Taco Bell was struggling and needed an idea so bold… so over-the-top… so WEIRD… that it would capture America’s taste buds and Instagram feeds. So when it unveiled the Doritos Locos Tacos (or ""DLT"") in 2012, jaws dropped…then immediately started chomping. The hard-shell taco coated with cheesy Dorito dusting became the biggest fast food hit of the decade, selling over a billion tacos. Even tastier for Taco Bell: the red-hot fan hype turned the DLT into the first viral fast food hit of the social media age. But creating the DLT wasn’t a simple matter of sprinkling on some cheese dust. It took two years, 40 (!) prototypes, and some of the smartest minds in food science working in a secret lab to crack the deliciously elusive code. Discover the mom-and-pop restaurant that inspired Taco Bell's founder, how being more like Bridget Jones can up your idea hit rate, and why the Doritos Locos Taco is the best idea yet.

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Once upon a time, American kids had a problem—OK, two. They were watching way, WAY too much TV and they were falling way, way behind in school. But then a trailblazing producer and her psychologist friend asked a bold question: What if we used the first problem to solve the second? The result: Sesame Street, home of Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Bert & Ernie, and a social-media superstar named Elmo. Since Sesame Street’s debut in 1969—the same year as the moon landing!—the show’s helped educate more than 150 million kids in 70 different languages while breaking racial barriers along the way. It’s also taught us the meaning of friendship, the value of neighbors, and the joy of a good rubber ducky. And it was only possible thanks to audacious creators, educators, and one shaggy-looking puppeteer named James Maury Henson (but you can call him Jim). Learn about Kermit The Frog’s commercial past, why the only bets worth making are contrarian ones, and why Sesame Street is the best idea yet.

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Designed to keep climbers snug on El Capitan, the Patagonia fleece became the unofficial uniform of venture capitalists and finance bros (earning the nickname Patagucci). But thrill-seeking Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard never aimed for a high-end market. In fact, he built a $3 billion brand while trying not to be a businessman. Yvon's a self-described existential dirtbag (baby) whose idea of a good time is disappearing into the mountains for weeks while surviving on tins of cat food. Despite his dropout tendencies, Yvon revolutionized outdoor gear, and forged a brand (literally — he has an anvil!) built on anti-consumerism. Find out how a toilet seat cover inspired a fleece revolution, how the most anti-corporate CEO risked it all to fight climate change, and why the Patagonia Fleece is the best idea yet.

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Phish Food: it’s more Vermont than Bernie Sanders snowboarding down a mountain of maple sugar. This philanthropic ice cream came out of an epic ‘90s partnership between two Burlington legends: the jam band Phish, and Ben & Jerry’s. (You can thank the band for the caramel ribbon) But the Phish Food story really begins with Ben & Jerry themselves: two college dropouts and BFFs who started their business in a dilapidated gas station. These friends braved leaky roofs, frigid temps, and a crisis of faith that almost had them walking away from the business altogether. Instead, they created the first unicorn ice-cream brand and helped write the playbook for companies with a social mission. Find out why complementary cofounders make stronger businesses, how a Vermont-only IPO brought B&Js closer to their community, and why Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food is the best idea yet.

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Monopoly: the game that taught you to ruthlessly bankrupt your friends and family, one hotel at a time. With 250 million copies sold worldwide, ⅔ of American homes have a copy. But you probably don't know its shocking origin story: Monopoly rewards runaway greed — but was originally created by a feminist to teach about the evils of economic inequality. It was a financial flop…but an underground hit when a down-on-his-luck salesman claimed it as his own, making more moolah than Rich Uncle Pennybags — and (almost) writing the original creator out of history. Until an anti-establishment professor with an FBI file blew the lid off Monopoly’s scandalous history. Discover how the best products require iteration, why you need to (sometimes) trust your gut over data, and why Monopoly is the best idea yet.

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What’s keeping us up at night (besides our own thoughts)? An 8.4-oz blue-and-silver can of caffeine, taurine, sugar, and flavoring that’s part LaCroix, part Robitussin. Red Bull is not only America’s best-selling energy drink, it was its first: before the Bull, ‘energy drink’ in Illinois meant two Diet Cokes and a coffee chaser. But Red Bull’s reach is global, and its story actually begins halfway around the world. Learn about the Bangkok pharmacy owner who invented Red Bull, then gave it out for free in rural Thailand; and the Austrian toothpaste marketer who built it into a $19B global brand; and how Red Bull got so into extreme sports - it invented its own. (Flugtag, anyone?) We’ll tell you why every business needs a north star word, how an epic product needs a seed AND fertilizer, and why Red Bull is the Best Idea Yet.

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This one guitar didn’t just change music — it permanently cranked it up to 11. From Buddy Holly’s crisp riffs to Jimi Hendrix’s flaming solos (literally, he lit one on fire), the Fender Stratocaster is the most iconic electric guitar of all time. It inspired the Beatles AND Eric Clapton, became the axe of choice for everything from punk rock to reggae, and cemented itself as the foundation of America's $2 billion guitar industry. But the Strat’s journey begins in a ramshackle workshop of an unlikely guitar hero, Leo Fender (the guy couldn’t even strum Wonderwall). This unassuming electronics nerd overcame near-bankruptcy, chronic stress, and even a termite infestation to create the perfect electric guitar…Find out why great entrepreneurial teams are like the best bands, how Fleetwood Mac holds the key to innovation, and why the Fender Stratocaster is the best idea yet. 

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French fries and pesto? Mango and sticky rice? Ice cream and olive oil?! Real ones know when it comes to surprisingly perfect food combos, nothing tops chocolate and peanut butter (or is it peanut butter and chocolate?) - best showcased by America’s top selling candy… Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. That distinct blend of milk chocolate and salty peanut butter was the result of a (happy) factory accident and a down-on-his-luck frog salesman (true story). HB Reese had 14 mouths to feed but beat the odds to become a real life Willy Wonka, inventing the #1 most popular Halloween candy in America (sorry, Skittles). Find out the psychological reason why our brains crave contrasting sensations, how leaning into your mistakes is the sweetest indulgence of all, and why Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is the best idea yet. 

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Pop quiz: What’s the longest-running video game in history? It’s not Pac-Man or Donkey Kong or even Pong… it’s The Oregon Trail. A true pioneer (and we don’t just mean the ones in the covered wagons), the Oregon Trail has sold more than 65 million copies (that’s more than the Beatles’ White Album) and it spawned an “edu-tainment” industry now worth over $6B. But this wholesome game was created by three Minnesota student teachers, without a single thought towards making money… which is exactly why Oregon Trail made so much of it. Find out why this iconic game is a textbook MVP (Minimum Viable Product)… how an acquisition by Shark Tank’s “Mr. Wonderful” almost led to a collab with Barbie… and why the Oregon Trail is the best idea yet.

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When you hear the name Swatch, you may picture an affordable wristwatch with neon bands, a pop-art face, and an invite to the Middle School dance. But this humble plastic timepiece played a huge role in geopolitics: the Swatch saved the entire Swiss watch industry from something called the “Quartz Crisis.” Rolex is only thriving today as a luxury product because Swatch pulled off a James Bond-level rescue operation. Thanks to the big strategic bet of a consultant named Nicolas Hayek, Swatch became the best-selling new brand in the history of business, reaching $10B in revenue annually. But does the “S” in Swatch stand for “Swiss” or “Second”?” (We’ll save it for the pod). Find out why Swatch is the best idea yet.

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