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
- 2026 / 1 / 15How to save a magazine, with The Atlanticâs Nicholas ThompsonWhen Nicholas Thompson took over as CEO of The Atlantic five years ago, the iconic magazine was in financial trouble. Now, its profitable and subscriber and revenue numbers are growing. Thompson joins host...
- 2026 / 1 / 13The AI agents in your wallet, with Mastercard CEO Michael MiebachWhat did the latest holiday shopping season reveal about consumer confidence as the year begins? Mastercard CEO Michael Miebach joins Rapid Response to unpack the signals heâs seeing across global spending â...
- 2026 / 1 / 10How Baby2Baby stepped up as LA wildfires ragedOne year ago, as devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles, nonprofit Baby2Baby was on the ground helping. We're revisiting the conversation Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof had on stage...
- 2026 / 1 / 8The $800M exit that started with a single muffinSimple Mills started with its founder Katlin Smith tinkering with almond flour muffin recipes in her apartment kitchen. Over the next decade, she built a better-for-you food powerhouse. Smith talks with host...
- 2026 / 1 / 6Business world predictions for 2026As we turn from reflection to whatâs ahead for a new year, Rapid Response presents host Bob Safianâs predictions for the most pressing issues business leaders could face in 2026. Join Bob and producer Alex...
- 2026 / 1 / 1The science of fresh startsTo kick off 2026, weâre revisiting our conversation with behavioral scientist Katy Milkman. The Wharton professor and bestselling author of âHow to Changeâ sits down with host Jeff Berman to share proven ways...
- 2025 / 12 / 30Pioneers of AI: Mark Cubanâs investment strategy in this new era of techMark Cuban has spent decades as a serial entrepreneur and investor, with one of the best track records on the planet (including celebrity status on ABCâs Shark Tank). In this episode of Pioneers of AI, Cuban...
- 2025 / 12 / 25How to unlock your teamâs creative potentialTo 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 12 years as the CEO of PepsiCo. Her drive to support...
- 2025 / 12 / 23Resurrecting dire wolves is just the beginning for Colossal Biosciencesâ Ben LammIn this encore episode of Rapid Response, we revisit a scientific breakthrough that set the internet ablaze: The âde-extinctionâ of the dire wolf. While many celebrated Colossal Biosciencesâ announcement, the...
- 2025 / 12 / 18The Salesforce CFO who left to save livesAfter 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 host Jeff Berman is "the largest, most efficient, most...
- 2025 / 12 / 16Lessons of Rapid Response for 2026This year delivered whiplash: geopolitics, tariffs, and technology all shifting at once. And heading into 2026, the disruption isnât easing up. In this special episode, host Bob Safian distills five hard-won...
- 2025 / 12 / 11Make the office a destination, not just an obligationWith 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 Berman talks with co-CEO Elizabeth Brink and global...
- 2025 / 12 / 9Kara Swisher takes on big tech, from Apple to NvidiaCan 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 Swisher joins Rapid Response to cut through the noise and...
- 2025 / 12 / 6A warning for business leaders: Aspiring autocrats tank economiesHow does a country sliding toward autocracy affect its economy? Political scientist and author Barbara F Walter offers data-driven insights about why the murky middle ground between democracy and autocracy is...
- 2025 / 12 / 4The business behind OnlyFans, with CEO Keily BlairIn 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 creators share exclusive â often NSFW â content with more...
- 2025 / 12 / 2Embrace the multihyphenate career, with Chiefâs Alison MooreA recent New York Times headline â âDid Women Ruin the Workplace?â sparked a firestorm across social media. Bob Safian welcomes a leader pushing back on this notion with data and nuance: Alison...
- 2025 / 11 / 27Replay: Dinner table wisdom with Danny 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 in 2024 for the first Masters of Scale...
- 2025 / 11 / 25Beyond the Parade: Macyâs navigates tariffs, turbulence and retail evolutionThis Thursday marks the 99th annual Macyâs Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Macyâs Inc. chairman and CEO Tony Spring joins Rapid Response with a behind-the-scenes preview of what to expect. Itâs been a tumultuous...
- 2025 / 11 / 22Possible: Steve Kerr and Kris Brown on leadership and purpose in sportsWhat 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 Kerr and Kris Brown, president of Brady, the nationâs...
- 2025 / 11 / 20How to be 'fearless' in the AI age, with Fei-Fei Li and Reid HoffmanThe brilliant computer scientist Fei-Fei Li is often called the Godmother of AI. She talks with host Reid Hoffman about why scientists and entrepreneurs need to be fearless in the face of an uncertain...
- 2025 / 11 / 18AI: The new frontier for mental health support?In recent weeks, OpenAI faced seven lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT contributed to suicides or mental health breakdowns. To spotlight the controversial relationship between AI and mental health, host Bob...
- 2025 / 11 / 13The future of crypto, with Coinbaseâs Emilie ChoiWhen 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 surviving a crypto winter, sheâs become a key figure in the...
- 2025 / 11 / 11How to get funded now: VCs Reid Hoffman, Aileen Lee, and Stacy Brown-Philpot, with Van JonesReid Hoffman, Stacy Brown-Philpot, and Aileen Lee are three of the most successful, legendary leaders and investors in Silicon Valley. (The term âunicornâ for a startup valued at a billion dollars? Well,...
- 2025 / 11 / 8Remarkable People: David Chang is 'Steve Jobs with a knife"What happens when a world-class chef learns that success doesnât taste like he imagined?David Changâthe culinary force behind Momofuku and author of Eat a Peachâjoins Guy Kawasaki to talk about ambition,...
- 2025 / 11 / 6From billion-dollar brand to blank slate: Bobbi Brownâs comebackShe built her first company, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, into a billion-dollar brand. But when things soured between her and her parent company, EstĂ©e Lauder, she had a choice: retire from the industry, or...
- 2025 / 11 / 4Branding truths and tariff myths, with Autodeskâs Dara Treseder & Flexportâs Ryan PetersenIn a special episode of Rapid Response, we feature two fast-paced, lively conversations from Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco. Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder breaks down branding and marketing lessons...
- 2025 / 10 / 30When âgeniusâ becomes a trap, with author Ryan HolidayFor everyone from Superbowl-winning coaches to CEOs, Ryan Holidayâs writing has made the timeless wisdom of ancient Stoic philosophers accessible and relevant in a modern age. He joins host Jeff Berman to...
- 2025 / 10 / 28Chobani & Patagonia CEOs break down where values meet profitIn these volatile times, how do we navigate the intersection between values and commerce? Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert and Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya join the New York Timesâ David Gelles on stage at the Masters...
- 2025 / 10 / 23Andrew Ross Sorkin: How to make sense of todayâs marketIs the stock market in an AI bubble? What happens if it bursts? To understand our current economic moment, itâs essential to understand history. Thatâs why journalist and author Andrew Ross Sorkin joined host...
- 2025 / 10 / 21The New York Times âwill not be cowedâ, with CEO Meredith Kopit LevienFrom attacks by President Trump to active lawsuits against Microsoft and OpenAI, The New York Times is engaged in a fierce fight to preserve the future of independent journalism. It also keeps building a...
- 2025 / 10 / 16Brené Brown & Reid Hoffman on the skills every leader needs nowAuthor and researcher Brené Brown joined host Reid Hoffman on stage recently in San Francisco for the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit. She reveals insights about how to lead courageously, the underrated skills...
- 2025 / 10 / 14Airbnbâs bet on an IRL future, with Brian CheskyAmid dramatic disruption, what role should business play in building the future? Recorded live at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky shares his candid...
- 2025 / 10 / 9Replay: How Daymond John built FUBUHow do you create authentic partnerships to build scale? In this archival episode, Reid Hoffman talks with the iconic entrepreneur and Shark Tank star Daymond John about how he built FUBU from...
- 2025 / 10 / 2How to sell a billion dollars of snacks, with the founders of ChompsChomps co-founders Rashid Ali and Pete Maldonado had an unusual side hustle: selling meat sticks online. The co-founders join host Jeff Berman to reveal the phone call from Trader Joeâs that changed...
- 2025 / 9 / 30Design dominance sparks a blockbuster IPO, with Figmaâs Dylan FieldFigma 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 bigger milestone at Figma: a splashy IPO this summer at...
- 2025 / 9 / 27Pioneers of AI: The power of storytelling in VCs, with Jeffrey Katzenberg and ChenLi WangIn this episode of Pioneers of AI, Jeffrey Katzenberg and ChenLi Wang of the venture capital firm WndrCo share why storytelling is essential for building transformative companies and how AI shapes their work....
- 2025 / 9 / 25Build stronger trust on your teams, with Rachel BotsmanWhat happens when your team doesnât trust each other? How can you repair damaged trust at work? How has technology changed the way we decide who to trust? Author and trust researcher Rachel Botsman joins host...
- 2025 / 9 / 23After devastating aid cuts, Mercy Corps keeps fighting, with Tjada DâOyen McKennaFor an organization built around responding to crises around the globe, Mercy Corps now finds itself at the center of its own trauma. Following the Trump administrationâs aid cuts, two-thirds of Mercy Corpsâ...
- 2025 / 9 / 18How to find your next mentor, with Janice OmadekeA great mentor can supercharge your career. Thatâs why author and entrepreneur Janice Omadeke wanted to make it easier for people to connect with the best possible mentors. She joins host Jeff Berman to...
- 2025 / 9 / 16Historic changes across high fashion, with WSJ. Magazineâs Sarah BallAs the fashion world navigates an unprecedented wave of turnover from Chanel to Dior, WSJ. Magazineâs Editor in Chief, Sarah Ball joins Rapid Response to explore the most closely watched New York Fashion Week...
- 2025 / 9 / 13Possible: Stephen Colbert isnât so sure about AI (with Reid Hoffman)On the latest episode of Reid Hoffmanâs Possible podcast, he and Aria talk with comedian Stephen Colbert. They discuss how J.R.R. Tolkien helps The Late Show host make sense of AI, whether technology will...
- 2025 / 9 / 11How a near-death experience changed this founderâs approach to fearPodcast description: Matthew Pohlsonâs 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...
- 2025 / 9 / 9Music biz at a crossroads: from Taylor Swift to AI, with Sowmya KrishnamurthySundayâs MTV Video Music Awards shone a light on some of the biggest storylines in the music business today â from the TikTokification of newly minted stars, to the evolving relationship between artists and...
- 2025 / 9 / 4Betting on product to win in fantasy sports, with Underdogâs Jeremy LevineAs 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....
- 2025 / 9 / 2Grabâs rise from rideshare to superapp in Asia, with Anthony TanGrab is a rideshare service-turned superapp, not available in the US but rapidly growing in Southeast Asia. Itâs even outmaneuvered global players like Uber to reach a valuation north of $20 billion. Grabâs...
- 2025 / 8 / 28Reid Hoffman & Kickstarterâs Everette Taylor take your questionsFor 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...
- 2025 / 8 / 26Hollywoodâs hottest AI partner, with Runwayâs CristĂłbal ValenzuelaAI tools are disrupting all types of creative content, and Runway AI is a pioneer making major waves in Hollywood. Itâs partnering with the likes of Disney and Netflix to revolutionize production. Runwayâs...
- 2025 / 8 / 21How design drives successful companies, with Sarah Stein GreenbergWhether youâre 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. Thatâs why...
- 2025 / 8 / 19Dating is down. So why is Hinge thriving? with CEO Justin McLeodAs 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...
- 2025 / 8 / 16The bromance that rebuilt Detroit: Dan Gilbert and Mayor Mike DugganAs we gear up for our 2025 Masters of Scale Summit, weâre revisiting one of the stellar on-stage conversations that happened at the 2024 event. Hear Rocket Companiesâ Dan Gilbert and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan...