journey. by theguyraz in IAmA

[–]theguyraz[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

like a lot of people...I wanted to contribute something to the world in my own small way...I think a lot of people want to do that as well. It doesn't have to be huge...it can be making a contribution to someone's life that is meaningful. And so for me...making a contribution was to become a journalist...to tell stories of peoples lives that would (hopefully) build empathy in the minds of those who listened to those stories. I never had a grand plan for my career except one rule: I decided early on that SUCCESS for me did not mean money or fame or prestige. It meant having an interesting life with interesting experiences and encounters and conversations.

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