Reid Hoffman is a high-profile investor and entrepreneur, and suddenly, a much scrutinized political actor. His support for Kamala Harris and other Democrats and distaste for former President Trump has plunged him into headlines, in opposition to Elon Musk and others. Reid, a host of sister podcast Masters of Scale, joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to take us inside Silicon Valley’s reaction to Harris’s presidential bid, why some business leaders are embracing Trump, and what the Democratic Party is telling major donors like himself. Plus, Reid shares blitzscaling advice for the Harris cam ..read more

Silicon Valley investor Mike Maples Jr. is known for having a ‘Midas Touch.’ Think of a tech start-up that has changed your life in the last 20 years, and he was probably helping fuel its growth. Mike talks with host Reid Hoffman about the insights he’s gathered from decades of investing, which he shares in his new book: Pattern Breakers. They also riff on how to build – and invest – in the AI revolution.  Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe You can find Pattern Br ..read more

Summer’s not so hot at the movie theaters, and the same goes for streaming. Nothing’s come close to last year’s Barbie-Oppenheimer success, and Janice Min of entertainment news startup Ankler Media can’t say she’s surprised. Janice vets Hollywood’s offerings for the summer entertainment cycle, weighs in on deals from Paramount/Skydance to the astronomical price of NBA rights, and lays out the financial reality for media companies in an age of scrambling for everyone’s digital attention. Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/Subscribe For more i ..read more

Can drinking water look cool? That was the driving question behind Liquid Death founder Mike Cessario’s big business idea. Since launching its first tallboy cans of water in 2019, Liquid Death has used humor, design and smirk-worthy marketing to grow into a beverage company valued at $1.4 billion. Mike talks with host Jeff Berman about how he built the irreverent brand to help him escape his professional boredom. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe See Privacy Policy at ..read more

With 346 events over 17 days at this summer’s Paris Olympics, how do we zero in on the most important events, storylines, and takeaways? CEO of the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Sarah Hirshland, returns to Rapid Response to provide an insider’s guide, including a preview of Team USA’s strategy. Hirshland also talks about the latest Chinese doping scandal, how changes to the NCAA put the future of collegiate sport in jeopardy, and plans for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.  Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/Subscribe For more in ..read more

This week, Masters of Scale is bringing back one of our favorite episodes. It’s Reid Hoffman’s conversation with Ron Howard, the legendary director, producer, actor, and co-founder of Imagine Entertainment. In this episode, Ron shares how he manages the balance between staying true to his vision, while also embracing change. It’s a crucial topic for many reasons, but especially poignant as Hollywood encounters artificial intelligence. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe ..read more

The fashion world is at a sudden inflection point. Big luxury players are struggling, e-commerce markets are floundering, and ultra-fast players like Shein are disrupting. The Business of Fashion’s Imran Amed takes us inside the tumult, providing a framework to understand the trends and their larger economic impact. Plus: how manufacturers are adapting to new sustainability scrutiny, and the first year of Pharrell Williams’ tenure at Louis Vuitton.  Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/Subscribe For more info, visit: www.rapidre ..read more

New AI products are rapidly changing the landscape for businesses. This is especially true for the writing tool Grammarly. The $13 billion dollar software company’s CEO Rahul Roy-Chowdhury has taken the helm in the midst of a profound disruption. Host Jeff Berman talks to Rahul about how his time at Google helped prepare him for this moment, why he’s doubling down on building trust with customers, and how he thinks AI will shape the future of work. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale ..read more

While many plant-based food brands have struggled recently, Pinky Cole’s fast food chain Slutty Vegan keeps growing, with new restaurants across the U.S. Pinky sits down with Rapid Response host Bob Safian to explain how she’s scaling the brand despite lawsuits, social media attacks and a flurry of vegan restaurant competitor closures. Pinky also shares the story behind her recent keynote at Savannah State University, where she gifted the HBCU grads almost $9 million in entrepreneurial tools and training.  Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow ..read more

Entrepreneur Noah Kagan wants everyone to feel empowered to start a business. That’s the core message of his new book, Million Dollar Weekend. He’s founded multiple companies worth at least a million dollars, including AppSumo. That’s his software marketplace worth more than $80 million. Noah shares lessons from his scale journey, and from the early flameouts at high-profile startups (like being employee number 30 at Facebook and an early staffer at Mint) that fueled a desire to prove himself. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale ..read more