Latest Interviews
Showing 31–45 of 298 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist8 min
Why are Iranian drones so deadly? | The Economist
Russia has adapted Iranian Shaheed drones into low-cost Geran munitions, creating a strategic challenge by outpacing traditional missile interceptors with volume and maneuverability. To counter this, Ukraine is exporting its operational expertise in FPV interceptor drones to Gulf states, offering technology transfers in exchange for defense investments and pressure on Western partners to supply high-end interceptors. This emerging alliance leverages Ukrainian successes in air and maritime defense to offset the economic imbalance of Russia's drone swarm tactics while reshaping regional security dynamics.
- Milken Institute20 min
American Dream Investing: Conversation with HUD Secretary Scott Turner | Future of Finance 2026
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has proposed a rule change mandating work requirements for able-bodied public housing recipients, aiming to assist 79,000 families in achieving self-sufficiency while generating a projected $501 million income increase. Under Secretary Benson's leadership, the agency is simultaneously streamlining regulations by removing federal zoning overreach to empower local jurisdictions and revitalizing the Opportunity Zones program, which has already facilitated $100 billion in private investment and lifted 1 million people from poverty. These initiatives reflect a strategic shift toward leveraging private sector innovation and emphasizing personal responsibility to address root causes of homelessness and expand housing affordability.
- Goldman Sachs13 min
$120 Oil Ahead?
Goldman Sachs' Jerome Dortmans warns that the Iran conflict has disrupted 20% of global oil and LNG output, creating unhedgeable supply shortages that could deplete strategic reserves within days. He forecasts prices will surge toward $100–$120 per barrel if the disruption persists beyond three days, with diesel and jet fuel facing the most severe immediate constraints. Dortmans cautions that market complacency is dangerous, predicting material inflationary impacts that will primarily affect major importers like China and India as geopolitical priorities shift away from Western refining systems.
- The Economist8 min
Will the Iran war spread across the Middle East?
Greg, Anshul, Adam, Pete Hexeth
Experts warn that regional chaos in Iran could trigger a prolonged conflict, spiking energy prices and threatening the security models of Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. While historically neutral, these nations are shifting toward military alignment with the US and abandoning diplomatic restraint as Iranian strikes backfire by uniting regional populations against Tehran. This escalation occurs amidst a US strategy driven by legacy considerations rather than broad public support, aiming to transform Iran's political landscape while balancing fears of a quagmire against the need to signal power to global rivals like China.
- The Economist9 min
What would be the point of an American strike on Iran? | The Economist
Edward Carr, Ed, Shashank, Greg
Two US aircraft carrier strike groups and over 100 fighter jets, including F-22s landed in Israel, have assembled in the Gulf and Mediterranean to execute high-intensity strikes without establishing a large-scale ground presence in Saudi Arabia or the UAE. Analysts warn that the undefined strategic aim—ranging from punitive punishment to coercive diplomacy or regime change—fundamentally determines the conflict's duration and feasibility. Negotiations remain deadlocked over specific nuclear constraints, as Washington seeks a permanent agreement eliminating sunset clauses while Iran resists total uranium enrichment restrictions.
- Goldman Sachs20 min
Why Japanese Stocks Could Keep Rallying
Driven by Prime Minister Senei Takeuchi's snap election victory, Japanese equities have surged 14% year-to-date in 2026, outperforming US benchmarks and triggering a Goldman Sachs price target increase based on anticipated political stability. This supermajority is expected to facilitate long-term policy continuity, attracting foreign capital as investors anticipate concrete corporate governance reforms and accelerated ROE growth to sustain the current market cycle. While risks such as leadership transitions or policy missteps remain, the landslide win signals a transition into a "delivery phase" where structural economic security and defense clarity ahead of the March 19 summit will likely drive further valuation expansion.
- Y Combinator8 min
The New Way To Build A Startup
Companies such as GigaML, Legion Health, and PhaseShift are redefining operational scale by automating all internal workflows—from code integration to clinical operations—rather than merely augmenting isolated functions. This "20X company" model enables lean teams of just a few employees to service Fortune 500 clients and achieve fourfold revenue growth while maintaining flat headcounts that would traditionally require hundreds of staff. By treating internal processes as the primary product, these organizations achieve AGI-level productivity, allowing them to compete directly with massive incumbents without the corresponding payroll burdens.
- Goldman Sachs16 min
How AI is Driving Drug Discovery: Xaira Therapeutics' Marc Tessier Lavigne
Marc Tessier Lavigne, Sonia Gupta
Zara Therapeutics CEO Mark Tessier Levine is applying a three-pillar strategy combining AI-driven design, massive-scale biology, and clinical experience to disrupt an industry where 90% of drug candidates currently fail. By leveraging frontier models from David Baker and over $1 billion in funding, the company targets undruggable proteins and aims to reduce development timelines from five years to under two. This approach shifts the paradigm from intuitive trial-and-error to a systematic, in silico process designed to fundamentally increase clinical success rates.
- The Economist8 min
How OSINT has given Ukraine a strategic advantage
The company initiated direct data sharing with Ukrainian military officials and former spy chief Kyrylo Budanov to provide strategic intelligence on Russian operations in the Black Sea and deep territory. While an ethics committee reviews government requests to ensure transparency, the founders emphasize that their role involves guiding technology use through selective partnership rather than claiming neutrality in conflicts with distinct societal impacts. Despite facing Russian cyber threats and being viewed as a hostile entity, the fleet maintains operational resilience through a disaggregated architecture that ensures continuous service even when individual satellites are compromised.
- Milken Institute6 min
LeadersLink Michelle Stewart
Founded by Avner Namani and Caroline Kelly, Pankind Pancreatic Cancer Australia aims to triple the five-year survival rate to 39% by 2030 through evidence-based research and patient navigation systems that address treatment inaccessibility. The organization mitigates the dangers of unproven overseas therapies by deploying clinical nurse specialists and partnering with Trial Screen to simplify complex clinical trial enrollment for diverse and rural populations. With strategic support from the LeadersLink capstone program and input from CEO Michelle Stewart, Pankind is refining this framework to accelerate therapeutic adoption and transform terminal diagnoses into manageable chronic conditions.
- Goldman Sachs12 min
Oil Market Impacts from Venezuela
Following the U.S. capture of President Maduro and the installation of an interim government, Venezuela's political transition has triggered a muted market reaction while positioning heavy crude supply for potential growth through 2030. Goldman Sachs projects that increased U.S. reinvestment could boost daily output from 800,000 to 2 million barrels, creating symmetrical short-term volatility but ultimately depressing global prices by approximately $4 by the end of the decade. Concurrently, the geopolitical fracture has driven gold prices up nearly 3% as major powers compete for commodity dominance, with U.S. refiners and energy firms poised to capitalize on the realignment of heavy crude flows toward the West.
- a16z13 min
AI in 2026: 3 Predictions For What’s To Come (a16z Big Ideas)
Oliver Hsu, Bryan Kim, David Haber
Speakers Oliver Hsu, Brian Kim, and David Haber analyze distinct trajectories for AI adoption, ranging from autonomous scientific discovery in life sciences to consumer platforms shifting focus from productivity to digital connectivity. Hsu identifies the maturation of robot learning and simulation as prerequisites for closing the loop on self-driving labs, while Kim argues that future consumer value hinges on AI agents facilitating human relationships through deep emotional engagement. Concurrently, Haber demonstrates that the most robust business models integrate AI to directly reinforce revenue generation and proprietary data loops, as seen in contingency law firms and loan servicing platforms that scale success rather than merely cutting costs.
- a16z12 min
AI Is Coming For These 3 Industries In 2026 (a16z Big Ideas)
Ryan McEntush, Angela Strange, Sarah Wang
Ryan McIntosh, Angela Strange, and Sarah Wang identify three pivotal 2026 inflection points defining the future of American industry, finance, and software architecture. These experts forecast a transition where the U.S. must vertically integrate its electro-industrial ecosystem to match China, financial institutions must abandon legacy mainframes for AI-native data systems to unlock tenfold operational scaling, and dynamic AI agent layers must displace traditional systems of record to enable autonomous execution. Collectively, these shifts emphasize that future economic and military power depends on controlling embodied electrified components, unifying data across unstructured sources, and achieving product velocity through continuous AI-driven iteration.
- Milken Institute6 min
LeadersLink Eszter Hars
Esther Harst, a molecular biologist and CEO of the Schwarzman-Diamond Syndrome Alliance, is deploying a patient-entered data platform to address the critical lack of "patient voice" insights in treating this rare genetic disorder that causes fatal leukemia in many patients. The initiative has secured IRB approval and is preparing to launch a pilot study to mobilize the community, facilitate clinical trial matchmaking, and catalyze global collaborations through an open architecture. Building on over 20 years of biotech experience, Harst aims to expand the program to the entire SDS community early next year after validating data utility and patient trust during the pilot phase.
- The Economist6 min
How is Russia testing the West?
Russia currently perceives itself under a continuum of low-intensity conflict with the West, interpreting Ukrainian strikes as direct aggression while employing hybrid tactics to destabilize Western democracies and undermine the existing international order. While Moscow retains high risk tolerance born of this siege mentality, recent escalations appear tempered by the fear of triggering an all-out war that would contradict its strategic goal of dismantling Western dominance. Simultaneously, China maintains a cautious distance from Russian recklessness to preserve its own economic stability, creating a complex dynamic where global powers calibrate responses to deter adversary activities without sparking accidental escalation.