On Masters of Scale, iconic business leaders share lessons and strategies that have helped them grow the world's most fascinating companies. Founders, CEOs, and dynamic innovators join candid conversations about their triumphs and challenges with a set of luminary hosts, including founding host Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock partner). From navigating early prototypes to expanding brands globally, Masters of Scale provides priceless insights to help anyone grow their dream enterprise.
When Ju Rhyu moved to South Korea for a corporate job, she noticed people unapologetically wearing hydrocolloid pimple patches on their faces — on the street, at the office, anywhere. She soon realized no one had cornered the US market yet on this skincare secret, and Hero Cosmetics was born. Rhyu joins host Jeff Berman this week to reveal the lessons she learned as a first-time entrepreneur who built a brand that earned a $630 million exit. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter:&n...
When Elon Musk stepped into the White House spotlight and brought his DOGE chainsaw, no one was better poised to cover the fallout than WIRED. The tech journalism outlet knew Musk’s playbook from the get-go, from years of covering his companies and his takeover of Twitter. WIRED’s Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond joins Rapid Response to take us inside Musk’s transformative, head-spinning time at President Trump’s side thus far. Drummond weighs the lasting impact of DOGE’s efforts 100 day...
Dr. Iman Abuzeid didn’t set out to disrupt the healthcare hiring system. But after she began listening more closely — especially to nurses — what she heard was an industry full of friction, delays, and burnout. Fixing that friction became the foundation for Incredible Health, a hiring marketplace now used by more than a million healthcare workers. In this episode, Dr. Abuzeid talks with host Jeff Berman about her strategic approach to expansion and how scaling allows her to have more impact — an...
In his return to Rapid Response, the billionaire entrepreneur, NBA owner, and CEO of Wonder, Marc Lore, told us he plans all his meals with AI – and he loves it. It’s just one part of his vision for transforming our relationship to food and health. His startup Wonder has already acquired Blue Apron, Grubhub and the media brand Tastemade, and he shares how that’s all laddering up to a superapp for meal time. Plus, while many businesses are raising prices in the face of today’s volatility, Lore re...
Spring cleaning season is in full swing, and this week, we’re revisiting Reid Hoffman’s chat with Adi Tatarko, co-founder and CEO of Houzz, an online platform for home remodeling and design. In this episode recorded in 2021, Tatarko tells the story of founding Houzz with her husband after their own home renovation project turned into a nightmare. They’ve grown Houzz into a bustling platform and marketplace for homeowners, designers, architects, and craftspeople. Tatarko’s story shows how followi...
As the founder of World Central Kitchen, renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés has truly mastered the art of leading through crisis. José returns to Rapid Response to share insights from his new book, Change the Recipe — a candid collection of personal stories that doubles as a playbook for navigating uncertainty, breaking rules, and leading with heart. José also explores how AI is poised to reshape the food industry, the importance of unplugging, and more. In a world seemingly on fire, Jos...
As CEO and co-founder of Modern Animal, Steven Eidelman is challenging the status quo of veterinary care — an industry long overdue for innovation. In this episode, Eidelman unpacks how Modern Animal is rebuilding the system to better serve vets, pet owners, and their furry companions. With about 600 employees and a rapidly expanding footprint, it’s a scale story full of lessons for anyone who is tired of business as usual. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://maste...
Amid tariff whiplash and the rejuggling of global trade, GE Vernova’s CEO Scott Strazik is finding a way to stay “relentlessly optimistic.” Strazik returns to Rapid Response to share how the company plans to continue its success as one of Wall Street’s top-performing stocks, despite looming supply chain disruption, and an evolving conversation about climate and the energy transition. Strazik also reflects on rising trends in wind and nuclear energy, and why staying agile matters more than ever. ...
Wellness is no longer just an employee perk — it’s an imperative business strategy. Cesar Carvalho, co-founder and CEO of Wellhub (formerly Gympass), joins host Jeff Berman to make that case and share his vision for the B2B platform providing wellness services and gym access to people worldwide via their employers. Hear why he quit his consulting job and Harvard Business School to start the company, now valued at $2.4 billion. Cesar reveals how personal pain points became the blueprint for globa...
Many prominent law firms have recently found themselves in President Trump’s crosshairs. Skadden Arps’ attorney, Rachel Cohen, encouraged the firm to fight the government’s pressure, only to have her attempts rebuffed and to be effectively forced out from the firm. Cohen joins Rapid Response to share her dramatic story, and fears about how the rule of law is changing in America. Rachel’s experience raises questions about the legal industry’s role in the checks and balances of the US system, and ...
Reid Hoffman shares the inside story this week of his bold new venture to disrupt cancer drug development: Manas AI. He chats with Jeff Berman to reflect on why he co-founded the company, the lessons he’s using to scale it, and what advice he has for fellow entrepreneurs and investors about how to make the most of AI in any industry. Rapid Response podcast conversation on Superagency: https://mastersofscale.com/reid-hoffman-on-ai-superagency/ Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter:&...
It's been a wild few years for Snowflake, from a record-breaking IPO to a plummeting stock price to a data-breach scandal. Sridhar Ramaswamy took over in the heat of the turmoil and helped steady the ship, in part by betting big on AI. Ramaswamy returns to Rapid Response to share lessons from the company's turnaround, including insights behind high profile partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic, how Snowflake embraced China's Deepseek early, and why Ramaswamy calls Snowflake the most consequenti...
Serial entrepreneur Julia Collins is tackling climate change with her latest venture, Planet FWD. It’s a B2B platform helping brands make their supply chains better for the environment – and their bottom lines. Julia joins host Jeff Berman to share lessons learned from her earlier endeavors in the food industry, which involved a failed unicorn, pizza robots, Danny Meyer, and sustainable snacks. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale ...
NPR's CEO, Katherine Maher, previews her upcoming congressional testimony, addressing concerns about NPR's perceived bias and the potential impact of federal funding cuts on local stations. She emphasizes NPR's commitment to serving all Americans, the importance of local journalism, and the need to adapt to audience needs in the digital age. Maher also discusses NPR's DEI strategy and her approach to maintaining editorial independence.
Serial entrepreneurs and investors Mike and Kass Lazerow are best known for co-founding Buddy Media, the social media marketing platform that sold to Salesforce for $745 million. Host Jeff Berman joined the Lazerows on stage at the 2025 SXSW conference to discuss their extraordinary career journey as co-founders and spouses. They’ve distilled their most meaningful business lessons into a new book: Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story About the Entrepreneur's Messy Path to Success . Book details: h...
Recent market swings are causing whiplash for everyday investors. Sarah Levy, CEO of digital investment platform Betterment returns to Rapid Response to shed light on a market in flux. Levy explores the evolving volatility of crypto, socially responsible investing, generational attitudes to finance, and more. Amid the noise around our economy, Sarah offers a clear-eyed vision to help everyone find their own unique approach to money. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www....
Compliance and security might not be the flashiest parts of running a business, but that’s exactly where the CEO and founder of Vanta saw a $2.5 billion opportunity. Christina Cacioppo joins host Jeff Berman to share lessons from hyperscaling her trust management platform. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California...
President Trump’s dramatic cuts to U.S. government grants are destabilizing every corner of the non-profit sector, leaving organizations scrambling to adapt. Stacy Palmer, CEO of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, explores the executive order’s impact on both the public and private sector, how organizations can adjust to the unpredictable philosophy of the new administration, and what the future of giving may look like. With many historical institutions like public schools, houses of worship, and co...
Anastasia Soare is responsible for how everyone from Oprah to Kim Kardashian shape their eyebrows. Soare started as a Romanian immigrant in a single room salon in Beverly Hills, and decades later, her beauty brand peaked at a valuation of about $3 billion. She joined host Jeff Berman to reveal the lessons she has learned building a global beauty empire, how listening to her daughter helped the brand leverage the influencer economy, and why she never wants to retire. Read a transcript of this epi...
The Oscars aren’t just about filmmaking — they’re a real-time look at the culture, business, and power plays shaping Hollywood and larger entertainment industry. The Ankler CEO Janice Min returns to Rapid Response to unpack the night’s biggest turning points — including how Sean Baker’s Anora proved that low-budget filmmaking can outrun major studios, why Hollywood is more afraid of political controversy than ever, and how livestreaming is factoring in the streamers wars, one Hulu glitch at a ti...
Shantanu Narayen has weathered plenty of storms for Adobe, the iconic software company that earned more than $21 billion in revenue last year. The veteran tech leader talks with host Reid Hoffman about transforming Adobe’s creative tools like Photoshop to a cloud-based subscription, how that unlocked ways to innovate faster, and why those lessons are serving the company well in the new age of AI. Synthetic voiceover of Reid Hoffman used in this episode was produced by Respeecher with full consen...
Feeling the impact of eggflation? Vital Farms’ CEO Russell Diez-Canseco joins Rapid Response to offer valuable context beyond the eye-popping price tags. As avian flu continues to wipe out millions of birds, many egg producers are struggling — but Vital Farms has managed to keep growing. Canseco shares how the brand’s relationship with farmers, transparency with customers, and unique business model has allowed the company to turn crisis into opportunity. He also explores why Vital Farms became a...
Cotopaxi founder Davis Smith believes business can be a force for change. He built a world-class outdoor brand around a simple but powerful motto: Do Good. In this conversation with host Jeff Berman, Smith shares the spark of inspiration that set Cotopaxi in motion, the hard-won lessons that shaped his approach to building teams, and why he chose to step away from the CEO role amid the company’s impressive growth. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscrib...
As demand declines for EVs, and Tesla’s Elon Musk wields power in the new Trump administration, electric automaker Rivian is taking this time to adapt its business and expand its brand. Rivian’s founder and CEO RJ Scaringe joins Rapid Response to share how the company is moving beyond the luxury SUV space — introducing a raft of new challenges and opportunities. RJ explores Rivian's recent $5.8 billion partnership with Volkswagen, the ongoing risk assessment for self-driving features, and how Ri...
Ryan Williams thinks it should be easier to invest in real estate. He founded Cadre in 2014 to address this problem, and scaled it to impressive heights before an acquisition last year that sources say was valued at north of one billion dollars, combined. Williams talks with host Jeff Berman about how he built a powerful network of mentors to support his success, what he learned after being thrust into the spotlight because of one of his investors, and why he decided to exit his business. Read a...
Super Bowl LIX had a clear winner on the field, but victory for brands was more hard-won. Sure, plenty of ad spots were star-studded, from Seal to David Beckham to Ben and Casey Affleck, but to what end? Many aimed for impact, but did they deliver? Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder offers hot takes on this year’s hits and misses from the big game’s ads. She joins host Bob Safian to break down what makes an NBDB (never been done before) moment, why so many brands adopted a “safe” approach, and what...
Masters of Scale brings you a special episode of Pivot with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway featuring conversation with our show’s founding host Reid Hoffman. Together, they discuss the hype and fears around DeepSeek, why spending money on AI is a good thing and insights from Reid’s newest book: "Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future." Then, Kara and Scott discuss Meta settling with Trump for $25 million, and the White House attempt to take a page out of Elon's playbook in...
Amy Errett had a hunch that hair color was a huge potential market – especially among women who wanted an option free from harsh chemicals. She started a company focused on clean ingredients, innovative technology, and a revamped salon experience. Since founding Madison Reed in 2013, more than 5 million people have tried her products. Errett joins host Jeff Berman to discuss why company culture is so important and how getting fired kickstarted it all. Read a transcript of this episode: htt...
Amid higher costs, longer wait times and waning sales, Starbucks is ready for a brand refresh. The company’s new CEO, Brian Niccol joins Rapid Response to reveal how Starbucks plans to go back to its roots and prioritize human connection in the hopes of restoring the brand’s position in US culture. Niccol also shares insights about evolving Starbucks’ business model, tackling the Chinese market, and how AI and tariffs are poised to shape the brand’s future. Visit the Rapid Response website...
Emma Grede is the co-founder of Good American and Safely, a founding partner of Skims, and chair of the 15 Percent Pledge. In this conversation, recorded live on stage at the Masters of Scale Summit in October of 2024, Grede shares entrepreneurial lessons with Angela Ahrendts (former SVP at Apple). Later in the episode, it’s Ahrendts’ 2024 Summit chat with Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments and former chair of DreamWorks. Hobson explains why she believes DEI efforts are worth fightin...
