Wondery Presents Business Movers

In Wondery’s newest series, Business Movers, host Lindsay Graham dives deep into the inner workings of some of the most successful companies of all time. From the origin stories of their famed leaders to the million dollar idea that catapulted them to success, how exactly did these companies grow from an idea and a dream to multi-billion dollar corporations?...

3d

SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Reaching for the Stars | 2

It's 2003 and in the Mojave Desert, renegade aviation genius Burt Rutan is building a spaceship funded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.But while Rutan and Allen are preparing to launch the world's first privately funded astronaut, Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are still struggling to get their space missions off the ground. Listen to new episodes 1 week...

4d

SpaceX vs Blue Origin | Rocket Men | 1

It's 2001 and a 30-year-old Elon Musk has just been fired from Pay-Pal, the company he co-founded. In need of a second act, he hits on the idea of bankrolling a bizarre Mars mission.But he's not the only tech tycoon who's stargazing. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has also got space fever. But Bezos’ first step in the interstellar arena will almost cost...

6d

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Screen Dreams | 6

With the world plugging into the Internet, toys are under pressure. Kids are swapping plastic play for screen-based entertainment and both Mattel and Hasbro need to adapt. The question is: how?Mattel’s also finding out the hard way that Barbie’s reign as the queen of dolls is no longer secure. Challengers to her throne are emerging and the first strike...

2w

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | The Shotgun Wedding | 5

A few months ago, Mattel’s revenues were just fifty million dollars behind Hasbro’s. But now that Hasbro’s swallowed Tonka—the classic maker of Nerf, Play-Doh, and Monopoly—Mattel is half a billion dollars behind, and CEO John Amerman isn’t happy about it.Ever since Hasbro turned British fashion doll Sindy into a Barbie lookalike, the two toymakers...

2w

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Resurrection Joe | 4

It’s the early 1980s and things are not looking good for Hasbro. The company hasn’t had a hit since Hungry Hungry Hippos; its founding CEO Merrill Hassenfeld has just died; now Star Wars dolls have just about gobbled up the entire action figure market. Hasbro needs to deliver a toy capable of taking on the Star Wars dolls, or else the company risks...

3w

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | The House of Cards | 3

Sizzlers, Mattel’s new motorized Hot Wheels, were supposed to be the top toy this Christmas. But sales have fizzled, leaving Mattel $30 million below target. For the last ten years, Mattel’s done exceptionally well by its investors, but now the toymaker is facing a stock price collapse. To keep up appearances, Mattel starts cooking its books—but the...

3w

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Boy Toy | 2

It’s the 1960s and Hasbro is struggling. The pencil manufacturer turned toymaker hasn’t had a major success since Mr. Potato Head hit the shelves in 1952, and it’s starting to lose money. If the company doesn’t act fast, it’ll be headed for bankruptcy in no time.Mattel’s “accessories sold separately” approach to Barbie has revolutionized the industry....

4w

Encore: Hasbro vs Mattel | Dream Doll | 1

It’s the late 1940s and two small toymakers are taking their first uneasy steps. The names of these young hopefuls are Hasbro and Mattel. One’s an offshoot of a pencil manufacturer. The other a husband-and-wife garage start-up. But toy-making, they soon discover, is an unexpectedly cutthroat business. If either of these companies hopes to survive--let...

4w

TikTok vs Instagram | The TikTok Effect | 6

With TikTok’s legal future hanging in the balance, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hasn’t been shy about borrowing what works from the Chinese upstart and replicating it within Instagram. But his copycat feature Reels made more of a ripple than a splash when it debuted. For more on TikTok’s woes, we speak with Taylor Lorenz. She covers culture and technology...

Dec 2020