AOL co-founder and former CEO Steve Case joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Steve reflects on the challenges and opportunities facing today’s nascent tech companies.

First we meet Silvia in San Francisco, who’s wondering how to engage more men with her homelife management app. Then Mindy in St. Louis, who’s considering new models for her online concierge for college students. And Jason in Las Vegas, who wants to convert a key demographic into customers for his music education products.

Thank you to the founders of Coexist, mindyKNOWS, and Kidenza for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to AOL’s founding story as told by Steve on the show in 2017.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson, with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Cena Loffredo.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

No athlete wishes for an injury, but when Kurt Ainsworth’s bad shoulder derailed his professional pitching career, it created a big opportunity. Kurt and two partners started a wooden bat company in his backyard, bringing their intimate knowledge of baseball to every bat they sold. Soon, big-name players like Sammy Sosa were swinging them, but Kurt knew they had to expand to aluminum bats to reach the wider field of non-professional players. The company faced a near death experience when the NCAA decertified its bats for being too powerful, but eventually regained its footing. In 2013, Marucci Sports was acquired for over half a billion dollars; and next year, Marucci will slide past Louisville Slugger to become the official bats of Major League Baseball.

This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei.

It was edited by Neva Grant with research from Katherine Sypher.

Our engineers were Maggie Luthar and Jimmy Keeley.

You can follow HIBT on Twitter & Instagram, and email us at hibt@id.wondery.com.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jane Wurwand, co-founder of the global skincare brand Dermalogica, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early stage founders. Plus, Jane shares her philosophy on the importance of customer education for building a trusted brand.

First we meet Camille in Virginia, who’s wondering how to scale her vegan baby food company without compromising on quality. Then Molly in Maine, who’s trying to build a community of new parents for her baby-friendly workout classes. And Sarah in Connecticut, who’s considering whether to expand beyond her core performance underwear product.

Thank you to the founders of Chunky Vegan, Baby Booty and Paradis Sport for being part of the show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode, leave us a one minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Dermalogica’s founding story as told by Jane on the show in 2016.

This episode was produced by Katherine Sypher. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Neal Rauch.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.