Building 'How I Built This' With Guy Raz: Patterns, Pivoting, And The Value Of Time

Every builder’s journey is non-linear. What looks like a straight path in hindsight is often shaped by setbacks, pivots, and unexpected opportunities along the way. In this episode of Building One, host Tomer Cohen sits down with Guy Raz — creator and host of How I Built This — to explore what he’s learned from interviewing hundreds of founders, and from building his own media company. Before becoming one of the most recognizable voices in podcasting, Guy was a journalist and foreign correspondent — covering wars, filing stories on deadline, and learning how to operate with urgency and resourcefulness. That experience shaped his approach to building: prioritize progress over perfection, and improve through repetition. In this conversation, Tomer and Guy discuss: The patterns Guy has seen after interviewing thousands of founders Why relationships — not intelligence — are often the deciding factor in success The craft behind great storytelling — and what it takes to earn a listener’s time How a career setback became the turning point that led him into podcasting Why the “safe” path can sometimes be the riskiest decision Guy also shares how he thinks about value creation — and why the best builders aim to create an experience where the user feels they received more than they gave. This episode is about craft, resilience, and the human side of building. Because in the end, the goal isn’t just to build products. It’s to build belief.