Matthew Pohlson’s dreams of building a company were almost cut short by a near-death experience. The CEO and co-founder of Omaze reveals how it changed his mindset, and unlocked new ways to scale his business. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Sep 11, 2025•30 min
Sunday’s MTV Video Music Awards shone a light on some of the biggest storylines in the music business today – from the TikTokification of newly minted stars, to the evolving relationship between artists and brands. Music journalist and author Sowmya Krishnamurthy joins Rapid Response to break down business and cultural lessons from the show and what it reveals about the state of the industry. Krishnamurthy also explores Taylor Swift’s enduring dominance, the role of AI in music, and the latest t...
Sep 09, 2025•30 min
As the NFL season kicks off this week, host Jeff Berman talks with a serial entrepreneur known for innovating in fantasy sports. Jeremy Levine is the founder and CEO of Underdog, a rapidly scaling unicorn. Levine reveals how a relentless focus on product helps his company break through entrenched competition. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/...
Sep 04, 2025•35 min
Grab is a rideshare service-turned superapp, not available in the US but rapidly growing in Southeast Asia. It’s even outmaneuvered global players like Uber to reach a valuation north of $20 billion. Grab’s co-founder and CEO Anthony Tan joins Rapid Response to share how the platform has successfully expanded into food delivery and fintech, while also investing in the future of electric vehicles and autonomous driving. For any leader looking to bolster their company culture to meet the moment, T...
Sep 02, 2025•29 min
For our latest Strategy Session, Reid Hoffman and Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor answer questions from entrepreneurs about how to build more resilient businesses. They share frameworks for taking smarter risks, finding co-founders, and more. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Aug 28, 2025•29 min
AI tools are disrupting all types of creative content, and Runway AI is a pioneer making major waves in Hollywood. It’s partnering with the likes of Disney and Netflix to revolutionize production. Runway’s co-founder & CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela joins Rapid Response to dissect the company’s breakneck growth, the risks and responsibilities of AI tool makers, and how AI is redefining both business expectations and our notion of creativity. Cristóbal also reveals why he rebuffed advances from Met...
Aug 26, 2025•33 min
Whether you’re building a new product from scratch, growing your team, or trying to find product market fit, every part of scaling a business has one thing in common. It needs to be well designed. That’s why we’re headed back to school this week – and learning from Stanford d.school executive director Sarah Stein Greenberg. She reveals strategies for using human-centered design to improve everything from your product roadmap to your company culture. Greenberg’s book: Creative Acts for Curious Pe...
Aug 21, 2025•34 min
As young people report feeling lonelier and less connected than ever, the dating app Hinge is driving its users into real life, human experiences. CEO Justin McLeod returns to Rapid Response to share how the platform is combating digital fatigue amongst users, as well as navigating the risks and opportunities of AI in online dating. McLeod also explores Hinge’s recent collaboration with renowned psychologist Esther Perel, and offers insider tips to find that special someone in the chaos of moder...
Aug 19, 2025•26 min
As we gear up for our 2025 Masters of Scale Summit, we’re revisiting one of the stellar on-stage conversations that happened at the 2024 event. Hear Rocket Companies’ Dan Gilbert and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan reveal how their unique public-private partnerships have transformed the struggling city into a growing hub for everything from tech companies to electric vehicle manufacturing. Note: this conversation was recorded in October of 2024, before Duggan announced he would not seek another term a...
Aug 16, 2025•24 min
From humble beginnings selling vacuums on late night informercials, SharkNinja has grown to a 6 billion dollar a year business. CEO Mark Barrocas joins host Jeff Berman to reveal how the company keeps coming up with hits like the Ninja Creami, why “educated consumers” are the backbone of their business, and how they’re navigating the shifting winds of tariffs. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy...
Aug 14, 2025•36 min
Zoom out from continuing tariff turmoil and Trump’s recent attacks on the Fed and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and you’ll see a broader new economic order is forming. Political economist and Brown University professor Mark Blyth joins Rapid Response to reveal why outdated models still underpin much of our economic understanding, and what we still misunderstand – and underestimate – about China. Blyth also shares why the Democrats struggle to craft an engaging story about the economy, why it's...
Aug 12, 2025•36 min
When Rick Shadyac Jr. took over as CEO of the fundraising organization responsible for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, it was bringing in about 600 million a year. The recently retired leader joins host Jeff Berman to reveal how he built a fundraising machine that is now approaching 3 billion per year, and how that money will have a global impact on kids with cancer. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art...
Aug 07, 2025•35 min
As the Trump Administration ramps up mass deportations, the American Business Immigration Coalition is advocating for policy reform. Rebecca Shi leads the organization made up of 1,400 current and former CEOs, trade group leaders and more, who heavily rely on an immigrant workforce. Hear how uncertainty over immigration has disrupted daily business and hit the bottom line, as well as the carve-outs and clarity that big employers like Lowe’s, Tyson Foods and others seek for the long-term. Visit t...
Aug 05, 2025•29 min
When Ross Martin and Kern Schireson blended their companies in 2020 to form Known, they knew they wanted to throw out the old rule book about how to succeed in marketing. Now, they’re scaling fast and producing jaw-dropping results for clients. They join host Jeff Berman to reveal how their success relies on innovative AI — and kind humans — working together in new ways. Plus, advice for how to get great results from marketing that doesn’t break the bank. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly...
Jul 31, 2025•32 min
Cloudflare recently made headlines with breakthrough technology that stops AI companies from scraping online content with impunity. That’s major impact, since the company is involved in more than 20 percent of all online traffic. Cloudflare co-founder and CEO Matthew Prince joins Rapid Response to share how the new tools are poised to dramatically impact AI firms, publishers, and the future of the internet. Prince also takes listeners inside the state of cyberwarfare in the age of AI, and why Tr...
Jul 29, 2025•33 min
How do I learn to delegate? When is it time to expand? How can I find the right partners? Hear two iconic leaders – Sarah Robb O’Hagan and Elan Lee – take on real questions from early stage founders in our Masters of Scale Strategy Session. Robb O’Hagan has led iconic brands like Gatorade, Equinox and Exos. Lee is the founder and CEO of the game company Exploding Kittens. Don’t miss our next free, virtual event on Aug 14 with Reid Hoffman and Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor. Register now: master...
Jul 26, 2025•30 min
NYU Stern School of Business professor Suzy Welch has designed a framework – “Becoming You” – to help you figure out how to build a career that aligns with your values. She joins host Jeff Berman to dig into what happens when those values are in conflict and how to navigate the fundamental misalignment between Gen Z and the rest of the workforce. To learn more about the “Becoming You” book and values quiz, go to https://lnk.to/suzywelch!MastersOfScale Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly new...
Jul 24, 2025•34 min
It’s been one of the most consequential weeks ever in the media business, from CBS’ Stephen Colbert cancellation, and Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, to Congress clawing back more than $1 billion in funding from PBS and NPR. Axios’ Media Correspondent Sara Fischer joins Rapid Response to cut through the conspiracy theories and unpack what it all means from here. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv...
Jul 22, 2025•29 min
The board game CATAN has sold 45 million copies worldwide since Klaus Teuber invented it 30 years ago. It’s Reid Hoffman’s favorite board game for business leaders. He sat down with brothers Benjamin and Guido Teuber, who now run the business of CATAN, to talk about how they’ve kept the game evolving, why its core philosophy of strategic collaboration still resonates, and what entrepreneurs can learn from trading sheep for wood. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://master...
Jul 17, 2025•27 min
Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol made waves this week by announcing a new Return-to-Office mandate for corporate workers. It’s the latest in a string of changes the coffee company is making to restore its position in the US and global marketplace. Hear Niccol explain his revamped brand strategy in this conversation from February of 2025. He 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 Rap...
Jul 16, 2025•30 min
After 16 years as Editor-in-Chief of Harvard Business Review, Adi Ignatius is handing the role over to a new leader, and he joins Rapid Response for a more-than-an-exit interview. A longtime friend and colleague of host Bob Safian, Ignatius shares some of the most critical lessons he’s learned in decades of covering business and leadership, as well as dissecting the most hot button issues today — from Elon Musk’s conflicting priorities, to AI’s impact on media, and what Americans most misunderst...
Jul 15, 2025•38 min
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is one of the fastest growing dessert brands in the country. It’s known for its seriously delicious classic flavors and its wacky collaborations. (Kraft Mac and Cheese ice cream, anyone?) Co-founder and CEO Ben Van Leeuwen talks with Jeff Berman to reveal how it grew from his love of simple ingredients and driving an ice cream truck as a teenager into a rapidly scaling company with about 2,000 employees. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersof...
Jul 10, 2025•33 min
PBS President & CEO Paula Kerger joins Rapid Response to take us inside the organization’s financial reality if federal funding is stripped, and how she’s battling to protect iconic programming — from Frontline to Sesame Street. Kerger shares the role of corporate philanthropy in PBS’ future, its relationship with streamers like Netflix, and how she handles allegations of public media bias. Whether or not you're an avid Nova or Ken Burns viewer, PBS' challenge captures critical lessons about...
Jul 08, 2025•27 min
Devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles at the start of 2025. Nonprofit Baby2Baby was on the ground leveraging its deep knowledge of how to respond to natural disasters to help families in need. Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof joined host Jeff Berman on stage to reflect on what it was like to use everything they’d learned scaling their nonprofit to help their hometown in a moment of crisis. This Masters of Scale Live event, presented by Capital One Business, was recorded...
Jul 03, 2025•36 min
For over a decade, Canva has made design and publishing more accessible than ever. Now, the company is wrestling with how to harness AI while staying true to its mission of empowering individual creators. Co-founder and COO Cliff Obrecht joins Rapid Response to reveal how Canva is navigating this shift—and why the stakes are so high when it comes to AI-adoption in the creative industry. He opens up about leading the company alongside his wife and co-founder Melanie Perkins, their decision to giv...
Jul 01, 2025•30 min
Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff and Dotloop founder Austin Allison both knew that owning a vacation home was a great privilege — and an expensive hassle. They’re leveraging their decades of experience in real estate to reshape how owning a vacation home works with a new business: Pacaso. They join host Jeff Berman to reveal how it became the fastest U.S. company to ever reach unicorn status. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly ...
Jun 26, 2025•33 min
Even after the fighting stops, the impact of war is felt for generations. Dr. Samantha Nutt, President of War Child USA and Canada, joins Rapid Response to share how the nonprofit is serving families in conflict zones around the world — from Sudan to Afghanistan, utilizing local leaders and community organizers to spark meaningful and long term change. In the wake of Trump’s sweeping USAID divestment, Dr. Nutt reveals how nonprofits are adapting to a new climate, and why she’s surprisingly optim...
Jun 24, 2025•29 min
After wildly successful stints at Google, as CEO of Taskrabbit, and on prominent boards, Stacy Brown-Philpot decided it was time to start her own venture capital fund. She talks with host Jeff Berman about how she raised $172 million for Cherryrock Capital, why she’s focusing on underinvested founders, and how she owes it all to a six-day silent retreat. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/s...
Jun 19, 2025•33 min
Amid global conflict, domestic unrest, and AI’s surging impact in all corners of business, it’s getting harder than ever to decipher noise from substance. To help us navigate this challenge, Reid Hoffman returns to Rapid Response, sharing valuable insights about Trump’s public spat with Elon Musk, the crisis in the Middle East, and how his new AI healthcare startup functions in the age of RFK Jr. Plus, Hoffman assesses Meta and Apple’s recent strategy to compete with OpenAI, and whether AI is re...
Jun 17, 2025•33 min
A group of graduating students asked Reid Hoffman the biggest questions looming in their minds as they venture out into their careers. Plus, we asked a dozen incredible CEOs, founders and authors for the one piece of advice they’d give to a new graduate. It’s excellent wisdom whether you’re a new graduate or not. 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://art...
Jun 14, 2025•24 min
