Episodes
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Generative AI is advancing at a breakneck pace, prompting questions on risk and opportunity, from content creation to personal data management. In a special live recording, we delve into the ways AI can augment human work and spur innovation, instead of simply using AI to cut costs or replace jobs. Host Jeff Berman joined a seasoned AI researcher, Intel's Lama Nachman, and a young start-up founder, Scale AI's Alexandr Wang, on stage at the Intel Vision event in April 2024. They explore topics like AIâs disruption of creative industries, mitigating its biggest risks (like deepfakes), and why human critical thinking will be even more vital as AI technology spreads.
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Is the state of the U.S. economy good or bad right now? Stock markets have soared, but consumers remain wary. Are CEOs and investors deluding themselves? Or do Main Street Americans expect too much? Suzanne Clark, CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, has uncommon insight into this perplexing dichotomy. She talks with Rapid Response host Bob Safian about what sheâs hearing from businesses in the U.S. and abroad. Plus, she shares details from her recent high-profile visit to China. Also: why bringing your full self to work may not be a good idea, and how optimism drives economic growth and progress.
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John Mackey, co-founder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market, started in the grocery business as a Texas undergraduate seeking the keys to a happy life. The self-described âhippieâ opened one natural foods store in Austin and scaled beyond imagination from there. In his 44 years as CEO, Whole Foods grew to more than 500 locations and to a $13.7 billion valuation. Mackey shares how tapping into passion and purpose can align an entrepreneur with larger waves of change. Even as traditional grocery chains cut costs and streamlined, Whole Foods focused on the in-store experience, and carefully selected locations for successful growth. Mackey shares lessons in being put to the test around politics and activist investors, and his belief in creating value for all stakeholders. Hear how and why he sold Whole Foods to Amazon, and how tapping into purpose led to a new venture, the health and wellness brand Love.Life.
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We are biologically wired to focus on the near-term, and thatâs often a good thing. But in this moment â with global conflict, fast-evolving tech, and climate change dominating our present â we need to also prioritize long-term impacts. Futurist Ari Wallach joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to dive into our biological and business motivations around what he calls âfuturing.â Host of the new PBS docuseries, A Brief History of the Future, Wallach shares lessons from the longest-standing corporations on Earth, why he views AI as âimmortal algorithms,â and how business leaders must embrace the moral imperative of their business as a core KPI.
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With his trademark wit and wisdom, Guy Kawasaki shares lessons from his trailblazing journeys in tech and investing. He was âsoftware evangelistâ at Apple when the company launched its revolutionary Macintosh line. He went on to lead his own wide-ranging ventures, and today has reprised his role as âevangelistâ at the graphic design platform Canva. Guy has also written 16 books and hosts the âRemarkable Peopleâ podcast, which is now a book of the same name. He offers valuable insights on fostering a growth mindset, embracing change, and harnessing the power of AI to supercharge innovation.
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If the U.S. government bans TikTok, a generation of content creators and brands who have built businesses on the platform will be radically disrupted. With 17 million social followers â 3.5 million of which on TikTok â fitness and lifestyle entrepreneur Cassey Ho is in the heart of that storm. Founder of athleisure brands Blogilates and POPFLEX, she joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to discuss the fast-changing game of social engagement and whatâs required right now. Plus, she offers personal lessons on building a dedicated following and how audience feedback fuels her product roadmap.
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The high-flying Angel City Football Club is rising to a historic valuation in professional womenâs soccer, nearing $200 million. When the Los Angeles team started four years ago, franchises in its league went for as little as $2 million. Co-founders Kara Nortman and Julie Uhrman reveal the game-changing strategies behind this seismic shift, created with a third co-founder, actor and activist Natalie Portman. The tale of ACFC holds valuable lessons, from harnessing an outsider's advantage to tapping an underserved market with fresh perspectives. Their bold vision: prove women's sports is a lucrative enterprise, champion equitable recognition and pay across gender, and craft an iconic brand fueling community impact. Kara and Julieâs big dreams, brilliant execution, and unstoppable determination have transformed an industry.
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Rabid demand for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is altering US society and transforming the healthcare industry. Rapid Response host Bob Safian guides us through the upheaval and lessons, talking with CEO Zach Reitano of Ro, a telehealth platform that has ridden the wave to a $7 billion valuation. Reitano shares why he chose obesity-treatment as his companyâs âhero product,â the impact of weight-loss drugs on industries beyond health-care, and why the potential of GLP-1s like Ozempic mirrors that of AI.
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Just like private companies, many not-for-profit organizations begin when a founder sees a gap in the market and makes something new to fill it. Ian Bassin is a lawyer, former White House counsel and not-for-profit leader who saw a need to better protect and preserve the building blocks of Americaâs democratic systems, and steer things away from authoritarianism. His organization, Protect Democracy, brings together stakeholders across political divides to develop products, systems and services related to good governance. And Ianâs workforce has been entirely distributed â with employees now in more than 20 states â from the very beginning.
Host Jeff Berman draws out Ianâs story of crafting Protect Democracyâs mission alongside its culture. Hear how Ian gained the confidence, political and financial capital to start his work, and how he aligns an all-remote team. This episode is packed with insights for business leaders who navigate difference, and who aim to drive positive change.
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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The Oscars arenât just Hollywoodâs biggest night. The ceremony and the scrutiny around it captures the trends and evolving values of American culture. Rapid Response host Bob Safian digs into the business implications of the Academy Awards with incisive Hollywood observer Franklin Leonard, founder and CEO of The Black List, an independent platform connecting screenwriters with studios. From Oppenheimerâs near-sweep to Killers of the Flower Moonâs donut â and how Barbie arguably won the night without taking home the top prizes, Leonard teases out lessons about creativity, missed opportunities, and where the future of entertainment is moving.
If you work in the film, television or theater industry and are interested in finding high quality material, apply for The Black List industry membership today: https://blcklst.com/register/apply
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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In tackling our own moonshots, few businesses can offer inspiration like Intuitive Machines. When the companyâs Odysseus lander touched down on the moon on February 22, Intuitive Machines became the first private enterprise ever to reach the moon â and the first U.S. presence on the surface in 52 years. CEO Steve Altemus joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to share how his team navigated multiple last-minute challenges, with lessons about both meticulous planning and swift adaptability. From autonomous vehicles and 3-D printed engines to leveraging software and AI, Altemus explains how commercial space exploration is leaving the realm of science fiction to become a real industry.
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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Reid Hoffman thinks visionary leaders should pursue a "re-founder" state of mind. In this episode he welcomes the newest host of Masters of Scale, Jeff Berman, for a dialogue that digs into a re-founder's mission: evolving an organization while staying true to core values. As the re-founder of WaitWhat, the media company that brings this podcast to life, Jeff explores with Reid their own experiences with leadership succession. And they draw on re-founding insight from all-stars like Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Uber's Dara Khosrowshahi, and Yahoo's Marissa Mayer. So reset the clock to Day 0 â because it's always a prime time for a reboot!
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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Will OpenAIâs new text-to-video tool Sora revolutionize content creation? In this episode of Masters of Scale, Reid Hoffman joins Bob Safian to discuss Sam Altmanâs fundraising, Metaâs dramatic resurgence, and three catalysts driving the recent tech layoffs. In this rapidly evolving world, Reid makes a case for how AI is redefining the game of scale, and why entrepreneurs shouldnât buy into the myth of a âright momentâ to engage with a new opportunity or challenge.
Register for AI Day (Feb. 29): https://mastersofscale.com/mastersofaiday
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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Cyber war is raging, and the culprit is AI. Poppy Gustafsson, CEO of cybersecurity firm Darktrace shares new, proprietary info about how cybercrime has become professionalized across the Dark Web, and why deepfakes could soon find their way into your Slack or Zoom calls. But AI is also a powerful new weapon against attackers: Poppy tells Rapid Response host Bob Safian how to protect the most exposed areas of a business, why the unique digital DNA of an organization offers a shield, and how human factors are often more vulnerable than any software.
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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Krista Tippett and our friends at On Being welcomed Masters of Scale host Reid Hoffman for an inspiring conversation about all things philosophy, AI, and technologyâs impact on the human condition. We loved the episode so weâre sharing it with our listeners too. Reid opens up about his progressive upbringing and the power of friendship throughout his life. Plus, the pair experiment with Reidâs chatbot, Pi, and explore how being an AI optimist or pessimist will evolve the future of humanity.
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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The on-field Super Bowl went down to the wire, but the TV ads battle was a rout. Thatâs what one of the ad worldâs most influential leaders, Autodesk chief marketing officer Dara Treseder, tells Rapid Response host Bob Safian, arguing that when brands spend $7 million for a 30-second slot, itâs winner-take-all. She also explains how the Super Bowl sets the tone for the year ahead in marketing, and outlines why three metrics â being memorable, ownable, and relevant â matter most in delivering a positive return on marketing. So⊠was the winner Bud Light, BMW, Doordash, Verizon, or someone else? Listen in!
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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Some of the most vital and overlooked entrepreneurial resources might just be stored away in your family games cupboardâŠ
Itâs no secret that host Reid Hoffman is a lifelong game fanatic. But this admiration extends beyond just a hobby. Games are one of the biggest influences on Reid as a business leader.
In this special episode of Masters of Scale, Reid dissects five popular games and extracts the hidden entrepreneurial wisdom they contain. From strategic thinking in Settlers of Catan to the art of deception in Poker, Reid explores the underestimated power of games and what every leader can learn from their diverse mechanics.
Join us for a game night like youâve never seen.
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In the entrepreneurial journey, facing rejection is not just a possibility, but a certainty. However, it's the ability to perceive these rejections not as setbacks, but as stepping stones, that sets apart the most successful entrepreneurs.
Each 'no' offers a unique opportunity to refine an idea, sharpen a pitch, and foster resilience. It can even be a sign that your idea is so contrarian that it could be truly transformative.
This is a theory we've explored before on Masters of Scale. And now we're revisiting it in this special "Remix" episode. We'll hear a range of scale leaders share their strategies for weathering the chorus of no's, and see how doing so was a vital part of their scale journeys.
Learn more about MacGyver: MacGyver.com
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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President Biden is the first president to face the full force of the AI revolution. In this special episode, Reid Hoffman joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian for an exclusive inside look into the closed-door meeting between Reid and President Biden. From regulation and economic impact to the potential dangers of AI in the wrong hands, Reid and Bidenâs wide-ranging conversation explored the complex challenges that come with this groundbreaking technology. Reid reveals his thoughts on the presidentâs understanding of AI, the potential impacts of government regulation, and the opportunities that the new technology will bring.
Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com
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The backlash against remote work is in full swing, with 90% of CEOs reportedly rewarding in-office workers with more promotions and raises. But to Scott Farquhar, co-CEO of Atlassian, thatâs a big mistake â and in a just-released study, heâs got hard numbers to back him up. Scott talks with Rapid Response host Bob Safian about how the 10,000-person collaboration-software company â Australiaâs premier tech startup â is defying the trend with a bold gambit called Team Anywhere. Adhering to an Atlassian core value (âno bullshitâ), Scott shares insights about work flexibility, productivity, and the unexpected power of sporadic, but intentional gatherings. To prepare for the future of work, he says, business leaders need to take risks.
If you're interested in learning more from Atlassian and Scott be sure to check out "Lessons Learned," a report about how Atlassian has navigated distributed work at scale, including experiments they've run, data they've collected, and stories Atlassian employees have shared: https://www.atlassian.com/solutions/distributed/lessons-learned
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