Malcolm Gladwell

Over here at Pushkin, we've been hard at work, all with the goal of bringing you a little bit of audio happiness. Stay tuned, everyone. Welcome to Revisionist History. We have a special treat today.

Over here at Pushkin, we've been hard at work, all with the goal of bringing you a little bit of audio happiness. Stay tuned, everyone. Welcome to Revisionist History. We have a special treat today.

I had a chance to sit down with a guy named Diogo Rao, who worked for years at Apple, way up high, and then left to become the chief information and digital officer at Eli Lilly and Company, one of the biggest drug makers in the world. Diogo, as you will learn, is irreverent and fascinating and sees a good 10 years ahead of the rest of us.

I had a chance to sit down with a guy named Diogo Rao, who worked for years at Apple, way up high, and then left to become the chief information and digital officer at Eli Lilly and Company, one of the biggest drug makers in the world. Diogo, as you will learn, is irreverent and fascinating and sees a good 10 years ahead of the rest of us.

At the end of our conversation, Diogo said to me, you know, we never got to AI, which is true. Can you imagine a conversation about technology so interesting that you never get to the subject of artificial intelligence? That's what you're about to hear. We're going to talk about a whole number of things, but I wanted you to start because you're a very unusual figure.

At the end of our conversation, Diogo said to me, you know, we never got to AI, which is true. Can you imagine a conversation about technology so interesting that you never get to the subject of artificial intelligence? That's what you're about to hear. We're going to talk about a whole number of things, but I wanted you to start because you're a very unusual figure.

You work for Eli Lilly, but you are a very unusual figure at Eli Lilly. Is that a fair statement?

You work for Eli Lilly, but you are a very unusual figure at Eli Lilly. Is that a fair statement?

No, no, I was talking about your background.

No, no, I was talking about your background.

How many people do you think have moved from Apple to a life sciences company? About five. I know them all. Do you guys get together? I recruited most of them. Oh, I see. Yeah. And how did it, sorry, this is a kind of, I want to start on this little tangent, but how did that work exactly? So somebody comes to you and says, have you ever thought, to work for a pharma company.

How many people do you think have moved from Apple to a life sciences company? About five. I know them all. Do you guys get together? I recruited most of them. Oh, I see. Yeah. And how did it, sorry, this is a kind of, I want to start on this little tangent, but how did that work exactly? So somebody comes to you and says, have you ever thought, to work for a pharma company.

Yeah. So let's start. So you make this. When did you start your job at Lilly? May 17th, 2021. Wow. So go through, just off the top of your head, the most surprising things you learned moving from Silicon Valley to a life sciences company.

Yeah. So let's start. So you make this. When did you start your job at Lilly? May 17th, 2021. Wow. So go through, just off the top of your head, the most surprising things you learned moving from Silicon Valley to a life sciences company.

So there is certainty that this product will be approved, but just the... You can be 10 years away and be certain it'll be approved, but know that you still have 10 years worth of work to do?

So there is certainty that this product will be approved, but just the... You can be 10 years away and be certain it'll be approved, but know that you still have 10 years worth of work to do?

But I want to go back to, so you come to Lilly, and I'm curious, so what did they want from you?

But I want to go back to, so you come to Lilly, and I'm curious, so what did they want from you?

But is there, within the portfolio of things that Lilly does, do you touch on everything, or just are you... Focused on the consumer side of the business?

But is there, within the portfolio of things that Lilly does, do you touch on everything, or just are you... Focused on the consumer side of the business?