Beanie Babies — the unassuming critters with birthdates and bios — are designed to tug on your heartstrings (and your wallet). But for a moment in the late-90s, they burst out of gift shops and into investment portfolios as America went crazy over Legs the Frog, Pinchers the Lobster, and the rest of the plushie pals.Behind this bean-stuffed market bubble hid a mysterious salesman with a chip on his shoulder named Ty Warner (the P.T. Barnum of Plush), who masterminded limited drops, direct-to-retail strategies, and internet virality before any of those things had names.

With plastic pellets and perceived scarcity, Ty built an empire worth billions that stands to this day. But there wasn't such a happy ending for most speculators when the market turned from (Snort the) bull to (Brownie the) bear, wiping out millions.

Find out how Beanie Babies helped launch eBay, why you should never trade your Bucky the Beaver for a cupcake, and why Beanie Babies is the best idea yet.

One last thing, check out our live podcast recording for The Best One Yet, our daily podcast, in Chicago! Tickets are on sale now, grab 'em while you still can: Wondery.fm/TBOYLive

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Tommy Bahama (spoiler) wasn’t founded by a man named Thomas with a Caribbean address. Rather, this classic lifestyle brand began with two longtime friends and coworkers at a failing apparel company. Facing unemployment at age 50, they channeled their inner Hemingways to invent a fictional hero of the leisure class: Tommy Bahama, purveyor of roomy, flowered silk shirts—and a series of surprisingly good restaurants. Weathering mistakes and misfires, they built Tommy B into a global branding empire worth close to $2B. But Tommy’s greatest magic trick wasn’t getting adult men to embrace hibiscus prints, but to create the ultimate beach chair that now commands 75% of the premium market… and sells all year round (not just during spring break). How did Tommy Bahama create the perfect four-season beach throne? Pull up a backpack chair, throw a couple cold ones in the cooler pouch, and find out why the Tommy Bahama Beach Chair is the best idea yet.

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When entrepreneur Henry J. Heinz went bankrupt after his first venture, he nearly lost it all—his farmland, his parents' home, and his own reputation. But then, he launched a stunning comeback that changed everything about the meaning of the name “Heinz.” This Master of Tomatoes built a condiment empire on super fresh produce and, by pioneering food safety standards decades before regulations existed. (Hint: it involved unleashing a team called the Poison Squad… and no, that name isn’t metaphorical.) Heinz battled exploding bottles and cheaper competitors to build a $35B empire that endures today. Learn why Heinz is in 97% of American homes, the strange origins of that number 57, and what Teddy Roosevelt had to do with America's favorite tomato topping. Here's why Heinz Ketchup is the best idea yet.

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This sexy seltzer started out more than 40 years ago as a Wisconsin brewery’s quiet, nonalcoholic spinoff. Throughout the 80s and early 90s, LaCroix remained the low-key, low-cal fave of Midwestern Little League coaches and soccer moms. But then, LaCroix hit its stride—and its second act, reborn as the trendy choice of Hollywood writers, Instagram influencers, and diet gurus. So, what caused this gobsmacking glow-up? Would you believe it was all thanks to a quirky former construction worker and his obsession with ‘chaos cursive’? Find out how LaCroix disrupted the beverage scene and kicked off a $30B global sparkling-water Renaissance… plus, our quest to find the proper pronunciation of “pamplemousse.” Here’s why LaCroix is the best idea yet.

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When out-of-work coder Jens Rasmussen couldn’t find directions to a cafe in Copenhagen, he wound up changing navigation forever. Alongside his brother Lars (also an out-of-work coder), Jens developed a radical vision—not just for a faster map, but a vibrant, multi-dimensional platform to help plan your entire life. With maxed-out credit cards, these Danish brothers built a prototype that caught Google co-founder Larry Page's eye—but faced HUGE technical issues to get it over the line. From CIA-funded satellites, to a ""Mad Max"" desert race, the road to Google Maps was a journey in itself that created an $11 billion revenue generator powering everything from Uber to Airbnb. Discover why you should never correct your customers when they make a wrong turn, the power of an SNL name check, and why Google Maps is the best idea yet.

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In a high-end boutique between Hollywood and Beverly Hills, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor met as fashion-obsessed shopgirls with dreams of entrepreneurship. But they had no obvious path to get there… until Gela became pregnant – with nothing to wear. What came next was a history-making business venture started with only $200 and a pile of smelly used denim. From a successful maternity jeans line, to soft fitted T-shirts embraced by the characters on “Friends,” Juicy Couture rose as a sassy, saucy clothing line at an ‘affordable splurge’ price point. But it was their signature product, the Juicy Tracksuit, that would break the Internet, flood the tabloids, and transform casual luxury as we know it. Learn how J.Lo’s savvy costume choices helped kickstart a multi-million dollar brand, how the most important muscle to tone is the ‘Second-Time Founder Muscle,' and why the Juicy Tracksuit is the best idea yet.

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The cream-topped, dome-lidded Frappuccino is the caffeinated crown jewel of the Starbucks empire. It helped the company break out from regional coffee chain to global lifestyle brand, made cold drinks into 75% of Starbucks’ beverage sales, and created a whole new language of filibuster-length orders (“Can I get a grande vanilla bean frappe, in a venti cup, extra whip on top and a mocha drizzle?”). But the original Frappuccino was actually created at a boutique Boston coffee shop in the early ’90s to survive the summer sales slump. Then a stand-up comic in Santa Monica took a blender and a big idea to make a version for Starbucks…only for CEO Howard Schultz to dismiss it as a low-brow slushie (Sir, this is a Starbucks, not a 7-Eleven). Find out how a frozen coffee shake went from indie experiment to global juggernaut, why innovation doesn't always mean inventing something new, and how the Frappuccino became the best idea yet.

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Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird were just trying to get work. These two broke illustrators were scraping by on side hustles and instant ramen… until, one fateful night, Kevin drew a doodle to get Peter to laugh: a nunchuck-wielding turtle in a ninja mask. But this one “dumb” drawing would launch the most successful self-published, creator-owned comic in history. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles— crime-fighting reptiles named for Renaissance painters— have taken on many forms, from gritty comic to kiddie cartoon to box-office sensation. They were also the third-bestselling action figure of all time, right behind GI Joe and Star Wars. Learn how Kevin and Peter turned a “yes-and” improv game into a multi-billion-dollar franchise, and why the Remix Effect helps you go viral. (Also, we have the goods on how these Turtles came to love pizza.) Here’s why the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are the best idea yet.

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Lonnie Johnson was already a brilliant Air Force engineer working on cutting edge, planet-saving inventions…when a surprise bathroom discovery (we’ve all been there) sparked an idea that changed water fights forever. This nuclear scientist's side hustle—a game-changing water gun prototype—would go on to reshape backyard battles and launch a billion-dollar toy sensation. But just like Lonnie when beat the odds as a Black student in Alabama’s segregated school system, his entrepreneurial era put him to the test. Hear how Lonnie had to navigate flaky investors—and go head-to-head with a corporate giant—on his way to splashy success. Along the way, we’ll get the secret sauce for turning side hustles into realities, learn a valuable business lesson from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky... and find out why the Super Soaker is the best idea yet.

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Roscoe Rodda was in the fight of his life. His candy factory was right down the road from Milton Hershey’s—yes, THAT Hershey’s—and he needed to set himself apart. So Roscoe embraced a single holiday to get the competitive confectionery edge: Easter. Chocolate eggs, jellybeans… and a secret treat painstakingly sculpted behind closed doors: a marshmallow chick with inquisitive waxy black eyes. These chicks circulated in obscurity until a Navy engineer-turned- candymaker molded them into a squishy, sugary phenomenon. (Today, 1.5 billion Peeps are eaten worldwide, just during Easter alone.) Find out how Peeps went from secretive snack to Easter GOAT—and why some people love ‘em, some hate ‘em, but everyone loves exploding them in the microwave. Here’s why Peeps are the best idea yet.

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