The relationship between the U.S. and China is typically framed as competitive and even adversarial. Each superpower brings strengths and weaknesses to how it approaches its society, business and growth. In his new book "Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future ," author and China expert Dan Wang, frames the key differences between the two superpowers. He argues that China can be understood as an "engineering state" that builds at breakneck speed regardless of public opinion or dissent. H...
Sep 19, 2025•38 min
After spending much of the 2010s in the doldrums, IBM has made something of a comeback in the past five years under the leadership of CEO Arvind Krishna. That's thanks to a lot of the success in its hybrid cloud business , as well as its consulting services. All of this has led to a surge in the company's share price. Now, IBM is betting that quantum computing will be the next big thing. But will Big Blue succeed against rivals like Microsoft and Google who are racing to make their own quantum b...
Sep 12, 2025•35 min
Every day, Wall Street Journal journalists talk with the most powerful, influential and interesting people. WSJ columnists Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins are bringing some of those conversations directly to you. Bold Names returns with new episodes on Fridays starting September 12 on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter . Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column. Read Ti...
Sep 05, 2025•3 min
WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins take a trip into the Bold Names podcast archives. They’ve covered everything from artificial intelligence and humanoid robots, to the online sports betting industry and the new streaming wars. Check out highlights from some of their favorite interviews. Plus, Tim and Christopher look back on what made these conversations memorable and share their own insights on guests including Anduril founder and CEO Palmer Luckey, venture capitalist Sarah Guo and Microso...
Aug 29, 2025•45 min
Longtime space rivals Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are vying to reach outer space with their giant rockets. Meanwhile, an ecosystem of other space-related startups are racing to be ready to set up shop on the moon and Mars. Lunar Outpost is one of three companies competing to build a space truck for NASA's Artemis missions . Founder and CEO Justin Cyrus is betting there will be a commercial rush to tap into the moon’s resources, including critical minerals . He says he wants his company to be the “m...
Aug 08, 2025•50 min
Tubi is a free ad-supported streaming service that's gaining ground on big players like Netflix and Amazon. It has the largest content library of any streaming platform, full of obscure gems and films by up and comers, including one starring TikTok influencer Noah Beck. Tubi CEO Anjali Sud says that by putting viewers first, the streamer is "expanding the definition of quality" when it comes to content. On the Bold Names podcast, Sud speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about how Tub...
Aug 01, 2025•47 min
Informatica isn’t a household name, but it plays a crucial role in helping companies like Toyota and Unilever manage and organize vast amounts of data. As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, that data is like a gold mine. Customer relationship software company Salesforce recently struck a multibillion-dollar deal to acquire Informatica. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Informatica CEO Amit Walia speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about why his company is ...
Jul 25, 2025•41 min
With Elon Musk’s Tesla piloting its robotaxi service in Austin, Texas and Waymo expanding , it’s the perfect time to revisit our interview with Zoox CEO Aicha Evans. She went deep with WSJ’s Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims on her decisions to sell the company to Amazon for over $1.2 billion and to keep Zoox’s radical design for a driverless car that looks like a lounge on wheels. As she and her rivals work to win customers’ trust, Evans’s insights into robotaxi safety are even more timely. Plus...
Jul 18, 2025•41 min
For months, the complex global auto industry has grappled with the added challenge of navigating the Trump administration’s trade war . That gives Swamy Kotagiri, the CEO of Magna International, a first-hand perspective of how tariffs, trade negotiations and shifting supply chains are reshaping the future of the business, today. How is the largest auto parts manufacturer in North America adjusting its plans now that the industry’s traditional patterns have been disrupted? Kotagiri speaks to WSJ’...
Jul 11, 2025•39 min
José Andrés knows what it’s like to work under pressure. From managing the chaos of restaurant kitchens, to running a global business empire, to helping feed people in disaster zones , the celebrity chef doesn’t like to sit still, especially when it comes to food. On a special bonus episode of the Bold Names podcast, Andrés speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about his new book, why he’s investing in lab-grown meat and his belief that good meals and “longer tables” are the cure for ...
Jul 09, 2025•32 min
Few people developing artificial intelligence have as much experience in the field as Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman . He co-founded DeepMind, helped Google develop its large language models and designed AI chatbots with personality at his former startup, Inflection AI . Now, he’s tasked with leading Microsoft’s efforts on its consumer AI products. On the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast, Suleyman speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins about why AI assistants are central to ...
Jul 02, 2025•40 min
Horacio Rozanski says he is obsessed with speed. As the CEO of Booz Allen Hamilton, a company that helps government agencies leverage the latest advances in technology used by the private sector, he has insight into the global race to develop artificial intelligence, especially in the realm of warfare . How does Rozanski see the relationship between the U.S. government and Silicon Valley evolving ? He speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcas...
Jun 27, 2025•38 min
Evan Smith is the co-founder and CEO of Altana, one of a few companies that have a global view and insight into the world’s supply chains . Think LinkedIn, but with the ability to track every step of a product’s movement from raw materials to store shelves . That lets him see firsthand how President Trump’s tariffs have thrown global trade networks into chaos as companies rush to rework every step of the manufacturing process. And Smith says this is just the beginning. Is the era of global free ...
May 23, 2025•35 min
What if you could control computers with just a thought? Precision Neuroscience is one of several companies working to make that a reality. Michael Mager is the co-founder and CEO of the brain-computer interface company whose technology aims to give patients with severe mobility issues new ways to interact with the digital world . How does Precision plan to offer brain implants to millions of people who could benefit from them? And how is the company competing with rivals like Synchron and Elon ...
May 16, 2025•35 min
What's next for artificial intelligence beyond autonomous agents and next-gen language models? Sarah Guo , the founder of venture capital firm Conviction, is a rising star among Silicon Valley investors. She says the next big wave of AI innovation could transform the business world. What is she looking for in investment opportunities? And why does Guo say enterprise software is prime for transformation in the AI era? She speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of t...
May 09, 2025•33 min
After flying 100 million miles and making over 1.4 million deliveries using autonomous drones, Zipline CEO and co-founder Keller Rinaudo Cliffton is looking to transform how same-day delivery works in the U.S. His company has spent years shipping medical supplies across countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Kenya. But will Zipline become a household name by flying burritos and salads to backyards in the U.S.? And how is the startup competing with tech giants like Amazon and Alphabet ? Cliffton speaks...
May 02, 2025•33 min
Peter Jackson, the CEO of Flutter Entertainment , leads a global sports betting empire. With the U.S.-based FanDuel as its crown jewel, he has a prime view of one of the fastest-growing and most profitable entertainment industries in the world. How is Flutter using technology to supercharge sports betting, while grappling with its potential harms ? Jackson speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast. Check Out Past Episodes: What This Former U...
Apr 25, 2025•32 min
Rajiv Shah , president of the Rockefeller Foundation and former head of USAID , has spent his career on the frontlines of the fight against global poverty. That gives him unique insight into the rapidly changing world of foreign aid and philanthropy . How are NGOs attempting to fill the funding gaps left as the Trump administration turns inward? Shah speaks to WSJ’s Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins on the latest episode of the Bold Names podcast. Check Out Past Episodes: ‘Businesses Don’t Like U...
Apr 18, 2025•33 min
Every day, Wall Street Journal reporters talk with the most powerful, influential and interesting people. On the next season of WSJ’s Bold Names podcast, columnists Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims are bringing some of those conversations directly to you. Join them, starting Friday, April 18. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Apr 11, 2025•1 min
Few people sit at the nexus of business and politics like Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins. As head of a company that makes much of the infrastructure underlying the internet and artificial intelligence systems , and as chairman of the lobbying group Business Roundtable , Robbins has a unique perspective on the rapid changes facing both Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C. How is he navigating this moment? And what lessons did he learn from playing basketball with an all-time legend? Robbins speaks to WSJ...
Mar 21, 2025•31 min
