How I Built This with Guy Raz

Headspace: Andy Puddicombe and Rich Pierson (2019)

Jan 3, 2022

Andy Puddicombe, a former Buddhist monk turned co-founder of Headspace, joins forces with marketing expert Rich Pierson to discuss their unconventional journey. They explore how they transformed meditation into a user-friendly app, emphasizing its mental wellness benefits. Personal struggles, from anxiety to cancer diagnoses, shaped their partnership and vision. Andy and Rich also reflect on the challenges of growing a business in a competitive environment while remaining true to their meditative roots and the importance of community support.

01:08:09

Episode guests

Rich Pierson

Andy Puddicombe

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

All in Ruins is Allie Time An B e

01:58

Intro

3min

The Unlikely Journey of a Buddhist Monk and a Marketing Guru

5min

Journey of Transformation

22min

Foundations of Partnership in Meditation

5min

The Birth of a Partnership: From Meditation to Business

5min

Digital Meditation: From Concept to App

15min

Navigating Challenges and Relocating for Opportunity

3min

Navigating Challenges in Entrepreneurship and Life

7min

The Intersection of Meditation and Marketing

4min

10.

Navigating Growth and Mindfulness in Business

3min

11.

The Journey to Headspace: Building Momentum and Legacy

3min

Andy Puddicombe is not your typical entrepreneur—in his early twenties, he gave away everything he owned to train as a Buddhist monk. But after ten years, he decided he wanted to bring the benefits of his meditation techniques to more people. While running a meditation clinic in London, Andy met Rich Pierson, who had burned out on his job at a high-powered London ad agency. Together, they founded Headspace in 2010. Over ten years later, Headspace's guided meditation app has users in 190 countries and an annual revenue of over $100 million. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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