From Sawdust to Paw Patrol: The Spin Master Story (with Ronnen Harary) - Econlib
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From Sawdust to Paw Patrol: The Spin Master Story (with Ronnen Harary)
Jul 13 2026
A nylon stocking filled with sawdust that grows grass for hair launched one of the most successful toy companies in the world. Ronnen Harary, co-founder of Spin Master and co-creator of Paw Patrol, talks about his book No Experience Necessary with EconTalk's Russ Roberts. Harary traces his journey from selling grass-growing novelty heads at 23, through Devil Sticks and Air Hogs, to building Bakugan and Paw Patrol into global franchises touching the lives of millions of children. Along the way, he reflects on the artistry of commercial creation and what it means to build something that outlives its founders. The conversation closes on the eternal magic of toys and our childhoods.
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This week's guest:<br>Ronnen Harary's Home page<br>This week's focus:<br>No Experience Necessary: Why Betting on Yourself in Your Twenties Is the Best Decision You'll Ever Make, by Ronnen Harary at Amazon.com.*<br>Additional ideas and people mentioned in this podcast episode:<br>Our Story (featuring a picture of the Earth Buddy)--Spin Master.<br>Air Hogs.<br>Arnold Kling on the Unseen World of Banking, Mortgages, and Government. EconTalk.<br>Bakugan Toys.<br>"Celebrating Earl Bakken." Medtronic.<br>A few more readings and background resources:<br>"The World Is Too Much With Us," by William Wordsworth. Poetry Foundation.<br>Jamie Whitney. IMDb.<br>The Americans. IMDb.<br>Hatchimals. Spin Master.<br>"Ratatouille (2007)--Anton Ego Tastes Ratatouille--Flashback Scene [HD]." YouTube.<br>A few more EconTalk podcast episodes:<br>Chris Anderson on Makers and Manufacturing. EconTalk.<br>Maxine Clark on Building the Build-a-Bear Workshop. EconTalk.<br>A.J. Jacobs on Solving Life's Puzzles. EconTalk.<br>Viviana Zelizer on Money and Intimacy. EconTalk.
More related EconTalk podcast episodes, by Category:<br>Entrepreneurship and Innovation<br>Industry Interviews: Individuals at Work<br>Marketing, Management, Strategy, and Leadership<br>ALL ECONTALK CATEGORIES<br>* As an Amazon Associate, Econlib earns from qualifying purchases.
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT
TimePodcast Episode Highlights0:37Intro. [Recording date: May 28, 2026.]<br>Russ Roberts: Today is May 28th, 2026, and I want to remind listeners before introducing today's guest that we're doing an EconTalk Book Club around The Iliad by Homer. Last week's episode was with Ido Hevroni of Shalem College, introducing the book, providing some useful context to help you get started. Another episode, or episodes--depends--later[?] in the weeks to come. We're using the Fagles' translation, but there are many others to choose from.<br>And now for today's guest: entrepreneur, television and film producer, Ronnen Harary. He is a co-founder of the Canadian children's entertainment company, Spin Master, the co-creator of PAW Patrol, a preschool series that airs in 160 countries.<br>Spin Master had revenue of 2.3 billion in 2024 and is the fourth-largest toy company in the world behind Mattel, Hasbro, and Lego, and he's the author of No Experience Necessary: Why Betting on Yourself in Your Twenties Is the Best Decision You'll Ever Make, which is our topic for today. Ronnen, welcome to EconTalk.<br>Ronnen Harary: Thanks, Russ. Thanks for having me.
1:41Russ Roberts: Now, this is a very entertaining and thoughtful book. The point of the book is to encourage young people to take a chance, start a business. And a lot more to the book than that. It has some moral lessons and life lessons, business lessons.<br>I want to start with risk because when you encourage people to start a business, well, everyone thinks, 'Well, that's risky,' and you say it's...