PODCAST

After Hours

TED Audio Collective / Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, & Felix Oberholzer-Gee

Harvard Business School professors discuss and debate current events that sit at the crossroads of business and culture. Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, and Felix Oberholzer-Gee engage in a spirited discussion on a range of topics torn from the headlines — from Facebook, to free trade, to the #MeToo movement. Informed by their unique expertise as professors at one of the world’s leading business schools, their takes are always surprising, unconventional, and insightful.

Play Trailer
Introducing After Hours
Mar 1 2018
Introducing After Hours
Listen in as Harvard Business School faculty discuss hot topics at the intersection of business and society. (Trailer)
A Mega-Recommendations Episode for the Summer
6d ago
A Mega-Recommendations Episode for the Summer
Youngme joins Felix and Mihir to offer recommendations for the summer on things to read and watch, places to visit, food to eat, and lots more!
Are we witnessing a sharp decrease in income inequality? And: Why is Mihir watching inventory levels?
Jun 22 2022
Are we witnessing a sharp decrease in income inequality? And: Why is Mihir watching inventory levels?
In this episode, Felix and Mihir discuss stories they will follow this summer. These include the fate of neobanks, credit conditions in the United States, a major advance in AI, as well as changes in income inequality. Plus, Mihir makes a major prediction how founders will spend their time now that the stock market has imploded. Our predictions:  and
How to fix commuting and the legacy of Sheryl Sandberg
Jun 15 2022
How to fix commuting and the legacy of Sheryl Sandberg
Felix, Mihir and Sarah discuss how to fix commuting and the legacy of Sheryl Sandberg.
Index investing and the future of airline mergers
Jun 1 2022
Index investing and the future of airline mergers
In the latest episode, Felix and Mihir discuss the potential dark side of the rise of index investing and who should end up owning Spirit Airlines, JetBlue or Frontier.
A Super-Sized Edition
May 25 2022
A Super-Sized Edition
In this super-sized episode, Felix and Mihir are rejoined by their friend Youngme to discuss everything from Magical Thinking to Elon Musk.  Recommendations: Slow Horses (Apple)Old Enough (Netflix)Copykat.comSupercook.com
Time to Panic?
May 18 2022
Time to Panic?
Felix and Mihir discuss the turmoil in financial markets and how best to respond as an investor or a corporate executive. Is it time to panic? What is the longer-term outlook for the economy? Will the Federal Reserve be able to tame inflation without causing a recession? They also discuss the fate of Upstart, an AI-supported lending platform. The former Wall Street darling lost much of its value, seemingly overnight. Can Upstart recover? Are we really better off with more consumer credit?
Managing the Chip Shortage and the Future of Ride Sharing
May 12 2022
Managing the Chip Shortage and the Future of Ride Sharing
In this episode, Felix, Mihir and Charlotte discuss what countries and companies should do about the chip shortage and discuss the future of Uber, Lyft and Doordash.
Ring the Bell?
May 5 2022
Ring the Bell?
In this episode, Sarah, Felix and Mihir discuss startups that piqued their interest. Bet there are some names you have not heard of? Who will go public first? Who is doomed to fail? Also: Mihir’s CRY for help.
Is the four-day work week ever going to happen?
Apr 27 2022
Is the four-day work week ever going to happen?
Should you bet on a four-day work week? Felix, Mihir, and Sarah discuss the sports betting industry and the future of the work week.
Is this the end of globalization?
Apr 20 2022
Is this the end of globalization?
Felix, Mihir and Stephanie Mehta debate if we are witnessing the end of an era, the slow but steady demise of globalization. We also discuss the future of Zoom. With its stock sharply down and growth slowing, will the star of the COVID period have to sell itself to survive?
The Vibe Economy and Amazon Moves into Space
Apr 13 2022
The Vibe Economy and Amazon Moves into Space
Felix, Mihir and guest host Stephanie Mehta discuss the recent spate of companies going public without profits and what Amazon’s moves into space mean for their competitors and consumers.
Unionization Makes a Comeback! Really?
Apr 6 2022
Unionization Makes a Comeback! Really?
Felix, Mihir and The Economist’s Charlotte Howard discuss the return of Howard Schultz to Starbucks. Can he win over a restive workforce and suppress recent unionization efforts at the company? We also debate the recent uptick in drug use at work. Is this the return of the Mad Men?
Will the SEC and Disclosure Solve the Climate Crisis and Further Divide the China and the US?
Mar 31 2022
Will the SEC and Disclosure Solve the Climate Crisis and Further Divide the China and the US?
In this episode, Felix and Mihir are joined by Charlotte Howard of the Economist and discuss the impact of new disclosure rules for geopolitical relations between China and the U.S. and the future of climate.  Are these changes fundamental to the future of climate and the world, window dressing, or a manifestation of deeper problems?
How to Fight Fake News
Mar 16 2022
How to Fight Fake News
Felix, Mihir and Sarah Green Carmichael debate how to best fight misinformation. What is the role of liability? Can we leave the battle against fake news in the hands of the internet platforms? Can we fact-check our way out of this crisis? The three hosts also discuss the corporate withdrawal from Russia.
The War in Ukraine
Mar 11 2022
The War in Ukraine
In this bonus episode, Felix and Mihir welcome back their colleague and friend Rawi Abdelal to discuss the origins of the conflict, the effects of the sanctions, and how the situation might evolve.
Let’s Talk About Your Salary, Shall We?
Mar 9 2022
Let’s Talk About Your Salary, Shall We?
Sarah, Felix and Mihir discuss the new laws that require greater salary transparency. Is this a good idea? Will pay increase or decrease as a result? Who will benefit most? We also debate the surge in activist investing. Why do activists now resemble private equity investors?
Peloton, the Fitness Industry, and Microsoft's Acquisition of Activision
Mar 2 2022
Peloton, the Fitness Industry, and Microsoft's Acquisition of Activision
What is the future of Peloton and the fitness industry?  And, what should we make of Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision? On this episode, we welcome Sarah Greene Carmichael and discuss these developments.
The Future of Mobility and Economic Lessons from the Pandemic
Feb 23 2022
The Future of Mobility and Economic Lessons from the Pandemic
What are the most exciting companies and development in mobility today?  What have we learned about how to provide income support during economic downturns?  Mihir and Felix discuss the evidence from the pandemic and consider today's most exciting mobility solutions. Our recommendations are: The Anomaly
Is the Great Resignation real?
Feb 16 2022
Is the Great Resignation real?
Felix and Mihir debate the state of the labor market. Is the Great Resignation real? Are we confused about the data? We also discuss earnings releases that caught our eye: Time to flee fintech? UPS anyone? Recent picks: Checks and Balance (podcast): Left Side Story Gary Shteyngart (book): Our Country Friends: A Novel Jennifer Senior (article): It’s Your Friends Who Break Your Heart This American Life (podcast): The Trojan Horse Affair
Our Predictions for 2022!
Dec 22 2021
Our Predictions for 2022!
Youngme, Felix and Mihir share their predictions for 2022! Join them as they share their predictions about everything ranging from cryptocurrencies to Oscar winners… Recent picks, and recommended reading/websites: Mo Amer (Netflix)Whale Wisdom (website)The Remarkable Tablet (digital writing tablet)