Masters of Scale

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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.

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Our Editor's Take

Masters of Scale is a podcast that aims to help business leaders grow their companies. Trying to scale a business is one of the most challenging parts of entrepreneurship. What is unique about this show is that the two hosts alternate in hosting the podcast. Each is an expert in his respective subject matter.

Host Reid Hoffman sits down with the CEOs and founders of some of the biggest companies in the world. Calling this the "All-Star EP" format, he lets them tell their story about trials, failures, and success. Past guests include leaders from Netflix, Google, Kickstarter, Spotify, DuPont, and IBM. Hoffman is himself a business legend as the cofounder of LinkedIn. He is also a successful venture capitalist.

The other type of episode on Masters of Scale is their "Rapid Response" format. In these episodes, CEOs share their thoughts on today's rapidly changing business landscape. They discuss integrating DEI, how to pivot after a crisis, or how to handle layoffs. They also touch on loneliness at work, the emergence of AI and cultivated meat. Bob Safian, a former editor at Fast Company, hosts these episodes.

From the two formats, listeners can learn much from Masters of Scale. The podcast often points out how many of these companies were first unsuccessful for many years. The story of continuing after multiple failures is a common thread. Listeners who are business owners may find something to motivate them here. Each episode also has show notes and transcripts. This way, listeners can review the wisdom gleaned from each episode.

New episodes of Masters of Scale usually premiere on Tuesdays and Thursdays. People interested in business success may enjoy this podcast.

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Tracee Ellis Ross talks Pattern Beauty, advocacy, and joy with Samira Nasr

Tracee Ellis Ross talks Pattern Beauty, advocacy, and joy with Samira Nasr

Award-winning actress and founder of Pattern Beauty Tracee Ellis Ross didn’t see Black beauty being represented well in the market – so she built a company from scratch to fix that. In this episode, she shares entrepreneurial lessons with her longtime friend Samira Nasr, who is editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar. Their conversation was recorded live on stage at the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episodes

Tracee Ellis Ross talks Pattern Beauty, advocacy, and joy with Samira Nasr

Tracee Ellis Ross talks Pattern Beauty, advocacy, and joy with Samira Nasr

Award-winning actress and founder of Pattern Beauty Tracee Ellis Ross didn’t see Black beauty being represented well in the market – so she built a company from scratch to fix that. In this episode, she shares entrepreneurial lessons with her longtime friend Samira Nasr, who is editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar. Their conversation was recorded live on stage at the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid Response: Iggy Azalea on crypto’s biggest myths and mistakes

Rapid Response: Iggy Azalea on crypto’s biggest myths and mistakes

Rapper and musician Iggy Azalea wants you to know that her crypto token $MOTHER isn’t just another ‘pump and dump’ celebrity crypto play. She believes in the future of cryptocurrency and the potential for fostering a new engaged community of followers — or ‘stans’ as she calls them. Azalea sits down with Rapid Response host Bob Safian to reveal why she retired from music and made the pivot into cryptocurrency, as well as founding an online gifting platform and telecommunication company. For any business looking to strengthen their brand around human connection, Iggy shares valuable advice for taking advantage of this digital age.For more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Possible: Bill Gates on possibility, AI, and humanity

Possible: Bill Gates on possibility, AI, and humanity

Reid and Aria sat down with Bill Gates to discuss his main areas of focus: climate change, energy, global health, and education—and how AI will help transform each of them. Taking a bird’s-eye view of society’s challenges, it’s easy to give in to pessimism. But as one of the most influential people in the world, Bill Gates has a unique perspective on how far humanity has come and what our potential—and timelines—for meaningful change really look like. He gets granular on everything from cows (5% of global emissions) to disease reduction and eradication (Guinea worm disease). At each turn, he has data at his fingertips to ground his beliefs. So, what current set of innovations is Bill most excited about? And what is realistically on the horizon for AI, climate change, energy, global health, and education?For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How to grow a greener energy grid, with Octopus Energy’s Greg Jackson

How to grow a greener energy grid, with Octopus Energy’s Greg Jackson

Octopus 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 green energy. From helping customers game out savings to building AI-powered software tools, his approach to innovation is multifaceted – and fascinating.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid Response: Cultivate loyalty at every level, with Chewy’s Sumit Singh and former Exos CEO Sarah Robb O’Hagan

Rapid Response: Cultivate loyalty at every level, with Chewy’s Sumit Singh and former Exos CEO Sarah Robb O’Hagan

How 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 company loyalty. Chewy CEO Sumit Singh has built his pet-centric business around customer service and care. And seasoned CEO Sarah Robb O’Hagan has led at Exos, Equinox, Nike, and more – all brands with deep reliance on genuine connections. Hear their conversation recorded live at the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco. Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid Response: Reid Hoffman on Trump's election and what's next

Rapid Response: Reid Hoffman on Trump's election and what's next

Following Donald Trump’s victory in this week’s US presidential election, Reid Hoffman (a major donor to Vice President Harris’ campaign) is figuring out where business, tech, and his own energy go from here. Hoffman joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to share his reaction to the election and what the outcome means for Silicon Valley, the overall economy, and more. Despite being a vocal critic of Trump, Hoffman is committed to driving US prosperity over the next four years, assuring “we’re all in this boat together”.Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid fire fun: Slutty Vegan’s Pinky Cole + ocean educator Philippe Cousteau Jr., live from the Masters of Scale Summit

Rapid fire fun: Slutty Vegan’s Pinky Cole + ocean educator Philippe Cousteau Jr., live from the Masters of Scale Summit

In this special 2-for-1 episode, we offer two segments of rapid-fire fun from the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit. First, Slutty Vegan’s Pinky Cole joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian for a gamified session on capturing consumer attention that delivers lessons on the power of joy, building celebrity, and competing with stalwarts like McDonald’s. Then, ocean storyteller and entrepreneur Philippe Cousteau Jr. has 10 minutes to convince Safian (as a faux VC) to invest in our oceans — encouraging that the future of humanity lies not in the stars, but much closer to home.Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former President Bill Clinton in conversation with Reid Hoffman

Former President Bill Clinton in conversation with Reid Hoffman

Former President Bill Clinton joined host Reid Hoffman on stage at the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit on October 24 to offer insights on what’s at stake in this election, and what could come next. Their full, unedited stage conversation is presented in this episode.Synthetic voiceover of Reid Hoffman used in this episode was produced by Respeecher with full consent and permission.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is AI a new species? Microsoft’s Mustafa Suleyman thinks so

Is AI a new species? Microsoft’s Mustafa Suleyman thinks so

Artificial intelligence is a “new digital species,” says Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI’s CEO. For this episode, Mustafa joined Reid Hoffman on stage at the October 2024 Masters of Scale Summit. They discuss the risks and rewards of AI, and Mustafa explains why AI will change our experience of memory. Plus, why he thinks now is a great time to found and scale companies.Synthetic voiceover of Reid Hoffman used in this episode was produced by Respeecher with full consent and permission.Read Mustafa’s book: The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the 21st Century’s Greatest DilemmaRead a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid Response: Lessons from Gaza & Israel, with World Central Kitchen’s Erin Gore and the Builders Movement's Daniel Lubetzky

Rapid Response: Lessons from Gaza & Israel, with World Central Kitchen’s Erin Gore and the Builders Movement's Daniel Lubetzky

As 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 region. World Central Kitchen’s CEO Erin Gore has been providing food relief in Gaza and beyond, and Daniel Lubetzky leads the Builders Movement, an organization committed to overcoming extremist thinking and division around the world. (He’s also the founder of Kind Snacks.) Both share how their organizations are protecting people in harm’s way, and finding ways to stay motivated in an increasingly volatile climate.Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Disrupting the wedding industry, with Zola’s Shan-Lyn Ma

Disrupting the wedding industry, with Zola’s Shan-Lyn Ma

Shan-Lyn Ma, co-founder and co-CEO of Zola, joins host Jeff Berman to share how intrapreneurship prepared her to build a business that’s transformed the wedding industry with online tools. From weathering the Covid pandemic to scaling a better experience for millions of couples, including a focus on underserved markets, Shan’s resilience and leadership have fueled Zola’s remarkable growth to a $600 million valuation, with more plans ahead. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid Response: Ken Burns on Leonardo da Vinci, AI, and the future of storytelling

Rapid Response: Ken Burns on Leonardo da Vinci, AI, and the future of storytelling

Leonardo 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 Response to talk about his new, upcoming project on da Vinci and what leaders in 2024 can learn from his interdisciplinary approach. Burns also opens up about the challenges of creative integrity in a world influenced by AI, the advantages of avoiding shortcuts, and how studying history reveals key lessons for tackling modern problems. Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comWatch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9puG9A0YpHsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Scott Galloway: Unfiltered lessons for business and life

Scott Galloway: Unfiltered lessons for business and life

Scott 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 political issues, how to build and sustain company culture, and the secret to expanding the reach of your ideas. We also touch upon AI quite a bit. With his sharp takes and hard-earned no-filter approach, Scott proves that being bold and outspoken can be good for business.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid Response: How Wikipedia will survive AI, with CEO Maryana Iskander

Rapid Response: How Wikipedia will survive AI, with CEO Maryana Iskander

Wikipedia is among the top ten most-visited websites in the world, and it’s been a pillar of online knowledge for more than 20 years. The site’s parent nonprofit, Wikimedia Foundation, wants it to stay that way. CEO Maryana Iskander joins Rapid Response to discuss how Wikipedia is navigating AI-generated misinformation, why debates around truth and neutrality will only intensify, and threats to the platform from authoritarian governments. Iskander shares how human-edited Wikipedia is holding its ground against AI competitors like ChatGPT, and her leadership strategy amid social-technological transformation.Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How Bombas pairs scaling impact and profit

How Bombas pairs scaling impact and profit

David 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 than 140 million pairs of socks, underwear and shirts so far to people in need. They recount how the Shark Tank rollercoaster affected their business, why sometimes you have to ignore well-intentioned advice, and what their nationwide network of community partners has taught them about how to combat homelessness.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid Response: How mobile voting can save democracy, with Bradley Tusk of Tusk Ventures

Rapid Response: How mobile voting can save democracy, with Bradley Tusk of Tusk Ventures

As 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 – and it revolves around our smartphones. Venture capitalist and political strategist Bradley Tusk has invested $20 million in building what he says is a safe, secure app that would allow mobile voting, which he’s bankrolled pilots for in 20 jurisdictions across 7 states. Tusk outlines what he believes makes mobile voting a powerful antidote to political dysfunction and how he’s battling entrenched power brokers content with the status quo. Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comWatch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j4PyLc6U-0See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From brand savant to accidental entrepreneur, with Sophia Amoruso

From founding the viral fashion brand Nasty Gal to inspiring and living the #Girlboss movement, Sophia Amoruso’s ideas tend to catch fire quickly. She joins host Jeff Berman to share her “accidental” entrepreneurial journey – building an e-commerce brand with nearly $100 million in revenue and then starting Girlboss Media – all with no formal business training. Now, Sophia is focused on supporting and teaching a new generation of entrepreneurs, as Managing Partner of the early-stage venture fund, Trust Fund, and the online community Business Class.Listen to our episode with Liquid Death's Mike Cessario: Apple & SpotifyRead a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid Response: A new script for the book biz and Hollywood, with The Black List’s Franklin Leonard

Rapid Response: A new script for the book biz and Hollywood, with The Black List’s Franklin Leonard

The Black List has reshaped Hollywood by identifying overlooked screenplays from Argo to The King’s Speech that have become commercial and artistic successes. Now, founder Franklin Leonard is opening The Black List’s successful model to the book industry. He shares what Hollywood and publishing have in common: a bottleneck in talent discovery, and billions in missed revenue from untapped audiences. Leonard is already linking novelists to Hollywood’s ever-growing appetite for adaptations. His insights apply to many industries, from the cost of making knee-jerk assumptions to the importance of finding risks worth taking.Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comWatch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qh-PWaolHoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bill Gates, Brian Chesky, and more: Unheard moments from our first Summit

Bill Gates, Brian Chesky, and more: Unheard moments from our first Summit

Leaders like Bill Gates, Airbnb’s Brian Chesky, and Pixar’s 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 scale lessons shared at the event. More blockbuster insights from iconic business leaders are coming in our 2024 Masters of Scale Summit, October 22-24 in San Francisco. You can check out the lineup and learn more about taking part: mastersofscale.com/summitWatch all the Summit 2022 segments here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4Tp7I0LquJuFQCdv19fznVV_rREHSNzaRead a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rapid Response: EA’s march to 1 billion gamers, with CEO Andrew Wilson

Rapid Response: EA’s march to 1 billion gamers, with CEO Andrew Wilson

While EA’s pursuit of 1 billion users may sound ambitious at first, once you hear CEO Andrew Wilson explain the developers’ strategy to get there, the 1 billion mark starts to almost sound conservative. Wilson returns to Rapid Response to shed light on EA’s recent announcements around a community-driven app, and plans to unleash new AI tools for creators and gamers alike. Wilson also shares the inside story behind the company’s high-stakes FIFA rebrand, how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu shapes his business leadership, and more. Subscribe to the Rapid Response podcast feed: https://listen.rapidresponseshow.com/SubscribeFor more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.comWatch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzAyRBd9h68See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.