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.
Listen to the episode here.
Congressional Testimony
(23:52) Hoover Institution fellow Dr. Brian Miller testifies in front of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust in a hearing titled "Examining Healthcare Markets: Fraud and Competition."
September 14, 2026
VIDEO
Artificial intelligence could become one of the most consequential drivers of productivity and economic growth in a generation. Yet concerns about job displacement, misinformation, and political disruption have prompted calls to regulate the technology before its effects are fully understood. History shows that major innovations disrupt existing industries while creating new forms of work and enterprise that policymakers rarely anticipate. Premature regulation risks entrenching established firms, limiting competition, and expanding government influence over information. The challenge is to address genuine harms while preserving the freedom and experimentation that allow innovation to advance.
Articles
Cities are the economic engine of America. The gravest threat to that engine is gun violence. Beyond the lives lost and families devastated, every murder that happens in an American city reduces that city’s population by seventy people—fewer people and businesses moving in, more moving out.
September 10, 2026
