The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan 625: From $70M in Debt to $1B Amazon Deal in 45 Days | Jamie Siminoff
Jan 22, 2026
Join Jamie Siminoff, the genius behind Ring, who once faced massive debt and rejection on Shark Tank, only to transform his vision into a billion-dollar acquisition by Amazon. He shares his rollercoaster journey from garage prototypes to pre-sales success, the crucial lessons from near bankruptcy, and the power of a strong mission. Jamie reveals how constraints fueled innovation, discusses the importance of strategic hiring, and highlights the dramatic stakes of scaling a hardware startup. Plus, discover why he wrote his book, 'Ding Dong,' as a tool for reflection and inspiration.
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Garage Prototype Sparked A Bigger Mission
- Jamie built the first DoorBot prototype in his garage to solve his own problem of missing deliveries.
- His wife calling it a safety product shifted the mission from convenience to home security.
Mission Anchors Through Crises
- A strong mission aligns people and sustains founders through extreme challenges.
- Jamie credits Ring's mission as critical to surviving repeated near-death moments.
Pre-Sale Site Accidentally Launched DoorBot
- Jamie tried launching a hardware pre-sale site called Edison Jr and used DoorBot as the standout product.
- The doorbell unexpectedly became the breakout product and led to Shark Tank interest.
