Description
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.
Episodes
- 2025 / 2 / 4Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol is here to put the brand back on topAmid higher costs, longer wait times and waning sales, Starbucks is ready for a brand refresh. The companyâs new CEO, Brian Niccol joins Rapid Response to reveal how Starbucks plans to go back to its roots...
- 2025 / 1 / 30Emma Grede, Mellody Hobson & Angela Ahrendts on inclusive leadershipEmma Grede is the co-founder of the Kardashian brands 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...
- 2025 / 1 / 28Reid Hoffman on AI âSuperagencyâAs Chinese AI developers send shockwaves through Silicon Valley, and Elon Musk spats with President Trump over AI policy, Reid Hoffman returns to Rapid Response to explore todayâs AI landscape, and the...
- 2025 / 1 / 23Scaling solutions for the climate crisis, with Vinod KhoslaTech titan Vinod Khosla argues that a dozen extraordinary entrepreneurs could make all the difference in combatting climate change. He spoke with host Jeff Berman live at the Masters of Scale Summit in...
- 2025 / 1 / 21Redefining work-life balance, with Neha RuchAs return-to-office policies reignite the perennial debate over work-life balance, a cultural shift is underway. Neha Ruch, founder of Mother Untitled and author of The Power Pause, is leading the charge to...
- 2025 / 1 / 16The power of mentors: Alex Rodriguez, Angela Duckworth, and moreWe often hear stories of transformational mentors from the iconic business leaders on our show. In this episode, weâve curated a handful of our favorite stories about how mentors make a difference. Hear from...
- 2025 / 1 / 14When disaster strikes: On the ground amid LA wildfiresWildfires have forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate their homes in the Los Angeles area, and killed at least 24 people. In what will likely be the most costly disaster in U.S. history, thousands of...
- 2025 / 1 / 9How Oura Ring is redefining health tech, with CEO Tom HaleAfter using an Oura Ring helped him through a stressful transition, Tom Hale decided he wanted to help the health tracker reach new heights. Tom has led the company in a chapter of impressive growth since...
- 2025 / 1 / 75 bold AI predictions for 2025, with Pioneers of AI host Dr. Rana El KalioubyEntering 2025, AI is poised to continue disrupting, redefining and supercharging the business world. AI expert and Pioneers of AI host, Rana El Kaliouby, joins Rapid Response to share five bold AI predictions...
- 2025 / 1 / 2The science of fresh starts, with change expert Katy MilkmanâFresh Startsâ are a powerful tool for making change. So to kick off 2025, Katy Milkman stops by to give us science-backed strategies for reaching our goals. Milkman is a behavioral scientist, Wharton...
- 2024 / 12 / 31Replay: Plant-based foods need a makeover, with Peter McGuinnessIn this special holiday replay, we share another standout conversation from 2024 featuring Impossible Foodsâ Peter McGuinness. This year, sustainability initiatives rolled back across industries and meat...
- 2024 / 12 / 26Replay: How Fawn Weaver blitzscaled a bourbon brandThis week, weâre revisiting a stellar episode from 2024 with Fawn Weaver, founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey. Fawn joins host Jeff Berman to share scale lessons from building one of the fastest-growing...
- 2024 / 12 / 24Replay: How Barstool Sportsâ ex-CEO cooks up attention, with Food52âs Erika Ayers BadanIn this special holiday replay, we share a standout conversation of 2024 featuring ex-CEO of Barstool and current head of Food52, Erika Ayers Badan. She shares with Rapid Response why she made a dramatic...
- 2024 / 12 / 19What Dungeons & Dragons can teach entrepreneurs, with Reid Hoffman and Hasbro CEO Chris CocksDungeons & Dragons, the tabletop role-playing game, turns 50 this year. As a lifelong lover of the game, host Reid Hoffman asked fellow D&D player and Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks to join him for a conversation...
- 2024 / 12 / 17Six lessons of Rapid Response for 2025Weâve rounded up the most definitive business lessons of 2024, as heard on Rapid Response. Drawn from standout guests like will.i.am, Airbnbâs Brian Chesky, Salesforceâs Marc Benioff, and more, these moments...
- 2024 / 12 / 12Prepare for a âtechnology supercycle,â with futurist Amy WebbAs the founder and CEO of the Future Today Institute, Amy Webb helps global companies and governments see what comes next. Sheâs an expert in strategic forecasting, NYU business school professor, and popular...
- 2024 / 12 / 10Rapid Response: Blueskyâs bold plan beyond the âX-odusâ, with COO Rose WangMillions of users have joined social media platform Bluesky in recent weeks, as an alternative to Elon Musk's X. Itâs sparking new opportunities and challenges for Bluesky's tiny 20-person team, and COO Rose...
- 2024 / 12 / 5How The Flex Company founder Lauren Wang disrupted menstrual careLauren Wang, founder of The Flex Company, is transforming the menstrual product industry with bold innovations and a tendency to break taboos. Driven by her own health needs and a staggering lack of progress...
- 2024 / 12 / 3Rapid Response: How Cost Plus Drugs is revolutionizing pharma, with CEO Alex OshmyanskyWith the help of co-founder Mark Cuban, Cost Plus Drugs CEO Alex Oshmyansky is radically re-engineering the pharma marketplace and dramatically cutting the price for many prescription drugs. Oshmyansky joins...
- 2024 / 11 / 28Masters of Scale Live: Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer with Caffè Panna's Hallie MeyerDanny 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 joined host Jeff Berman on stage recently for the first Masters...
- 2024 / 11 / 26Rapid Response: Why Apple defies gravity and AI is God, with Guy Kawasaki, host of Remarkable PeopleApple defies gravity, and AI is Divine. Thatâs how Guy Kawasaki, who worked closely with Steve Jobs and is now chief evangelist at Canva and host of the podcast Remarkable People, describes the state of tech...
- 2024 / 11 / 21Tracee Ellis Ross talks Pattern Beauty, advocacy, and joy with Samira NasrAward-winning actress and founder of Pattern Beauty Tracee Ellis Ross didnât see Black beauty being represented well in the market â so she built a company from scratch to fix that. In this episode, she...
- 2024 / 11 / 19Rapid Response: Iggy Azalea on cryptoâs biggest myths and mistakesRapper and musician Iggy Azalea wants you to know that her crypto token $MOTHER isnât just another âpump and dumpâ celebrity crypto play. She believes in the future of cryptocurrency and the potential for...
- 2024 / 11 / 16Possible: Bill Gates on possibility, AI, and humanityReid and Aria sat down with Bill Gates to discuss his main areas of focus: climate change, energy, global health, and educationâand how AI will help transform each of them. Taking a birdâs-eye view of...
- 2024 / 11 / 14How to grow a greener energy grid, with Octopus Energyâs Greg JacksonOctopus Energy is now the UK's top electricity supplier, and is growing its footprint in the US. CEO and founder Greg Jackson joins host Jeff Berman to discuss how Octopus is disrupting a global industry with...
- 2024 / 11 / 12Rapid Response: Cultivate loyalty at every level, with Chewyâs Sumit Singh and former Exos CEO Sarah Robb OâHaganHow do you cultivate loyalty, from investors to team members and, of course, customers? Business leaders have long debated this. Host Bob Safian invites two guests to weigh in with their secrets to brand and...
- 2024 / 11 / 8Rapid Response: Reid Hoffman on Trump's election and what's nextFollowing Donald Trumpâs victory in this weekâs US presidential election, Reid Hoffman (a major donor to Vice President Harrisâ campaign) is figuring out where business, tech, and his own energy go from here....
- 2024 / 11 / 5Rapid fire fun: Slutty Veganâs Pinky Cole + ocean educator Philippe Cousteau Jr., live from the Masters of Scale SummitIn this special 2-for-1 episode, we offer two segments of rapid-fire fun from the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit. First, Slutty Veganâs Pinky Cole joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian for a gamified session on...
- 2024 / 11 / 4Former President Bill Clinton in conversation with Reid HoffmanFormer President Bill Clinton joined host Reid Hoffman on stage at the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit on October 24 to offer insights on whatâs at stake in this election, and what could come next. Their full,...
- 2024 / 10 / 31Is AI a new species? Microsoftâs Mustafa Suleyman thinks soArtificial intelligence is a ânew digital species,â says Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AIâs CEO. For this episode, Mustafa joined Reid Hoffman on stage at the October 2024 Masters of Scale Summit. They discuss...
- 2024 / 10 / 29Rapid Response: Lessons from Gaza & Israel, with World Central Kitchenâs Erin Gore and the Builders Movement's Daniel LubetzkyAs conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, Rapid Response host Bob Safian led a discussion live on stage at the Masters of Scale Summit between two experienced leaders with close knowledge of the...
- 2024 / 10 / 29Rapid Response: Lessons from Gaza & Israel, with World Central Kitchenâs Erin Gore and OneVoiceâs Daniel LubetzkyAs conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, Rapid Response host Bob Safian led a discussion live on stage at the Masters of Scale Summit between two experienced leaders with close knowledge of the...
- 2024 / 10 / 24Disrupting the wedding industry, with Zolaâs Shan-Lyn MaShan-Lyn Ma, co-founder and co-CEO of Zola, joins host Jeff Berman to share how intrapreneurship prepared her to build a business thatâs transformed the wedding industry with online tools. From weathering the...
- 2024 / 10 / 22Rapid Response: Ken Burns on Leonardo da Vinci, AI, and the future of storytellingLeonardo da Vinci is a thoroughly modern figure, even if he lived hundreds of years ago. So says Ken Burns, the legendary documentary filmmaker on topics from the Civil War to Muhammad Ali. Burns joins Rapid...
- 2024 / 10 / 17Scott Galloway: Unfiltered lessons for business and lifeScott Galloway, creator of Prof G Media and NYU business school professor, joins host Jeff Berman to answer your questions with his trademark wit and candor, offering advice on when CEOs should speak out on...
- 2024 / 10 / 15Rapid Response: How Wikipedia will survive AI, with CEO Maryana IskanderWikipedia is among the top ten most-visited websites in the world, and itâs been a pillar of online knowledge for more than 20 years. The siteâs parent nonprofit, Wikimedia Foundation, wants it to stay that...
- 2024 / 10 / 10How Bombas pairs scaling impact and profitDavid Heath and Randy Goldberg, co-founders of Bombas, join host Jeff Berman to reveal how they scaled their mission-driven apparel company. Bombas donates one item for every one sold, and has given away more...
- 2024 / 10 / 8Rapid Response: How mobile voting can save democracy, with Bradley Tusk of Tusk VenturesAs early voting begins in the US presidential election, there is a nascent movement afoot that would reshuffle future contests from local school boards to Washington DC â and it revolves around our...
- 2024 / 10 / 3From brand savant to accidental entrepreneur, with Sophia AmorusoFrom founding the viral fashion brand Nasty Gal to inspiring and living the #Girlboss movement, Sophia Amorusoâs ideas tend to catch fire quickly. She joins host Jeff Berman to share her âaccidentalâ...
- 2024 / 10 / 1Rapid Response: A new script for the book biz and Hollywood, with The Black Listâs Franklin LeonardThe Black List has reshaped Hollywood by identifying overlooked screenplays from Argo to The Kingâs Speech that have become commercial and artistic successes. Now, founder Franklin Leonard is opening The...
- 2024 / 9 / 26Bill Gates, Brian Chesky, and more: Unheard moments from our first SummitLeaders like Bill Gates, Airbnbâs Brian Chesky, and Pixarâs Lindsey Collins shared big ideas at the first-ever Masters of Scale Summit in 2022. In this episode, host Jeff Berman guides you through the best...
- 2024 / 9 / 24Rapid Response: EAâs march to 1 billion gamers, with CEO Andrew WilsonWhile EAâs pursuit of 1 billion users may sound ambitious at first, once you hear CEO Andrew Wilson explain the developersâ strategy to get there, the 1 billion mark starts to almost sound conservative....
- 2024 / 9 / 19Dr. Rana el Kaliouby wants more human-centered AIHost Reid Hoffman has always been impressed with the way Dr. Rana el Kaliouby thinks about AI. Sheâs an AI scientist, co-founder of Affectiva, an investor and author who has spent decades building toward more...
- 2024 / 9 / 17Rapid Response: From Taylor Swift to the Emmys, lessons in celebrity, with The Anklerâs Janice MinWhile ShĹgun, Hacks, and Baby Reindeer bask in their success at The Emmys, the awards reveal deeper lessons about TVâs future. Janice Min, co-founder and CEO of The Ankler, guides us through the key...
- 2024 / 9 / 12From Crystal Pepsi to Cool Ranch Doritos: Lessons from David NovakDavid Novak, co-founder and former CEO of Yum! Brands, joins host Jeff Berman to share lessons from scaling one of the worldâs largest restaurant companies. Hear how his focus on listening, team recognition,...
- 2024 / 9 / 10Rapid Response: 2024 is the most significant time in human history (Encore)We are biologically wired to focus on the near-term, and thatâs often a good thing. But in this moment â with global conflict, fast-evolving tech, and climate change dominating our present â we need to also...
- 2024 / 9 / 5Drybar founder Alli Webbâs messy truthsDrybar co-founder Alli Webb turned her side hustle as a hair stylist into a business concept now thriving nationwide. She talks with host Jeff Berman about scaling Drybar, launching and then selling a hair...
- 2024 / 9 / 3Rapid Response: Will.i.am is using AI to re-make radioWhile some artists complain that AI uses their music as training data, Will.i.am argues that itâs no different than Prince and Michael Jackson taking inspiration from James Brown. Will joins Rapid Response to...
- 2024 / 8 / 29Redditâs Steve Huffman: Online platforms âcanât just sit on their handsâSteve Huffman, co-founder and CEO of Reddit, joins host Reid Hoffman to share scale lessons from building one of the internetâs most influential platforms. It took nearly two decades for Reddit to reach its...
- 2024 / 8 / 27Rapid Response: How Campus won over Sam Altman & Shaq, with founder Tade OyerindeWith student loan debt at record highs, higher education is at a crossroads. Campus is an all-online community college thatâs built a business model around competitive pricing, resources for students (like...