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How I Built This

The Unexpected Paths to Success from the World's Most Inspiring Entrepreneurs

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How I Built This

By: Guy Raz
Narrated by: Guy Raz
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About this listen

The number one Wall Street Journal Business Book Best seller & Top 10 New York Times Best seller

Based on the highly acclaimed NPR podcast, How I Built This with Guy Raz, his book offers priceless insights and inspiration from the world’s top entrepreneurs on how to start, launch and build a successful venture.

Great ideas often come from a simple spark: a football player on the New Zealand national team notices all the unused wool his country produces and figures out a way to turn them into shoes (Allbirds). A former Buddhist monk decides the very best way to spread his mindfulness teachings is by launching an app (Headspace). A sandwich cart vendor finds a way to reuse leftover pita bread and turns it into a multi-million dollar business (Stacy’s Pita Chips).

Award-winning podcast creator Guy Raz has interviewed more than 200 highly successful innovators from across the world, from the founders of Five Guys, Airbnb and Bumble to James Dyson and Reed Hastings of Netflix, to uncover amazing true stories like these.

In How I Built This, he shares tips for every entrepreneur’s journey: from the early days of formulating your idea, to raising money and recruiting employees, to finding your market and, finally, to paying yourself a real salary. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever dreamed of starting their own business or wondered how trail-blazing go-getters made their own dreams a reality.

©2020 Audible Inc (P)2020 Audible Inc Business Development & Entrepreneurship Career Success Entrepreneurship Business

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Critic reviews

"A must read for anyone who wants to start a business, grow a business, or be inspired by those who do." (Adam Grant, author of Originals)

"These stories of founders and their companies are told with the same energy and openness it takes to be an entrepreneur." (Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup)

"Guy Raz is supremely himself in this guide for aspiring entrepreneurs: brilliantly perceptive, incessantly curious, infectiously energetic and above all, a master storyteller." (Angela Duckworth, author of Grit)

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Have been a huge fan of HIBT podcasts, so some of the content was familiar, but the way Guy brings together insights and advice makes for a comprehensive toolkit for entrepreneurs at all stages in their journey.

I could listen to Guy all day long

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I love the podcast that this book has grown from so was already familiar with many of the stories throughout. Guy Raz ties them together very well, and adds others business stories that weren't in the podcast, to bring plenty of new learnings here. The narrative that he tells is as informative as it is enjoyable. You get to learn more about the author too.

Very enjoyable listen, highly recommended!

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If you are a fan of the show then you will most certainly enjoy this book. He pretty much condensed all the important key points from all his interviews into this book. This book is very good for anyone looking to start a business.

Excellent

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Such a beautiful book and the best way to start my year. I identity with many of the struggles. The last 2 chapters were the best. I feel whole.

Such a beautiful book and the best way to start

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I never write reviews, although I should, but this book was so inspiring. Love the podcast and this book beautifully intertwined many of the best stories into a flowing lesson of all the stages of starting a business. So inspiring and Guy Raz’s narrating was even better. Such a great story teller and willing to dig into the details of each founders story. Worth every penny!

Incredible, addictive and all round brilliant book

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Will listen again so much good content from asking the right questions the right way. Excellently narrated. Can't recommend enough.

Insightful and entertaining

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I very much enjoy the podcast and this is read and written by the same presenter of that. The book is a good length for a few car journeys. I did find myself expecting to hear from the voices of the founders in the case studies being written about but that’s just because in a different format this would’ve worked very well but obviously this is being read from the book. It’s a very good introduction to those who haven’t listened to the podcast before and I can imagine after finishing this audiobook you’d have fun expanding upon the case studies discussed by listening to the full podcast episodes.

Wonderfully read by author

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Every so often a book comes along where it offers so much value & content.
This is unlike other text-book/cliché how to start, run & scale a business. These stories have been told to Guy Raz by real people, not motivational speakers.
I’ve been listening to the How I Built This podcast for some time. This book capsulated everything and more.
A real insight to the world of entrepreneurship and if your struggling, listening to others who have been through worse, will give the strength to carry on.
I know this book will be a re-read & my inspiration for years to come

Excellent- I will re-listen time & again

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really good audiobook, I've listened to all of how I built this on Spotify and this book is a great addition.

Super interesting!

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I found this book through the authors Podcast, which itself is so well researched and valuable I did t see how a book would be useful. Surely a podcast series is more in depth and up to date.

I was wrong. This book is a stunningly researched and humble dialogue on the journey and challenges people can have as they guide their dream. And the examples are not all software businesses, whcih tend to dominate business material today.

So much positivity and excellent nod to the importance of luck in the last chapter.

Bravo, Guy.

Wonderful, uplifting book on entrepreneurship

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