Masters of Scale

WaitWhat

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.

  • 30 minutes 13 seconds
    How Reid Hoffman’s new company will create cancer cures

    Reid Hoffman shares the inside story this week of his bold new venture to disrupt cancer drug development: Manas AI. He chats with Jeff Berman to reflect on why he co-founded the company, the lessons he’s using to scale it, and what advice he has for fellow entrepreneurs and investors about how to make the most of AI in any industry.

    Rapid Response podcast conversation on Superagency: https://mastersofscale.com/reid-hoffman-on-ai-superagency/

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    3 April 2025, 9:00 am
  • 28 minutes 39 seconds
    From data breach scandal to AI darling, with Snowflake’s CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy

    It's been a wild few years for Snowflake, from a record-breaking IPO to a plummeting stock price to a data-breach scandal. Sridhar Ramaswamy took over in the heat of the turmoil and helped steady the ship, in part by betting big on AI. Ramaswamy returns to Rapid Response to share lessons from the company's turnaround, including insights behind high profile partnerships with OpenAI and Anthropic, how Snowflake embraced China's Deepseek early, and why Ramaswamy calls Snowflake the most consequential AI-data company in the world.

    Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1 April 2025, 9:00 am
  • 36 minutes 58 seconds
    Climate change ‘codeswitching’ for business, with Planet FWD’s Julia Collins

    Serial entrepreneur Julia Collins is tackling climate change with her latest venture, Planet FWD. It’s a B2B platform helping brands make their supply chains better for the environment – and their bottom lines. Julia joins host Jeff Berman to share lessons learned from her earlier endeavors in the food industry, which involved a failed unicorn, pizza robots, Danny Meyer, and sustainable snacks.

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

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    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    27 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 31 minutes 33 seconds
    Public radio vs. DOGE: NPR CEO Katherine Maher previews her testimony

    Tomorrow, NPR’s CEO Katherine Maher goes before a DOGE subcommittee in Congress to defend the public media outlet’s case for federal funding. Maher returns to Rapid Response for the first time since taking on the CEO role to preview her testimony, sharing how funding cuts would impact Americans’ broad access to crucial news and information, particularly in rural areas. Maher also reveals why the company has pivoted its DEI strategy, how the organization can better frame its identity as an outlet for all Americans, and more.

    Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    25 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 37 minutes 59 seconds
    Live from SXSW: Mike and Kass Lazerow’s ‘messy’ path to success

    Serial entrepreneurs and investors Mike and Kass Lazerow are best known for co-founding Buddy Media, the social media marketing platform that sold to Salesforce for $745 million. Host Jeff Berman joined the Lazerows on stage at the 2025 SXSW conference to discuss their extraordinary career journey as co-founders and spouses. They’ve distilled their most meaningful business lessons into a new book: Shoveling $h!t: A Love Story About the Entrepreneur's Messy Path to Success

    Book details: https://shovelingshit.com/

    Note: Kass Lazerow is on the board of WaitWhat — the company that makes this podcast.

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

    Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    20 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 27 minutes 28 seconds
    From 'Trump bump' to 'Trump slump,' with Betterment CEO Sarah Levy

    Recent market swings are causing whiplash for everyday investors. Sarah Levy, CEO of digital investment platform Betterment returns to Rapid Response to shed light on a market in flux. Levy explores the evolving volatility of crypto, socially responsible investing, generational attitudes to finance, and more. Amid the noise around our economy, Sarah offers a clear-eyed vision to help everyone find their own unique approach to money. 

    Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    18 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 32 minutes 9 seconds
    Solving start-up puzzles, with Vanta CEO Christina Cacioppo

    Compliance and security might not be the flashiest parts of running a business, but that’s exactly where the CEO and founder of Vanta saw a $2.5 billion opportunity. Christina Cacioppo joins host Jeff Berman to share lessons from hyperscaling her trust management platform.

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

    Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    13 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 27 minutes 37 seconds
    Nonprofits navigate Trump’s drastic funding cuts, with The Chronicle of Philanthropy CEO Stacy Palmer

    President Trump’s dramatic cuts to U.S. government grants are destabilizing every corner of the non-profit sector, leaving organizations scrambling to adapt. Stacy Palmer, CEO of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, explores the executive order’s impact on both the public and private sector, how organizations can adjust to the unpredictable philosophy of the new administration, and what the future of giving may look like. With many historical institutions like public schools, houses of worship, and community organizations under pressure, this moment could further fracture the ties that bind Americans together.

    Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    11 March 2025, 9:00 am
  • 31 minutes 7 seconds
    How Anastasia Soare built a beauty brand worth billions

    Anastasia Soare is responsible for how everyone from Oprah to Kim Kardashian shape their eyebrows. Soare started as a Romanian immigrant in a single room salon in Beverly Hills, and decades later, her beauty brand peaked at a valuation of about $3 billion. She joined host Jeff Berman to reveal the lessons she has learned building a global beauty empire, how listening to her daughter helped the brand leverage the influencer economy, and why she never wants to retire.

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

    Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    6 March 2025, 10:00 am
  • 26 minutes 56 seconds
    What the Oscars tell us about streamers, studios, and Hollywood’s future with The Ankler's Janice Min

    The Oscars aren’t just about filmmaking — they’re a real-time look at the culture, business, and power plays shaping Hollywood and larger entertainment industry. The Ankler CEO Janice Min returns to Rapid Response to unpack the night’s biggest turning points — including how Sean Baker’s Anora proved that low-budget filmmaking can outrun major studios, why Hollywood is more afraid of political controversy than ever, and how livestreaming is factoring in the streamers wars, one Hulu glitch at a time.

    Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    4 March 2025, 10:00 am
  • 30 minutes 39 seconds
    Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen on leveraging AI

    Shantanu Narayen has weathered plenty of storms for Adobe, the iconic software company that earned more than $21 billion in revenue last year. The veteran tech leader talks with host Reid Hoffman about transforming Adobe’s creative tools like Photoshop to a cloud-based subscription, how that unlocked ways to innovate faster, and why those lessons are serving the company well in the new age of AI.

    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.com

    Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    27 February 2025, 10:00 am
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