Masters of Scale
Episodes
Rohan Oza: The playbook for building billion-dollar consumer brands
04 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
If there was a Mount Rushmore of brand builders, investor Rohan Oza would be on it. He’s been the driving force behind $8 billion in exits for vitam...
The race no one can win: AI’s anti-human crisis, with Aza Raskin
02 Jun 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Big Tech is moving fast on AI. But who's watching out for the rest of us? Aza Raskin, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, has spent years ...
How to get better at money, with Carrie Joy Grimes
28 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Money = Math + Feelings. That’s the equation at the heart of Carrie Joy (CJ) Grimes’ nonprofit WorkMoney, which has scaled to more than 9 million ...
Why success destroys the companies we love, with Eric Ries
26 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What if the way we think about business value, trust, and capitalism itself is fundamentally broken? Eric Ries’ The Lean Startup changed how a gener...
Pioneers of AI: How fast can you upskill in AI? We did a sprint to find out.
23 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
We all feel the urgency: learn to use AI, or risk falling behind at work. And we all know there's an upside: AI can reduce tedious tasks, streamline o...
How Coach scaled from a single store into a global icon
21 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When Lew Frankfort joined Coach half a century ago, it was a small NYC handbag maker without a single storefront. Frankfort reveals how he scaled the ...
The “invisible army” behind Amazon’s robotaxi revolution
19 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Robotaxis are multiplying across American cities… But are consumers actually ready to trust them? Zoox CEO Aicha Evans joins Rapid Response to talk ...
Author David Epstein on why constraints fuel innovation
14 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In a new follow-up to his bestselling book Range, author David Epstein reveals his new contrarian take: The best thing for innovation is actually cons...
Duolingo’s battle for learning in an AI world, with Luis von Ahn
12 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn sent an internal memo about AI last year, he didn't expect it to go viral — or to ignite a firestorm about the future...
Raising Cane’s secret recipe for scaling, with CEO Todd Graves
07 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Todd Graves built Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers into a nearly 1,000 restaurant empire worth billions. It’s well known for both its deliciously si...
Mellody Hobson: When investors head for the exit, run to the fire
05 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When markets drop and chaos hits, Mellody Hobson is determined to be brave. The co-CEO of Ariel Investments and former chair of Starbucks and DreamWor...
The Devil Wears Prada workplace: Toxic or timeless?
02 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As The Devil Wears Prada 2 hits theaters this weekend, Rapid Response explores the enduring business lessons inside the now 20-year-old original. Host...
How Poppi’s founders built a new soda brand worth $2 billion
30 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Allison and Stephen Ellsworth hyperscaled their healthier soda brand Poppi to a truly gigantic exit to Pepsi – nearly $2 billion – and changed an ...
Maria Sharapova’s centre court tricks for the boardroom
28 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Five grand slam titles. More than a decade as the world's highest-paid female athlete. But the fiercest competition Maria Sharapova describes may be t...
Possible: Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings: stories, schools, superpowers
25 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Reed Hastings has announced he'll leave the board at Netflix, the company he co-founded. Before that news broke, Reid and Aria sat down with Hastings ...
The art of the steal: Serial founder Eric Ryan on finding inspiration
23 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Serial entrepreneur Eric Ryan knows what it takes to build clever companies that earn massive exits. He founded and scaled the cleaning products brand...
A first look at Samsung’s blueprint to win the AI era, with Mauro Porcini
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As AI redefines how products are both built and experienced, Samsung is reimagining its place in the tech ecosystem. As Milan Design Week gets underwa...
Why CEOs need to think more like athletes, with investor Byron Deeter
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Byron Deeter has spent two decades at the epicenter of tech as an investor with Bessemer Venture Partners. His portfolio includes some of the most inn...
LIV Golf’s gambit to rewrite global sports, with Scott O’Neil
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Scott O'Neil has run NBA and NHL franchises. Now he's betting on a golf revolution. The LIV Golf CEO joins Rapid Response to reveal what it really tak...
Humanize AI before it dehumanizes us, with Dr. Rana el Kaliouby at SXSW
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI is moving fast. But are we really keeping humans at the center? In this special live Rapid Response, recorded on stage at South by Southwest, host ...
The “most stressed” wellness CEO, with Calm’s David Ko
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when the CEO of one of the world’s biggest wellness apps says it’s time for a change? David Ko of Calm joins Rapid Response just afte...
How to think faster and talk smarter, with Matt Abrahams
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Abrahams knows what it takes to win over a crowd, close a deal, or inspire a team. The renowned communication expert and Stanford business school...
The internet is breaking. So what’s next? with Cloudflare’s Matthew Prince
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI bots are on track to outnumber humans online by 2027. No one has a better line of sight into that shift than Matthew Prince — his company, Cloudf...
Arthur Brooks on how to build a meaningful life
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Arthur Brooks is a bestselling author and Harvard professor best known for his work on the science of happiness. He joins host Jeff Berman to reveal t...
Crisis at Hormuz, and your $160b tariff refund clock, with Flexport’s Ryan Petersen
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When global trade buckles, Ryan Petersen is the person executives call. The founder and CEO of Flexport returns to Rapid Response to offer a real-time...
Futurist Amy Webb: Trends are not enough
19 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Amy Webb, futurist and CEO of the Future Today Strategy Group, held a funeral for her famous annual trend report at SXSW this year. She explains to ho...
The C-suite is messier than you think, with Maryam Banikarim
17 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Career disruption is accelerating across the economy — and few people have navigated it more boldly than Maryam Banikarim. The former CMO of Univisi...
How Shantanu Narayen transformed Adobe
14 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Shantanu Narayen announced this week that he will step down after nearly two decades as CEO of Adobe. In this conversation first published in early 20...
FanDuel CEO Amy Howe: ‘My whole career has been sliding doors moments’
12 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Before taking on the role of FanDuel CEO, Amy Howe faced unprecedented uncertainty while leading Ticketmaster through a global pandemic. Howe talks wi...
Stop waiting for clarity. Unfreeze and act, with Accenture’s Julie Sweet
10 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
AI disruption and geopolitical upheaval are forcing business leaders to make high-stakes decisions — fast. Accenture CEO Julie Sweet joins Rapid Res...
Your Rich BFF dishes on dopamine spending and the new money minefield, with Vivian Tu
05 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Why does uncertainty make us less rational with money? And who should we trust for financial advice online? Vivian Tu, financial educator and CEO of Y...
Rapid Recap: Iran, Anthropic vs. Pentagon, Paramount’s win, and more
03 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Geopolitics is back at the top of every business leader's agenda — and the signals are coming fast. Host Bob Safian sits down with Rapid Response pr...
Hailey Bieber, AI and fast launches: how e.l.f. Beauty is winning
26 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tarang Amin took the helm of e.l.f. Beauty at a pivotal moment and helped turn it from industry underdog to category disruptor, with a retail footprin...
Unrivaled is rewriting the business of women’s basketball
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Women's sports are continuing to thrive. Record-breaking WNBA viewership, a flood of new brand investment, and now Unrivaled: the women's basketball l...
Inside the business of hosting the Super Bowl
19 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Bay Area is in the midst of something unprecedented: playing host to the NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl, and FIFA World Cup games back-to-back-to-b...
Uncovering the $7 trillion reputation economy
17 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Corey duBrowa spent much of his career advising some of the world’s most scrutinized leaders — from Howard Schultz at Starbucks and Marc Benioff a...
DraftKings’ next big bets, with CEO Jason Robins
12 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Prediction markets. AI. Super Bowl ads. Hear how DraftKings co-founder and CEO Jason Robins is placing bets on the future. Robins talked with host Jef...
Super Bowl ads, Bad Bunny, and the business of cultural risk, with Autodesk’s Dara Treseder
10 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The Super Bowl LX ad blitz was a big budget highwire act — from Anthropic's shot at OpenAI to Lady Gaga's homage to Mr Rogers, and Dunkin's nostalgi...
GaryVee on how to make Super Bowl ads that are actually funny
07 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Vaynerchuk of VaynerMedia has produced more than a dozen Super Bowl ads for brands. In 2026, his hilarious "Will Shat" spot for Kellogg's Raisin ...
How Zoom grew 30x almost overnight
05 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Eric Yuan saw frustrated customers and wanted to make the product he worked on better – but couldn’t convince his bosses. So he struck out on his ...
Padma Lakshmi’s secret to authentic leadership? Stop trying.
03 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
TV host, producer, author, and UN Goodwill Ambassador Padma Lakshmi joins Rapid Response with candid advice for business leaders on speaking out, show...
Possible: Amjad Masad on vibe coding, AI agents, and the end of boilerplate
31 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Possible, Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger sit down with Amjad Masad, founder and CEO of Replit, to explore how AI is fundamentally cha...
How to break through a fear of failure, with Fawn Weaver & Van Jones
29 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
After blitzscaling one of the fastest-growing spirit brands in history, Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey founder Fawn Weaver is reflecting on how to buil...
Reid Hoffman on AI’s new tune, Davos, and the need for CEO courage
27 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As global leaders disperse from the World Economic Forum, LinkedIn co-founder and tech investor Reid Hoffman joins Rapid Response to break down the bi...
Reid Hoffman & Inflection AI’s Sean White on designing AI that makes us better humans
24 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
At Masters of Scale Summit in October of 2025, Reid Hoffman and Dr. Sean White, CEO of Inflection AI, discuss how to design responsible AI systems, bu...
How to make smarter changes, with cognitive scientist Maya Shankar
22 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Cognitive scientist Maya Shankar has made a career of cleverly using insights from behavioral economics to fuel her work in the Obama White House and ...
Anti-polarizing strategies from a purple city, with OKC Mayor David Holt
20 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mayors are unique leaders in America, often more loved and less polarized than state or federal politicians, with a different mandate and metric for s...
How to save a magazine, with The Atlantic’s Nicholas Thompson
15 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
When Nicholas Thompson took over as CEO of The Atlantic five years ago, the iconic magazine was in financial trouble. Now, its profitable and subscrib...
The AI agents in your wallet, with Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach
13 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What did the latest holiday shopping season reveal about consumer confidence as the year begins? Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach joins Rapid Response t...
How Baby2Baby stepped up as LA wildfires raged
10 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
One year ago, as devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles, nonprofit Baby2Baby was on the ground helping. We're revisiting the conversation Co-C...
The $800M exit that started with a single muffin
08 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Simple Mills started with its founder Katlin Smith tinkering with almond flour muffin recipes in her apartment kitchen. Over the next decade, she buil...
Business world predictions for 2026
06 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
As we turn from reflection to what’s ahead for a new year, Rapid Response presents host Bob Safian’s predictions for the most pressing issues busi...
The science of fresh starts
01 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off 2026, we’re revisiting our conversation with behavioral scientist Katy Milkman. The Wharton professor and bestselling author of “How t...
Pioneers of AI: Mark Cuban’s investment strategy in this new era of tech
30 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Cuban has spent decades as a serial entrepreneur and investor, with one of the best track records on the planet (including celebrity status on AB...
How to unlock your team’s creative potential
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To get the most out of your talent, you need to create an environment that allows them to thrive. Nobody knows this better than Indra Nooyi, who spent...
Resurrecting dire wolves is just the beginning for Colossal Biosciences’ Ben Lamm
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this encore episode of Rapid Response, we revisit a scientific breakthrough that set the internet ablaze: The ‘de-extinction’ of the dire wolf....
The Salesforce CFO who left to save lives
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After serving as Chief Legal Officer and then CFO at Salesforce, Amy Weaver sought a new challenge. She is now CEO of Direct Relief, which she tells h...
Lessons of Rapid Response for 2026
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This year delivered whiplash: geopolitics, tariffs, and technology all shifting at once. And heading into 2026, the disruption isn’t easing up. In t...
Make the office a destination, not just an obligation
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With over two billion in annual revenue and nearly 7,000 employees, Gensler has cemented itself as a global icon in architecture and design. Host Jeff...
Kara Swisher takes on big tech, from Apple to Nvidia
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Can ChatGPT dethrone Gemini? Is Tim Cook capable of leading Apple into the next wave of AI? As 2025 winds down, journalist and podcast host Kara Swish...
A warning for business leaders: Aspiring autocrats tank economies
06 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does a country sliding toward autocracy affect its economy? Political scientist and author Barbara F Walter offers data-driven insights about why ...
The business behind OnlyFans, with CEO Keily Blair
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In less than a decade, OnlyFans says it has grown into a business earning $7 billion a year. The digital platform is known for letting its 4 million c...
Embrace the multihyphenate career, with Chief’s Alison Moore
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A recent New York Times headline — “Did Women Ruin the Workplace?” sparked a firestorm across social media. Bob Safian welcomes a lead...
Replay: Dinner table wisdom with Danny Meyer
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Danny Meyer is best known as the founder of Shake Shack and the legendary restaurants of his Union Square Hospitality Group in New York City. He joine...
Beyond the Parade: Macy’s navigates tariffs, turbulence and retail evolution
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This Thursday marks the 99th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Macy’s Inc. chairman and CEO Tony Spring joins Rapid Response with a behin...
Possible: Steve Kerr and Kris Brown on leadership and purpose in sports
22 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it take to turn tragedy into advocacy, and advocacy into lasting change? This week, Reid and Aria are talking to Warriors head coach Steve K...
How to be 'fearless' in the AI age, with Fei-Fei Li and Reid Hoffman
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The brilliant computer scientist Fei-Fei Li is often called the Godmother of AI. She talks with host Reid Hoffman about why scientists and entrepreneu...
AI: The new frontier for mental health support?
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In recent weeks, OpenAI faced seven lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT contributed to suicides or mental health breakdowns. To spotlight the controversial...
The future of crypto, with Coinbase’s Emilie Choi
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Emilie Choi first left Linkedin to go work at a crypto company called Coinbase, her old colleagues thought she made a big mistake. But after surv...
How to get funded now: VCs Reid Hoffman, Aileen Lee, and Stacy Brown-Philpot, with Van Jones
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Reid Hoffman, Stacy Brown-Philpot, and Aileen Lee are three of the most successful, legendary leaders and investors in Silicon Valley. (The term “un...
Remarkable People: David Chang is 'Steve Jobs with a knife"
08 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when a world-class chef learns that success doesn’t taste like he imagined?David Chang—the culinary force behind Momofuku and author ...
From billion-dollar brand to blank slate: Bobbi Brown’s comeback
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
She built her first company, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, into a billion-dollar brand. But when things soured between her and her parent company, Estée Lau...
Branding truths and tariff myths, with Autodesk’s Dara Treseder & Flexport’s Ryan Petersen
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In a special episode of Rapid Response, we feature two fast-paced, lively conversations from Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco. Autodesk CMO Da...
When ‘genius’ becomes a trap, with author Ryan Holiday
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For everyone from Superbowl-winning coaches to CEOs, Ryan Holiday’s writing has made the timeless wisdom of ancient Stoic philosophers accessible an...
How Anastasia Soare built a beauty brand worth billions
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anastasia Soare is responsible for how everyone from Oprah to Kim Kardashian shape their eyebrows. Soare started as a Romanian immigrant in a single r...
Chobani & Patagonia CEOs break down where values meet profit
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In these volatile times, how do we navigate the intersection between values and commerce? Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert and Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya joi...
Andrew Ross Sorkin: How to make sense of today’s market
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is the stock market in an AI bubble? What happens if it bursts? To understand our current economic moment, it’s essential to understand history. Tha...
The New York Times ‘will not be cowed’, with CEO Meredith Kopit Levien
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From attacks by President Trump to active lawsuits against Microsoft and OpenAI, The New York Times is engaged in a fierce fight to preserve the futur...
Brené Brown & Reid Hoffman on the skills every leader needs now
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Author and researcher Brené Brown joined host Reid Hoffman on stage recently in San Francisco for the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit. She reveals insig...
Airbnb’s bet on an IRL future, with Brian Chesky
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amid dramatic disruption, what role should business play in building the future? Recorded live at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, A...
Replay: How Daymond John built FUBU
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you create authentic partnerships to build scale? In this archival episode, Reid Hoffman talks with the iconic entrepreneur and Shark Tank star...
OLIPOP’s gutsy play to dethrone Coke and Pepsi, with Ben Goodwin
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this encore episode of Rapid Response, we chart OLIPOP’s surging popularity. As Gen Z and millennials ditch sugary sodas, OLIPOP is leading the p...
How to sell a billion dollars of snacks, with the founders of Chomps
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chomps co-founders Rashid Ali and Pete Maldonado had an unusual side hustle: selling meat sticks online. The co-founders join host Jeff Berman to reve...
Design dominance sparks a blockbuster IPO, with Figma’s Dylan Field
30 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Figma burst into the public eye in 2022 after Adobe was blocked from buying the design startup for $20 billion. This chapter set the stage for an even...
Pioneers of AI: The power of storytelling in VCs, with Jeffrey Katzenberg and ChenLi Wang
27 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Pioneers of AI, Jeffrey Katzenberg and ChenLi Wang of the venture capital firm WndrCo share why storytelling is essential for build...
Build stronger trust on your teams, with Rachel Botsman
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when your team doesn’t trust each other? How can you repair damaged trust at work? How has technology changed the way we decide who to ...
After devastating aid cuts, Mercy Corps keeps fighting, with Tjada D’Oyen McKenna
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For an organization built around responding to crises around the globe, Mercy Corps now finds itself at the center of its own trauma. Following the Tr...
How to find your next mentor, with Janice Omadeke
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A great mentor can supercharge your career. That’s why author and entrepreneur Janice Omadeke wanted to make it easier for people to connect with th...
Historic changes across high fashion, with WSJ. Magazine’s Sarah Ball
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As the fashion world navigates an unprecedented wave of turnover from Chanel to Dior, WSJ. Magazine’s Editor in Chief, Sarah Ball joins Rapid Respon...
Possible: Stephen Colbert isn’t so sure about AI (with Reid Hoffman)
13 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On the latest episode of Reid Hoffman’s Possible podcast, he and Aria talk with comedian Stephen Colbert. They discuss how J.R.R. Tolkien helps The ...
How a near-death experience changed this founder’s approach to fear
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 chan...
Music biz at a crossroads: from Taylor Swift to AI, with Sowmya Krishnamurthy
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 mi...
Betting on product to win in fantasy sports, with Underdog’s Jeremy Levine
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Grab’s rise from rideshare to superapp in Asia, with Anthony Tan
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Grab is a rideshare service-turned superapp, not available in the US but rapidly growing in Southeast Asia. It’s even outmaneuvered global players l...
Reid Hoffman & Kickstarter’s Everette Taylor take your questions
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For our latest Strategy Session, Reid Hoffman and Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor answer questions from entrepreneurs about how to build more resilien...
Hollywood’s hottest AI partner, with Runway’s Cristóbal Valenzuela
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
How design drives successful companies, with Sarah Stein Greenberg
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 on...
Dating is down. So why is Hinge thriving? with CEO Justin McLeod
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The bromance that rebuilt Detroit: Dan Gilbert and Mayor Mike Duggan
16 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The insights that fuel SharkNinja’s biggest innovations
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
From humble beginnings selling vacuums on late night informercials, SharkNinja has grown to a 6 billion dollar a year business. CEO Mark Barrocas join...