Brewing creativity with Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company

Hello and welcome to how I built this lab. I'm Guy Raz. So back in 2016, one of our very earliest episodes was on the founding of the Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams Beer. Our guest was its founder, Jim Cook. I know lots of you remember that episode because so many of you have come to talk to me about it when you meet me. It was really funny, it was full of great lessons, and Jim talked about a framework he came up with that gave him the courage to start the company. And that framework was pretty simple. He asked himself

What's worse, doing something scary or something dangerous? Well for Jim Leaving his comfortable job as a consultant to start a beer company was certainly gonna be scary, but not doing it, not taking the leap? And staying at a job you really didn't love? Well That was dangerous because one day

He might regret not trying and it would be too late to start. Fast forward to today and a lot has changed in the beer industry, even in the time since Jim first joined us. There's been a flood of craft beer brands that have started up, some have prospered, many of them have failed, and American drinking habits have changed as well, with more people opting for spirits or even non-alcoholic drinks. None of this has ruffled Jim Cook or stifled his creativity in any way. In fact It's just made him more innovative, as you will hear.

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