Listen Now: The Best Idea Yet

Business Wars

Wondery

History, Business, David Brown, Management

4.6 • 13.2K Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2024

⏱️ 6 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The untold stories behind the products you’re obsessed with and the bold risk-takers who made them go viral. How did Birkenstocks go from a German cobbler’s passion project 250 years ago to a starring role in the Barbie movie? Who created that bottle of Sriracha permanently living in your fridge? Did you know the Air Jordans were initially banned by the NBA, or that Super Mario became the best-selling video game character ever thanks to a strategy called “The Infinite Game?” On Wondery’s new weekly podcast The Best Idea Yet, Nick Martell and Jack Crivici-Kramer (hosts of the award-winning daily pop-business podcast, The Best One Yet aka TBOY) have identified the most viral products of all time and reveal their untold origin stories — plus the bold risk-takers who brought them to life. From the Happy Meal to Levi’s 501 jeans, come for the products you’re obsessed with, stay for the business insights that’ll make you the most interesting person at your next brunch.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Have you ever wondered how the McDonald's happy meal became the best-selling meal of all time?
0:05.0	Or who's really behind that bottle of Sri Racha living in your fridge?
0:09.0	Or why almost every house in America has at least one game of Monopoly.
0:14.1	I'm David Brown with Business Wars, and today I'm introducing the best idea yet,
0:18.9	a brand new podcast about the untold origin stories of iconic products and the people who made them go viral.
0:25.0	Like did you know that Super Mario, the best-selling video game character of all time, only exists
0:30.0	because Nintendo couldn't get the rights to Popeye?
0:34.0	Or that the idea for the McDonald's Happy Meal first came from a mom in Guatemala.
0:39.0	Every week on the best idea yet, they'll be digging into a new product and its story from the Happy
0:43.6	Meal to Super Mario Brothers to Air Jordans. You're obsessed with these products
0:48.0	but you'll never believe their surprising origin stories. You're about to hear
0:51.8	a clip from the best idea yet. While you're
0:54.1	listening, follow the best idea yet on the Wundery app or wherever you get your
0:58.5	podcasts. Lanterns hanging from dark wooden beams give the Japanese city of Kyoto of warm glow.
1:13.0	Pink Cherry blossoms and green mache dust in the air
1:15.8	from the many vendors paint the streets in vibrant colors.
1:19.7	It is peaceful, it is quiet,
1:21.6	it is the cultural capital of Japan.
1:25.0	But as you get closer to the industrial part of Kyoto,
1:28.0	the hum of churning conveyor belts grows louder.
1:31.0	Suddenly, the machinery pops out a single piece of plastic.
1:35.0	It's a playing card that features a cartoon character with vibrant colors.
	...

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