School of Hard Knocks Podcast

Dr. Jason Wersland is the inventor of the Theragun and the founder of Therabody, the global wellness company that transformed percussive therapy and recovery.
After a serious motorcycle accident left him in extreme pain, Jason created the first Theragun prototype from a modified power tool and spent years developing the product while facing financial pressure, family doubt and failed business partnerships.
In this episode, he explains how he found the right investor, protected the invention, built an entirely new product category and earned adoption from world-class athletes including Cristiano Ronaldo and Aaron Rodgers.
The conversation explores invention, resilience, brand building, strategic partnerships and why consistency, persistence and delusion are often required to build something revolutionary.

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David Stout is the founder of WebAI, an artificial intelligence company publicly valued at $2.5 billion. After growing up on a Michigan ranch, he launched a web services company in college that generated more than $750,000 annually before leaving school to pursue AI.
In this episode, David explains how a $400 loan, repeated investor rejection, and a relentless focus on on-device intelligence shaped WebAI’s rise. He also discusses AI ownership, data centers, leadership, faith, recruiting elite talent, and the future of specialized artificial intelligence.

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Mike Sherbakov is a Russian-born immigrant, Marine Corps veteran, entrepreneur, angel investor, and co-founder of The Veteran Fund. After building and selling companies, Mike moved into venture capital and now helps back veteran-led startups across defense, AI, space, energy, robotics, and critical technology.
In this episode, Mike breaks down his journey from poverty and military service to entrepreneurship, early-stage investing, 100X returns, and building a 130-company portfolio. He also shares what he looks for in founders, why resilience matters, and how veteran leadership is shaping the future of American innovation.

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John Imah is the founder of SpreeAI, a fashion technology company valued at $1.5 billion, and the youngest millionaire in School of Hard Knocks history after selling two tech companies before age 16.
In this episode, John shares his journey from growing up poor in an immigrant family to working at Samsung, Twitch, Meta, and Snapchat before returning to entrepreneurship.
He breaks down building AI for fashion, attracting elite talent, selling into major brands, overcoming bullying, losing his mother, and using faith, discipline, and execution to build a lasting company.
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Ronnen Harary is the co-founder of Spin Master, the global toy and entertainment company behind Paw Patrol, Bakugan, Air Hogs, Rubik’s Cube, and more. Starting with a handmade product called Earth Buddies, he helped build the company into a multi-billion-dollar business across toys, entertainment, and digital games.
In this episode, Ronnen breaks down the early Kmart deal, passing on Beyblade, building Bakugan, creating Paw Patrol, scaling globally, learning from failure, and why your 20s are the best decade to bet on yourself.

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