Masters of Scale

For over a decade, Canva has made design and publishing more accessible than ever. Now, the company is wrestling with how to harness AI while staying true to its mission of empowering individual creators. Co-founder and COO Cliff Obrecht joins Rapid Response to reveal how Canva is navigating this shift—and why the stakes are so high when it comes to AI-adoption in the creative industry. He opens up about leading the compan...

Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff and Dotloop founder Austin Allison both knew that owning a vacation home was a great privilege — and an expensive hassle. They’re leveraging their decades of experience in real estate to reshape how owning a vacation home works with a new business: Pacaso. They join host Jeff Berman to reveal how it became the fastest U.S. company to ever reach unicorn status.

Read a transcript of this epis...

Even after the fighting stops, the impact of war is felt for generations. Dr. Samantha Nutt, President of War Child USA and Canada, joins Rapid Response to share how the nonprofit is serving families in conflict zones around the world — from Sudan to Afghanistan, utilizing local leaders and community organizers to spark meaningful and long term change. In the wake of Trump’s sweeping USAID divestment, Dr. Nutt reveals how ...

After wildly successful stints at Google, as CEO of Taskrabbit, and on prominent boards, Stacy Brown-Philpot decided it was time to start her own venture capital fund. She talks with host Jeff Berman about how she raised $172 million for Cherryrock Capital, why she’s focusing on underinvested founders, and how she owes it all to a six-day silent retreat.

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

Subs...

Amid global conflict, domestic unrest, and AI’s surging impact in all corners of business, it’s getting harder than ever to decipher noise from substance. To help us navigate this challenge, Reid Hoffman returns to Rapid Response, sharing valuable insights about Trump’s public spat with Elon Musk, the crisis in the Middle East, and how his new AI healthcare startup functions in the age of RFK Jr. Plus, Hoffman assesses Met...

A group of graduating students asked Reid Hoffman the biggest questions looming in their minds as they venture out into their careers. Plus, we asked a dozen incredible CEOs, founders and authors for the one piece of advice they’d give to a new graduate. It’s excellent wisdom whether you’re a new graduate or not. 

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly...

What started as five friends filming trick shot videos 16 years ago has become a new media empire. Dude Perfect has more than 61 million followers on YouTube alone. CEO Andrew Yaffe talks with host Jeff Berman about how he and the dudes are leveraging the Disney playbook to build a vertically integrated business that spans, content, products, events and maybe someday … their own theme park.

Read a transcript of this episode...

While the first family engage in their own memecoin ventures, the crypto market is booming. Crypto expert and host of the podcast Unchained, Laura Shin joins Rapid Response to reveal the sector’s emerging economic, political and geopolitical implications. Shin also provides a primer on how to best experiment with crypto today, why Stablecoin is growing so fast, and what Coinbase joining the S&P 500 means for the indust...

Author Simon Sinek joins host Reid Hoffman for a lively chat about how to identify good leaders, scale ideas, and leverage the “ultimate hack” for success. They also discuss why missionaries beat mercenaries in Silicon Valley and whether AI can ever really be your friend. 

Simon Sinek’s 15th anniversary edition of “Start With Why”: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/304046/start-with-why-15th-anniversary-edition-...

Sports business has never had higher stakes—for every league, every team, every streaming service, and every player. Sarah Spain, host of the podcast Good Game with Sarah Spain, longtime ESPN personality and sports journalist, joins Rapid Response to unpack the complexities behind the WNBA’s mainstream moment, the future of ESPN’s streaming, and the looming legal settlement that could transform college athletics forever. S...

Reid Hoffman recently stopped by Pioneers of AI to talk with host Rana el Kaliouby, and we didn’t want you to miss their fascinating conversation on AI’s environmental impact. They discuss AI’s potential for help and harm, explore what sustainable AI could look like, and predict how it could unlock scientific solutions to climate change. 

Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/

Follow Pioneers of AI on al...

Trilith Studios CEO Frank Patterson joined host Jeff Berman on stage at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta as part of our Masters of Scale live tour in May. Patterson shares insights for thriving as a creative entrepreneur and reveals the philosophy behind the success of Trilith’s growing influence in the entertainment industry. Later in the conversation, actress and filmmaker Christina Wren joins the stage to talk about building ...

OLIPOP’s surging popularity has taken the $60 billion soda industry by storm. As Gen Z and millennials ditch sugary sodas, OLIPOP is leading the pre-biotic beverage trend, sparking the likes of Coca Cola and PepsiCo to enter the fray. OLIPOP’s co-founder, CEO and formulator, Ben Goodwin, joins Rapid Response to share how the brand is navigating the turbulence of rapid growth and rising competition, what leadership lessons ...

Therapist Esther Perel wants us all to build stronger relationships at work. Her coveted advice is the centerpiece of her books, TED talks and podcast “Where Should We Begin?” During the pandemic, she launched a conversational card game. Now, she joins host Jeff Berman to talk about why she just released a new edition, Where Should We Begin? At Work, designed specifically for coworkers. They also go deep on why stronger re...

The buzz in Silicon Valley around AI agents has many asking: What’s real and what’s hype? Box’s co-founder and CEO, Aaron Levie, joins Rapid Response to help decipher between fact and fiction, taking listeners inside the fast-paced evolution of agents and its impact on the future of enterprise AI. Plus, Levie unpacks how AI is really being adopted in the workplace, what it takes to legitimately build an AI-first organizati...

John Green has spent his career telling stories — through novels, YouTube videos, and educational projects like Crash Course. Now, he’s on a mission to eliminate tuberculosis: a curable disease that still kills more than a million people every year. In this episode, Green joins host Jeff Berman to talk about how we could scale solutions to this global health crisis — and how to leverage obsession, creativity, and community...

Amid polarization, AI disruption, and eroding trust in institutions, retired four-star general, Stanley McChrystal, argues that what leaders need now more than ever, is character. Head of the business consulting firm McChrystal Group, Gen. McChrystal returns to Rapid Response to discuss his new book on the subject of character. From AI ethics and modern warfare to hot-button issues like Signalgate and transgender serv...

To scale sustainably, founders must not neglect their mental health. Arianna Huffington learned this the hard way after collapsing from burnout while leading The Huffington Post. She talked with host Reid Hoffman about how that wake-up call sparked her next venture, Thrive Global, which helps companies build cultures that prioritize well-being. With work wellness insights from Huffington, Chris Yeh and Dr. Matt Walker, thi...

When Ju Rhyu moved to South Korea for a corporate job, she noticed people unapologetically wearing hydrocolloid pimple patches on their faces — on the street, at the office, anywhere. She soon realized no one had cornered the US market yet on this skincare secret, and Hero Cosmetics was born. Rhyu joins host Jeff Berman this week to reveal the lessons she learned as a first-time entrepreneur who built a brand that earned a...