Latest Interviews
Showing 2356–2370 of 2,633 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs38 min
James Murdoch: Transforming the Future of Entertainment
James Murdoch outlines his transformational career spanning the restructuring of Star TV in Asia, the digital pivot of BSkyB in Europe, and the strategic simplification of 21st Century Fox to prepare for the Disney acquisition. He argues that vertical integration and content volume are now essential for competing against digital disruptors like Netflix while addressing critical industry challenges regarding advertising models and social media manipulation. Drawing on lessons from his Tesla board tenure, Murdoch projects a future defined by ubiquitous high-speed connectivity and immersive virtual realities that will fundamentally redefine media consumption.
- The Economist24 min
David Miliband on the future of liberalism
David Miliband, Zanny Minton Beddoes
David Miliband critiques the current global political landscape by diagnosing a triad of broken economic, cultural, and political contracts that have fueled populist movements across Europe and the United States. He advocates for a revitalized social democracy offering concrete solutions to inequality, while urging the West to maintain a unified front in managing relations with China and resolving refugee crises through enhanced international cooperation rather than isolationism. The discussion concludes with an assessment of the International Rescue Committee's operational challenges and a strategic call for "peacemaking" to address the root causes of modern displacement.
- The Economist35 min
Steve Bannon debate at The Economist #OpenFutures festival
Steve Bannon, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Julissa Arce, Daniel Franklin
Steve Bannon articulates a strategy of economic nationalism that prioritizes immigration restrictions and trade protectionism to reclaim American jobs, while defending European populist leaders like Viktor Orbán and Matteo Salvini as legitimate defenders of national sovereignty. He characterizes China as a totalitarian rival in an economic war and frames the Paris Climate Agreement as a geopolitical failure, arguing instead that the true threat to the working class lies in the convergence of automation and genetic engineering. This worldview drives a broader mission to deconstruct the administrative state and appoint conservative judges who can dismantle regulatory overreach, positioning Donald Trump as the essential vehicle to break the "medieval theology" of free trade.
- The Economist25 min
Tony Blair on the future of liberalism
Marking the 175th anniversary of *The Economist* and the 21st anniversary of New Labour, former Prime Minister Tony Blair reflects on the 1998, 2003, and 2004 policy decisions that contributed to modern societal fractures while outlining a renewal strategy for liberalism. Blair proposes addressing root causes of polarization through strict immigration controls without prejudice, a proactive technological policy agenda, and a return to positive-sum economic growth to counter the rise of populism. Urging the restoration of a rational political center, he suggests resolving the Brexit impasse via a second referendum and warns that without a centrist platform, the UK risks perpetual political paralysis between the extremes.
- Goldman Sachs22 min
Kwame A. Appiah: Exploring Questions of Ethics and Identity
Kwame A. Appiah, Rob Mast, Kwame Anthony Appiah
In *The Lies That Bind: Rethinking Identity*, philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah argues that rigid social identity categories restrict human dignity and often exacerbate conflicts driven by scarce economic resources. Appiah critiques the US meritocracy for functioning less fairly than claimed and advocates for a fluid understanding of self that prioritizes moral clarity through imaginative engagement rather than abstract ethical puzzles. Drawing on his experience as the *New York Times* Ethicist, he applies a relationship-based Confucian framework to everyday dilemmas, rejecting absolute rules in favor of context-sensitive judgments about privacy and obligation.
- 80,000 Hours34 min
#2 - Prof David Spiegelhalter on risk, stats and improving understanding of science
Prof David Spiegelhalter, Robert Wiblin, Jess Whittlestone, David Spiegelhalter, Keiran Harris
David Spiegelhalter, the Winton Professor for the Public Understanding of Risk at Cambridge University, advocates for using accessible metrics like the "microlife" and "micromort" to correct public biases regarding everyday health risks versus sensationalized threats. He highlights the success of institutions like the UK's NICE in applying statistical frameworks such as Quality-Adjusted Life Years to prioritize healthcare interventions while warning against the pitfalls of over-reliance on narrow indicators. Furthermore, Spiegelhalter urges academics to embrace public engagement as a professional duty and promotes strategies of resilience and flexibility for navigating deep uncertainty in both personal careers and long-term global policies.
- a16z36 min
Crypto and the Evolution of Open Source
Devon Zuegel, Denis Nazarov, Jesse Walden, Dennis
The discussion contrasts the traditional open source library model with the blockchain service paradigm, which utilizes shared infrastructure and tokenized incentives to align developer and creator interests. By leveraging immutable canonical identifiers and programmable smart contracts, the event outlines how this architecture resolves historical issues in media and finance while enabling rapid, frictionless reuse of assets. It further examines emerging applications in decentralized finance and identity, highlighting both the potential for symbiotic innovation and the governance challenges associated with network centralization and scaling.
- a16z25 min
Winning Founders & Influencing Everyone: Margit Wennmachers at Startup Grind Europe
Margit Lamm, after co-founding the agency Outkast and advising on the 2008 $300 million Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) pitch during the financial crisis, now guides the firm through its "founding entrepreneur first" philosophy supported by 100 specialized operational staff. She advises startups to prioritize product readiness over early publicity while utilizing independent content channels to control narratives, warning against over-promising to maintain essential trust with media and customers. Lamm further argues that while Silicon Valley retains a historical advantage, European entrepreneurs must culturally normalize failure to achieve breakout success and views the industry's current scrutiny as a temporary obstacle rather than a fundamental flaw.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
Lessons from Lloyd: Interns Meet our Chairman and CEO, Lloyd Blankfein
A distinguished financial leader analyzes the cyclical nature of global markets and the growing ambivalence toward globalization while advising interns to leverage their tenure for lifestyle assessment and to master the granular details of finance. The speaker further outlines a framework for corporate leadership that distinguishes between firm-aligned communication on economic expertise and employee welfare, cautioning against conflating personal agendas with institutional voice. Finally, the presentation highlights a current economic anomaly where robust growth in major economies like Japan, China, and India diverges sharply from prevailing political anxiety and anti-globalization sentiments.
- Goldman Sachs25 min
Michael Scott Moore: Kidnapped - A Story of Survival
Journalist Michael Scott Moore details his 18-month captivity by Somali pirates in *The Desert and the Sea*, recounting his 2011 abduction from a land camp to a hijacked tuna vessel near Hobyo. After his mother negotiated with FBI assistance, the ransom demand was reduced from an initial $20 million to approximately $1.6 million, a sum facilitated by the eventual realization that private payments were distinct from official government policy. Moore's account also critiques the archaic nature of modern piracy laws and argues that consistent rescue operations, rather than a rigid non-payment stance, offer a more effective deterrent against the transnational ransom industry.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
Ibtihaj Muhammad: Making History in a Hijab
Dhurah Ibtisam is a trailblazing fencer who became the first American to compete in a hijab at the Olympics, securing a team bronze medal in Rio while authoring a memoir on her journey of resilience. Beyond her athletic achievements, she founded the modest fashion brand Luella and collaborated with Mattel to launch a "Sheroes" Barbie doll that challenges stereotypes through authentic representation. Ibtisam's career highlights her advocacy for dismantling systemic barriers in sports, transforming her experiences with discrimination and financial hardship into a platform for empowering marginalized communities.
- Y Combinator26 min
Geoff Ralston and Adora Cheung Discuss Startup School
Geoff Ralston, Adora Cheung, Craig, Jeff
Startup School is a 10-week Stanford-taught online program led by YC partners and executives Paul Graham, Sam Altman, and Michael Seibel, designed to lower barriers for early-stage founders globally. The course offers two participation tracks featuring live lectures, expert advice from volunteer founders, and access to exclusive partner deals, while incentivizing serious commitment through $10,000 equity-free grants awarded to 100 completing companies. Building on last year's success where 38 graduates entered the YC accelerator, the initiative aims to maximize global innovation by fostering accountability and providing capital to prevent promising startups from failing due to early funding gaps.
- The Economist21 min
ABBA star, Bjorn Ulvaeus, on Mamma Mia and Brexit sadness
Universal Pictures advanced the *Mamma Mia!* sequel after convincing Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus to approve a dual-narrative script featuring digital avatars of the group performing two newly recorded tracks. The project required mutual consent from all four band members and utilized modern technology to simulate the musicians' 1979 appearances while integrating current vocal performances from Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Ulvaeus further discusses the band's evolving artistic themes, their diverse musical influences, and his personal views on politics and legacy during the release strategy discussions.
- Y Combinator43 min
Elad Gil Shares Advice from the High Growth Handbook, a Guide to Scaling Startups
Elad Gil, Craig Cannon, Sam Altman, Marc Andreessen, Naval Ravikant, Claire Hughes Johnson, Masud Hossain, Narayan Mallapur, Brianne Kimmel, Marius Chawa, Taylor Caforio, Tanmay Khandelwal, TD Bryant II, Andrew Pikul
In *High Growth Handbook*, Stripe co-founder John Collison distills decades of operational experience into a practical framework for executives and founders navigating scaling challenges, from hiring strategies to market entry pitfalls. The book synthesizes specific case studies and data-driven insights on funding hierarchies, product distribution, and cultural management while explicitly rejecting generic advice in favor of context-dependent execution models. By highlighting real-world examples like Stripe and Airtable, the text provides a comprehensive guide for identifying breakout opportunities and avoiding common strategic errors in high-velocity markets.
- a16z37 min
Cryptonetworks and Cities: Analogies
Ali Yahya, Devon Zuegel, Denis Nazarov, Jesse Walden, Dennis
This analysis reframes decentralized crypto networks as analogues to cities, arguing that their resilience stems from bottom-up consensus mechanisms that eliminate single points of failure. By contrasting modular "Unix-like" development with monolithic "Apple-like" approaches, the discussion highlights how visionary top-down narratives must eventually yield to rough consensus to guide organic growth while navigating trade-offs between centralized control and anarchy. Furthermore, the framework proposes aligning economic incentives with public goods through tokenization and establishes forking as a critical governance tool that enables competing networks to function as distinct socio-technical experiments.