California Congressman Ro Khanna, who is serving his third term as the Representative for Silicon Valley, tells Scott about the Endless Frontier Act, a bipartisan bill he co-sponsored that aims to strengthen U.S. competitiveness with China through investments in technological and scientific leadership. Ro also shares the best and worst of big tech companies, and what it will take to get them back in check. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Aug 12, 2021•49 min•Ep. 91
Scott answers a question about whether fintech disruptors like Klarna and Affirm have a responsibility to educate younger consumers on how to bank responsibly. He also shares his thoughts on how Apple can continue to vertically integrate, offers career advice to someone with a job opportunity in Berlin, and shares how he stays productive. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Aug 09, 2021•30 min•Ep. 90
Josh Wolfe, the co-founder of Lux Capital, joins Scott to discuss his thoughts on the tech regulations coming out of China, and how investors should be thinking about them. He also discusses the sectors he’s keeping tabs on, including space and the metaverse, and the ones that he thinks are over and underhyped. Follow Josh on Twitter, @wolfejosh . Scott opens by having a conversation with Pascal Gauthier, the CEO of Ledger. Ledger is building a hardware wallet for crypto assets — and full disclo...
Aug 05, 2021•56 min•Ep. 89
Scott answers a question about what advertising might look like after the death of the cookie. He also shares his thoughts on what it takes to capture the attention of investors, and considers a proposal for an entrepreneurial-focused high school. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 02, 2021•22 min•Ep. 88
Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist at NYU’s Stern School of Business, joins the pod again for a conversation on how social media disrupts our democracy and the mental health of young people. We also learn about Jonathan’s forthcoming book, “Three Stories about Capitalism: The moral psychology of economic life.” Follow Jonathan on Twitter, @JonHaidt . . Algebra of Happiness: Cry more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jul 29, 2021•48 min
Scott answers a question about Tesla’s new monthly subscription service. He also shares his thoughts on stand-out fintech players, offers a prediction for the future of coworking spaces, and gives career advice to someone looking to build economic security for their family. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 26, 2021•27 min
Tonya Evans, a professor of law at Penn State Dickinson Law School, joins Scott to discuss the intersection of intellectual property and the crypto space. We also hear her take on NFTs as tools of empowerment, and how DeFi serves as a viable way for people to build generational wealth. Follow Tonya on Twitter, @IPProfEvans . Scott opens with his thoughts on the billionaire space race, CNN+ and the streaming wars, as well as Zoom’s most recent acquisition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
Jul 22, 2021•53 min•Ep. 85
Scott answers a question about Google’s dominance in the travel space, and how Airbnb manages to hold its own. He also shares his thoughts on how companies that go public via SPAC are perceived, why real estate is a solid investment, and why opening physical stores can be a powerful branding move — even for a tech company like Amazon. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jul 19, 2021•27 min•Ep. 84
Sam Harris returns for part two of our conversation. Today, Sam shares his thoughts on why call out culture is an unproductive vehicle for creating change, addressing systemic problems, and facilitating debates. He also explains how we should establish a principle of charity — even with those who we may not agree with. Follow Sam on Twitter, @SamHarrisOrg . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jul 15, 2021•46 min•Ep. 83
Scott answers a question about whether Nike should acquire Peloton. He also shares his thoughts on risking it all to move abroad, and offers career advice to someone with an offer to take on a management role. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jul 12, 2021•17 min
Sam Harris joins the pod again to discuss psychedelics — including his experience with LSD and psilocybin — and shares his thoughts on who should and shouldn’t take them. He also explains how these drugs can provide you with a profound perspective on life, give you clarity, and help you hit the reset button. Follow Sam on Twitter, @SamHarrisOrg . Scott opens with how big tech entering healthcare is exactly what dispersion is meant to do. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com...
Jul 08, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 81
Pierpaolo Barbieri, the CEO and founder of Ualá, tells us about the booming fintech space, incumbent banks, and crypto. Ualá is an Argentine fintech company that is working to bring Latin Americans the necessary financial tools they need to run a business, pay their bills, and participate in the economy. Follow Pierpaolo on Twitter, @pbarbieri . Scott opens with his thoughts on wealth inequality, the record number of startups that have come out of this recession, and the latest on antitrust. Lea...
Jul 01, 2021•56 min•Ep. 80
Scott answers a question about the next economic slowdown, which he thinks is imminent. He also shares his thoughts on what Zoom needs to do to maintain its valuation in a post-pandemic world, why it’s still important to be based near your customers, and what to do if you want to escape the clutches of the Big Five tech companies. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jun 28, 2021•24 min•Ep. 79
Andy Slavitt, President Biden’s former White House senior advisor for the Covid team, updates us on COVID-19 and vaccine hesitancy. He also shares how to think about the various leadership responses we saw, and why certain countries handled the pandemic better than others. Follow him on Twitter, @ASlavitt . (18:22) Andy’s book , PREVENTABLE: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response, is out now. Scott opens with a discussion on sp...
Jun 24, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 78
Scott answers a question on SoFi’s IPO, plus the record number of Fintech companies going public. He also shares his thoughts on whether Apple should acquire Neeva and make it its default search engine. Scott then gives dating advice to the young and single in an era of dating apps, and tells us how to navigate working in an industry that challenges our values. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jun 21, 2021•28 min•Ep. 77
Heather McGhee, the author of The Sum of Us , tells us her definition of zero-sum thinking and how racist policy decisions have left us all worse off. Heather is also the chair of the board of Color of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. Follow her on Twitter, @hmcghee . (17:53) Scott opens with why he’s feeling optimistic at the moment. We also hear from a previous Prof G Pod guest, Joost van Dreunen on Netflix’s potential entrance into the gaming space (9:00). Lear...
Jun 17, 2021•51 min•Ep. 76
Scott shares his thoughts on Tesla’s future in a more saturated EV market. He also answers questions on investing in the identity verification market, whether employee-owned businesses could replace publicly traded companies, and how to become a more active member of academia. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jun 14, 2021•23 min•Ep. 75
Sridhar Ramaswamy, the CEO and cofounder of Neeva, tells us how the company — an ad-free, private search engine — is differentiating itself in the search market. Sridhar also shares the leadership lessons he’s learned from running a team of 10,000 people during his fifteen and a half years at Google. Follow on Sridhar Twitter, @RamaswmySridhar . Scott opens with how a lack of corporate governance could lead us to a market crash. Related Reading: Coinbase Independent Directors Have Close Company ...
Jun 10, 2021•51 min•Ep. 74
Dr. Sara Beckman of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business joins Scott to answer a question about innovation in the robo-advisor space. They also share their thoughts on the costs and benefits of blockchain, how to structure successful teams, and why it’s crucial to have mentors you trust. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
Jun 07, 2021•31 min•Ep. 73
Brad Stone, the senior executive editor for Global Technology at Bloomberg News, joins to discuss his latest book: Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire . We hear how the company has transformed under Jeff Bezos’s leadership and the existential threats coming for its market dominance. Follow Brad on Twitter, @BradStone . Scott opens with his thoughts on “burning benjamins” — AKA what happens when billionaires lose other people’s money. Additional Reading: MeWork Learn m...
Jun 03, 2021•45 min•Ep. 72
Hamid Moghadam, the CEO of Prologis, a logistics real estate business, breaks down how warehouses have evolved to meet the demand for speedy deliveries, how the pandemic expedited trends in the supply chain space, and how a booming era of e-commerce is driving this sector. He also reflects on his career path as an Iranian-American and a leader of a nearly $90 billion company. Scott opens with Snap’s investments in augmented reality and explores how the broader social commerce space is shaping up...
May 27, 2021•57 min•Ep. 71
Scott answers a question about where eBay stands in the Amazon era. He also shares his thoughts on the concentration of venture capital investments in California, Massachusetts, and New York, why it can be worth it to lose money in the housing market, and why the world needs young Americans to participate in public service. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
May 24, 2021•29 min•Ep. 70
Niall Ferguson returns to the pod for a discussion about his latest book, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe . Niall shares why "all disasters are in some sense man-made" and what history can teach us about handling crises. Niall also explains the state of play around digital currencies from a geopolitical perspective. Follow Niall on Twitter, @nfergus . Scott opens with his thoughts on AT&T’s reverse merger with Discovery, and what it means for the streaming wars. He also discusses the impli...
May 20, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 69
Scott answers a question on how NFTs might disrupt the music industry. He also shares his thoughts on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion to any successful business. Scott then addresses the push in certain states to ban “divisive concepts” in schools and answers a question on how to practice gratitude. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices...
May 17, 2021•23 min•Ep. 68
Kenneth Cukier, a senior editor at The Economist, joins to share insights from his latest book, Framers: Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil . Kenneth explains how to use frames to make better decisions and avoid crises, as well as why we should rethink the phrase “think outside the box.” He also shares his thoughts on how artificial intelligence is shaping business, healthcare, and society. Follow him on Twitter, @kncukier . Scott opens with why he believes America is experienci...
May 13, 2021•51 min•Ep. 67
Scott shares his thoughts on who the winners of the cannabis industry will be, and why he still enjoys a little THC from time to time. Scott also answers questions on where the movie theater industry is headed after a catastrophic 2020, whether Apple should expand its rundle with its own social media network, and how to decide between pursuing entrepreneurship or a career at a global company. Music: https://www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastc...
May 10, 2021•23 min•Ep. 66
Bob Cialdini, one of the world’s leading social scientists, joins Scott to discuss his seven principles of persuasion and his revised edition of Influence — the psychology of why people say yes. Bob also shares how to use these principles in thoughtful debates, politics, and parenting. Follow him on Twitter, @RobertCialdini . Scott opens with his thoughts on Verizon selling Yahoo and AOL, Epic Games vs. Apple, and Biden’s economic plan. Algebra of Happiness: Tell someone how impressed you are wi...
May 06, 2021•56 min•Ep. 65
Scott answers a question about where the smart home industry is headed now that nearly half of American households use a smart home product. Scott also shares his thoughts on how companies can expedite environmental, social and corporate governance, how to know if you’ve progressed beyond the need for an executive MBA, and the correlation between income inequality and companies that achieve “unicorn” status. Have a question for Scott? Email a voice recording to officehours@profgmedia.com Learn m...
May 03, 2021•26 min•Ep. 64
Al Franken, the former senator of Minnesota, shares how he got his start in comedy and discusses the state of play around our political ecosystem — including who might be in the running in 2024, the issues he believes Democrats and Republicans can compromise on, and the need to address systemic inequality. We also hear his advice on being a good partner and father. Follow Al on Twitter, @alfranken . Scott opens with his thoughts on the Streaming Wars and the push towards international content. H...
Apr 29, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 63
Scott answers a question about how SaaS or B2B companies could go vertical — or in other words, control as much of the consumer’s end-to-end experience as possible. Scott also answers questions about his decision to invest in the private markets, deciding whether to pursue a PhD, and how to build a professional network outside of your academic institution. Have a question for Scott? Email a voice recording to officehours@profgmedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/a...
Apr 26, 2021•22 min•Ep. 62