Spikeball: Chris Ruder

Spikeball: Chris Ruder

When Chris Ruder set out to revive a ball-and-net game from his childhood, he was pretty sure he would fail. He wasn’t really into sports and had never run a business. But after 15 years, Spikeball has grown into a thriving brand with a global following. Spikeball is a two-on-two game where players hit a rubber ball onto a circular net. Invented in 1989, it never took off. But in 2003, when childhood friends dusted off a duct-taped set, Chris began daydreaming about bringing it back to life. For a few years, it was just a crazy idea, until Chris dug deeper and discovered it was never patented. Chris ran the business by himself for six years and discovered Spikeball was taking off with PE teachers and Christian youth groups. When he was offered a deal on Shark Tank, he turned it down because he didn’t want Spikeball to be marketed as a toy, and instead focused on growing it as a competitive sport. Now, the game is popular around the world and its international governing body has Olympic ambitions.


This episode was produced by Chris Maccini, with music by Ramtin Arablouei.

Edited by Neva Grant, with research help from Chris Maccini.


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.

Episoder(816)

Craigslist: Craig Newmark — The Forrest Gump of the Internet

Craigslist: Craig Newmark — The Forrest Gump of the Internet

What if the founder of one of the internet’s most enduring brands… never wanted to run a company?In 1995, Craig Newmark was a 42-year-old computer programmer in San Francisco who simply wanted to shar...

29 Sep 20251h 5min

Advice Line with Randy Hetrick of TRX

Advice Line with Randy Hetrick of TRX

Randy Hetrick, former Navy SEAL and founder of the suspension training company TRX, joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Randy updates Guy on hi...

25 Sep 202552min

Poppi: Allison and Stephen Ellsworth.  From Farmers Market Vinegar Drink to $2B Soda Sensation

Poppi: Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. From Farmers Market Vinegar Drink to $2B Soda Sensation

A decade ago, Allison Ellsworth was drinking apple cider vinegar for health reasons and doctoring it with fruit so she could stand the taste. Her husband Stephen helped her turn it into a business by ...

22 Sep 20251h 6min

Advice Line with Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty

Advice Line with Bobbi Brown of Jones Road Beauty

Bobbi Brown, founder of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics and Jones Road Beauty, joins Guy on the Advice Line, where they answer questions from three early-stage entrepreneurs. Plus, Bobbi shares what drove her t...

18 Sep 202545min

Nirav Tolia: Nextdoor. How neighborhood chatter went global

Nirav Tolia: Nextdoor. How neighborhood chatter went global

Many of us don’t know our neighbors anymore — and Nirav Tolia wanted to change that. He walked away from millions in stock options at Yahoo and eventually co-founded Nextdoor, the hyperlocal social ne...

15 Sep 20251h 8min

Advice Line with Dave Weiner of Priority Bicycles

Advice Line with Dave Weiner of Priority Bicycles

Priority Bicycles founder and CEO Dave Weiner joins Guy on the Advice Line to answer questions from three early-stage founders. Plus, Dave shares his strategy for keeping sales steady and positioning ...

11 Sep 202555min

Carlton Calvin: Razor. The wild rise, collapse, and reinvention of a mobile toy empire.

Carlton Calvin: Razor. The wild rise, collapse, and reinvention of a mobile toy empire.

In the summer of 2000, Razor scooters were everywhere—on sidewalks, in schools, even in Silicon Valley offices. At the center of it all was Carlton Calvin, an ex-lawyer turned toy mogul who had alread...

8 Sep 20251h 13min

Advice Line: Playing to Your Strengths

Advice Line: Playing to Your Strengths

This week, Guy is joined by Lady Gaga’s former manager Troy Carter, Joe Gebbia of Airbnb, and Sadie Lincoln of barre3 in a special mashup episode of the Advice Line about playing to your business’s st...

4 Sep 202537min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
e24-podden
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
finansredaksjonen
utbytte
pengepodden-2
pengesnakk
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
rss-sunn-okonomi
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
lederpodden
lederskap-nhhs-podkast-om-ledelse
rss-politisk-preik
rss-investering-gjort-enkelt
rss-markedspuls-2
rss-andelige-tanker-med-camillo