It’s the early 1970s, and Gatorade isn’t just the leader in sports hydration — it is sports hydration. No other competing brand comes close. But that dominance won’t last forever. Soon, Gatorade must fend off challenges from soft-drink giants Coke and Pepsi. Will enlisting the world’s greatest athlete and spokesperson keep them ahead of the game? 

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It’s 1965 and at the University of Florida, a team of kidney scientists is working hard on an electrolyte beverage solution to prevent dehydration. It’s a hit with the school’s football team, the Florida Gators, and so they name it Gatorade. But creating an innovative product only gets you so far. The team has to figure out how they’ll get their new beverage off the sidelines and into grocery stores and the hands of millions of everyday consumers. And now that they’ve created the sports-drink sector, do they have what it takes to stay on top? 

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In the 2010s, FinTech companies emerged offering a Buy Now, Pay Later service that made financing available, at a time when trust in big banks was low. But as dependence on these apps grows, consumers are starting to reassess the cost. Adam Clark Estes is a Senior Technology Correspondent for Vox — he’s sharing what can happen when customers over-rely these services. Later, Annie Joy Williams, an assistant editor at The Atlantic, explains why women are becoming the biggest target demographic for Buy Now, Pay Later apps, and the consequences Gen Z consumers may face.

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Klarna’s popularity in the United States soars as the Covid-19 pandemic closes brick-and-mortar stores and online shopping surges. But Klarna also has a fresh wave of competitors. And as consumers find themselves sucked into vicious debt cycles, Klarna and other Buy Now, Pay Later services are forced to navigate a backlash and new government regulation.  

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In the early 2000s, Sebastian Siemiatkowski identified a gap in Europe’s burgeoning ecommerce market — consumers were hesitant to buy products sight unseen. Siemiatkowski’s new company would front the bill and give consumers 30 days to pay. The concept caught on and helped kick off the modern Buy Now, Pay Later industry. And after conquering Europe, Siemiatkowski’s Klarna set its sights on the U.S., determined to disrupt the credit card industry.  

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When CrowdStrike's faulty software update shuts down airports, hospitals and TV networks around the globe, they face intense backlash from the public. The world is forced to reckon with a terrifying new reality. As our systems become more interconnected, and reliant on just a handful of big tech companies, they also become more vulnerable to a single point of failure. 

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In 2011, CrowdStrike launched with an innovative vision: using cloud-based software to provide cybersecurity. They attracted big clients, including Fortune 500 companies and critical government agencies. And along the way, they investigated notorious hacks, like the North Korean breach of Sony Pictures, and the 2016 hack of the Democratic National Committee. 

But in 2024, they faced their biggest test of all, when a bug in their own software created the largest I.T outage in world history. 

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When the demands of war ignite a race to build autonomous cars, Google invests billions in the hope of owning the driverless future of transportation. But can it really turn this technological challenge into a viable business?

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Ever wondered what it’s like to ride in a Waymo? David and his daughter headed to downtown Austin to take their first trip in a driverless taxi. Together, they documented all the ups, downs, twists and turns. Later, author and former Waymo consultant Larry Burns rides shotgun to talk about how these autonomous vehicles will massively disrupt the auto industry — and why Larry believes the tipping point for making these cars mainstream falls within this decade.

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When the demands of war ignite a race to build autonomous cars, Google invests billions in the hope of owning the driverless future of transportation. But can it really turn this technological challenge into a viable business?

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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This fall, Beyond Meat became a meme stock, surging …and then falling right back down. For years, alternative meat companies Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods have struggled to win over customers en masse. Deena Shanker of Bloomberg Businessweek explains where the companies lost their way, and whether they can survive another year. Later, journalist Clint Rainey walks us through his investigation for Fast Company where Beyond and Impossible claimed they were victims of a social media disinformation campaign funded by “Big Beef.” So were the rumors true? Clint breaks it down. 

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Listen to Business Wars on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/business-wars/ now.

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