This Dude Started Something

JT (J.T. 126) joins This Dude Started Something to break down the moment he pressed the $1,000,000 button on Beast Games Season 2 — the most watched unscripted show on Amazon Prime Video.

We dive into:

• What it felt like to eliminate his entire team

• The real story behind the Mia drama

• Behind-the-scenes secrets from MrBeast’s production • Strong vs Smart strategy

• What happens after you win $1,000,000

• Life as a law enforcement officer turned reality TV star

Season 1 of Beast Games hit over 50 million viewers in 25 days — and Season 2 just changed the game.

JT explains why he took the million, how he handled the backlash, and what MrBeast is really like off-camera.

Comment on IG: Would YOU have pressed the button?

#Beast Games, Beast Games Season 2, MrBeast, Mr Beast Amazon Prime, JT Beast Games, JT 126, 1 million dollar button, MrBeast million dollar challenge, Beast Games interview, Mia Beast Games, Beast Games drama, MrBeast reality show, Amazon Prime Beast Games, pressed the button Beast Games, Beast Games season 2 episode, MrBeast behind the scenes, law enforcement on Beast Games, This Dude Started Something podcast

Jack Bunker didn’t start a brand in college. He started one in high school — and not an easy one.

In this episode of This Dude Started Something, we sit down with Jack Bunker, founder of Blow It Gum, a liquid-core caffeine gum built to do one thing: make a boring product loud again.

Please note: This episode was recorded at 1:00 AM and may include some spontaneous tangents.

Jack walks us through how a random moment at school turned into a real consumer brand, why he built the brand before the product, and how he spent months hunting for a chemist while most kids his age were playing Fortnite.

“I wanted to find something boring that everyone uses every day and just try to make it cool.”

From giving away 70% of his first shipment, to DM’ing athletes and artists nonstop, to literally running business meetings out of an 18-passenger van in his high school parking lot, Jack breaks down what it actually takes to go all-in early.

“It was me and ChatGPT versus the world.”

We also get into:

• Why Blow It Gum uses a liquid core for faster caffeine absorption
• How caffeine hits through your gums in 5–10 minutes
• Bootstrapping vs. raising money (and why Jack held onto equity)
• Marketing through chaos, giveaways, and bold content
• Jumping out of helicopters… for branding
• Turning learning curves into leverage
• And why Jack is stepping away for two years — on purpose

“Even if it all goes to sh*t, I’ll never lose the learning experience.”

This episode is part startup case study, part brand breakdown, part unfiltered founder brain. If you’re into consumer brands, DTC, marketing, or just hearing what it looks like when someone actually sends it early — this one’s for you.

In this NYE 2025 episode of This Dude Started Something, we sit down with Dan O’Toole, Founder & CEO of Arrive AI — the company reinventing how packages are delivered in an autonomous world.

Dan shares how he:

• Beat Amazon, the U.S. Postal Service, and Big Tech to a critical patent
• Built a company through crowdfunding instead of VC
• Took Arrive AI public on Nasdaq
• Created the “mailbox 2.0” powering drones, robots, and autonomous delivery
• Maintained control while scaling a massive investor base
• Thinks about AI, infrastructure, and execution at scale

This episode is a masterclass in thinking big, moving fast, and executing before anyone else.

If you’re an entrepreneur, founder, inventor, or just obsessed with how the future gets built — this one’s for you.

Ticker: $ARAI Exchange: Nasdaq Arrive AI is publicly traded. Nothing in this episode is financial advice — this conversation is for educational and informational purposes only.

🔗 How to Connect with Dan & Arrive AI

• Arrive AI Website: https://arriveai.com
• Follow Arrive AI on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/arriveai/
• Dan O’Toole on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-otoole-3b6a4631/

On today’s episode of This Dude Started Something, we sit down with Luke Porada — a third-generation donut kingpin better known across Michigan as The Yeast Beast.

Luke wakes up earlier than anyone we’ve ever met just to make your morning taste better. But behind the sugar, glaze, and perfect rings is a wild entrepreneurial story. From taking over his family’s shop during COVID, to dealing with crazy customers, donut thieves, city drama, and the science of baking in different weather — Luke gives us the real behind-the-scenes of running a generational business.

We talk legacy. We talk yeast. We talk donut diggers. This episode is hilarious, insightful, and unexpectedly inspiring.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to run a donut shop — this is the one.

📢 FOLLOW OUR GUEST

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetex99/

Donutville USA: www.donutvilleusa.com

🎧 FOLLOW US

This Dude Started Something Instagram: @thisdudestartedsomething

In this episode of This Dude Started Something, Oliver and Brayden sit down with Aravind Krishnaswamy — a world-traveling photographer and longtime Google engineer whose breathtaking images have appeared on TVs around the world through Google’s featured photos program.

When he’s not building the future of technology, Aravind is deep in the wild capturing rhinos in South Africa, gorillas in Rwanda, and bears in Alaska — moments that blend art, patience, and adventure. The trio dives into how he balances life at Google with creative passion, how AI is reshaping photography, and why emotion still beats perfection in every image.

They also explore Aravind’s behind-the-scenes stories — from photographing a chest-beating silverback to explaining how his photos ended up on millions of screens. Whether you’re into photography, creativity, or the intersection of art and tech, this episode will make you see your camera (and your world) differently.

📸 Explore Aravind’s stunning work:

• Website: akimagery.com
• Instagram: @akimagery

In this episode, we sit down with Sean Nguyen — founder of 40 Love, future doctor, and all-around powerhouse of a human being. What started as a high school project turned into a national nonprofit dedicated to supporting the homeless through tennis and pickleball events that bring people together, raise money, and spark real change.

Sean shares how he grew 40 Love into a multi-city movement, what it’s really like working on the front lines of homelessness, how his family shaped his mission, and why he’s balancing all of this while pursuing a career in medicine.

We also talk about:

• The early days of 40 Love
• Hosting events across the country
• Presenting research at Stanford
• Using sport as a tool for social good
• Why this generation has the power to create change

🗽 We’ll be attending Sean’s next event in NYC AUGUST 10th— and you should come too!

👉 RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/forty-love-nyc-pickleball-fundraiser-tickets-1502020887909

Follow Sean: 📸 Instagram – @fortyloveorg

🌐 Website –https://www.fortyloveorganization.org

In this episode, we talk with up-and-coming filmmaker Jake Apgar about what it really takes to bring ideas to life. From making films in high school to directing his first full-length feature, Jake shares how storytelling, teamwork, and emotional honesty matter more than flashy equipment or big budgets. We cover how AI is creeping into the industry, which directors inspire him, why some popular films fall flat, and how you can start creating with whatever you have. If you’re a creative, a builder, or just someone figuring it out—this one’s for you.

What if you could print the ingredients of an entire drink onto the inside of a cup — and all you had to do was add water? Chris Kanik did exactly that.

In this episode, Oliver and Brayden sit down with the inventor of Smart Cups, the world’s first printed beverage technology, to talk about how a lifelong comedian built one of the most sustainable innovations in the world. From stand-up stages to science labs, Chris shares how his obsession with ideas, humor, and impact led to a technology that could reshape not just the beverage industry — but global access to nutrition.

They dive into his wild origin story, the science behind the cup, his passion for comedy, and why being underestimated might be the ultimate superpower.

Chris Kanik Instagram - @CEODADLIFE

Smart Cups - https://smartcups.com

What do World War II, American history, and luxury watches have in common? RT Custer. He’s the founder of Vortic Watches, a company that revives antique pocket watches and turns them into one-of-a-kind wristwatches that can survive the apocalypse—and look good doing it.

In this episode, RT breaks down how he built a 7-figure business out of history, scaled American manufacturing, and created something truly timeless. From buying up estate-sale treasures to surviving on spreadsheets and SBA loans, this is one of the coolest stories we’ve ever heard. He even got sued by one of the industry giants!

If you’ve ever wanted to start something unique, build something real, or just make your grandpa’s old watch sexy again… this one’s for you.

We apologize that we've been quiet for a bit… Oliver just made the move to NYC, and Brayden has been DJ'n. Big changes, big energy, and even bigger episodes coming your way. Kicking it off with one of the coolest founders we’ve ever talked to.

Season 3 kicks off with a full-throttle conversation featuring Mark Tapscott and Daniel Davey, the ex-Tesla and Lucid engineers behind Longbow Motors — the featherweight EV sports car company that just might change everything. These guys have shared meetings with Elon Musk, built Lucid’s international ops, and now they’re betting it all on a handmade electric car that’s lighter than a Miata and sexier than anything under $3 million.

In this episode, we dive into:

• The moment Daniel had to plug a Tesla into a hotel window extension cord
• Why Longbow’s first 150 Speedsters are done forever after launch
• How they’re using harmonics to turn motor noise into an authentic EV soundtrack
• What they learned from Tesla’s “no d*ckheads” rule
• Why their cars are made to be stared at, driven hard, and passed down generations

This isn’t another soulless EV. It’s the rebirth of sports cars — and it starts here.

Guest Socials

Instagram - @longbowmotors

Website - https://longbowmotors.com/