Solo Stove: Spencer and Jeff Jan

How I Built This with Guy Raz

Guy Raz | Wondery

Business

4.8 • 31.1K Ratings

🗓️ 14 August 2023

⏱️ 68 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Over a nine-year period, Spencer and Jeff Jan grew Solo Stove from a DIY project into a 9-figure brand. Their original idea was modest: work a four-hour week and earn a passive income from a DTC camping stove, which was easy to use and as sleek as a spaceship. When they launched the business in 2010, the brothers lived thousands of miles away from each other: Spencer in Shanghai, where he located the manufacturer for the stove, and Jeff in Dallas, where he managed logistics out of his garage. Using all the tools at their disposal—Kickstarter, Amazon, and Starbucks for office meetings—the brothers grew the brand to where it attracted a 9-figure acquisition. Which actually happened twice—making them both wealthy enough to enjoy a 0-hour work week.

This episode was produced by Carla Esteves, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Casey Herman.

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Transcript

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2:11.0	We started putting out job postings and one of the first girls we interviewed, we told her to meet us at the Starbucks because we didn't even have an office.
2:23.0	We didn't even order anything. That's how cheap we were. We just sat outside at the little metal tables and met this young girl who was interviewing for a customer service position.
2:34.0	We would promise that we will have an office if when this position is filled and that's how rough the start was.
	...

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