How I Built This: The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs by the award-winning podcast host Guy Raz highlights the origin stories behind today's innovative startups and features valuable insider tips for fledgling entrepreneurs. Raz interviewed the founders of many successful businesses, including Airbnb, Headspace, Slack and Five Guys. A gifted storyteller, he shares in fascinating detail what he learned, from the development of an idea to its successful launch and long-term maturity.
Hobbyists exploring the business viability of their passion will be encouraged by Carol's Daughter, a homegrown skincare company whose founder created her own products because nothing on the market effectively addressed the moisture needs of her dark complexion. Word-of-mouth buzz led to phenomenal demand and an eventual sale of Carol's Daughter to L'Oreal. Making money, though, cannot be one's primary motivating factor. There must be an extrinsic purpose, an enduring mission that engages the customer, such as creating the perfect piece of carry-on luggage (Away) or a Paleo-compliant energy bar (RxBar). A powerful tool at the disposal of leaders from across the business spectrum, Raz points out, is kindness. Kind leaders build kind companies, making both customers and employees feel valued.
How I Built This, named after Raz's well-known podcast, is intended "to shed light on the black box of entrepreneurial success and provide an architecture" for building a prosperous enterprise. Enhanced by his marvelous storytelling skills, it is sure to engage readers curious about their own business potential. --Shahina Piyarali, writer and reviewer