Dyson: James Dyson (2018)

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy Raz | Wondery

Business

4.8 • 31.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2019

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1979, James Dyson had an idea for a new vacuum cleaner — one that didn't use bags. It took him five years to perfect the design, building more than 5,000 prototypes in his backyard shed. He then tried to convince the big vacuum brands to license his invention, but most wouldn't even take his calls. Eventually, he started his own company. Today, Dyson is one of the best-selling vacuum brands in the world, and James Dyson is a billionaire. PLUS for our postscript "How You Built That," we check back with television producer Mike Sorrentino, who created an iPhone case called EyePatch that cleans and protects the phone's camera. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to how I built this early and ad-free on Amazon Music.
0:07.0	Download the app today.
0:09.0	New Year's is here, and with it brings the possibility of change.
0:13.0	As one behavioral scientist put it, first starts are really powerful.
0:17.0	So as you head into 2023, LifeKit is a great resource to help you plan your life and tackle changes, both big and small.
0:24.0	Listen to the LifeKit podcast from NPR.
0:27.0	So really quickly, before we start the show, I want to let you know about another live show coming to Washington, D.C. on September 12th.
0:35.0	I'll be talking with Tristan Walker of Walker & Company Brands, which makes beauty products like Bevel & Form.
0:41.0	We're also going to announce two more live shows in the East Coast soon, so stay tuned for those.
0:45.0	And don't forget, we still have a few tickets available for the how I built this summit in San Francisco in October.
0:52.0	The summit is supported by American Express, and you'll be able to hear and probably even meet some of the world's greatest founders.
0:59.0	People who founded companies like Instagram, Slack, Away, JetBlue, Jenny's Ice Cream, Edible Arrangements, Bliss, and many, many more.
1:07.0	The summit is an incredible opportunity to connect with other builders and hear from experts on how to grow your business.
1:13.0	You can get tickets for both the D.C. Live Show and the summit at nprpresents.org. And I hope to see you there.
1:21.0	OK, onto this week's show, and this one got a ton of amazing feedback when we first ran it back in February of last year. Here it is.
1:33.0	Well, I'd had the idea for the vacuum cleaner to replace the vacuum cleaner bag with a cyclane.
1:39.0	And I suggested the idea to the other directors.
1:42.0	Let's make this vacuum cleaner. Let's make this vacuum cleaner, then we can make some real money.
1:46.0	And they said, oh, of course!
1:48.0	No, they didn't. What they said was, don't be so stupid. If there was a better vacuum cleaner, who would have or Electrolux, or someone else would have made it.
2:00.0	From NPR, it's how I built this. A show about innovators, entrepreneurs, idealists, and the stories behind the movements they built.
2:08.0	I'm Guy Ross, and on today's show, how James Dyson spent a lonely five years reinventing the vacuum cleaner in his backyard shed.
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