Acquired: Latest Episode
Newest Acquired episode: Home Depot (September 14, 2026). Key takeaway, summary and previous episodes from 1% Better Updated whenever a new episode is...
Page updated by 1% Better. New episodes are summarised within hours of release.
Home Depot
Acquired · Published · 3h 35m
Key takeaway
Turn your next repair or improvement into a one-stop learning loop: define the full project, list every material you may need, and ask an experienced person to pressure-test the plan before buying. Home Depot’s enduring advantage came from pairing broad selection with practical education - helping customers finish projects rather than merely selling items. Today, apply that principle by solving the whole job, not the immediate symptom; a small fix can build confidence for larger capabilities over time.
Episode overview
Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal trace Home Depot’s rise from a scrappy 1979 startup to the world’s largest specialty retailer. The episode examines how warehouse-scale selection, low prices, expert associates, supplier relationships, employee ownership, and dense logistics built an enduring advantage - and how an operationally efficient but culturally misaligned CEO nearly damaged it. It also covers Home Depot’s recovery through a renewed focus on stores, customer service, e-commerce, and professional contractors.
Read the full Acquired episode summary for key insights, quotes and action items.
Previous Acquired episodes
- Disney: The Renaissance and the Empire
- The Walt Disney Company: The most successful enterprise for monetizing human nostalgia (Audio)
- Vanguard: The communist capitalist who saved investors a trillion dollars (Audio)
- Ferrari: What happens when you staple a luxury brand to a sports team? (Audio)
- Formula 1 (Audio)
About this page
This page always shows the newest Acquired episode in the 1% Better library. We summarise each episode from its audio or captions within hours of release, so bookmark it to check what is new. Browse every Acquired summary and guide or all episode summaries.