Shows / Giant Ideas
Giant Ideas
Giant Ideas invites leading minds from tech, business, politics, and beyond to explore the giant ideas changing our world. Giant Ventures, founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen, backs purpose-driven founders shaping civilisation.
Episodes
Giant IdeasPhilosopher Roman Krznaric: Legacy Isn't About Being Remembered
How will you be remembered? Does it matter? Last week Roman made the case for long-term thinking across society. This time he shares what it looks like in your…
Giant IdeasPhilosopher Roman Krznaric: Are You a Good or Bad Ancestor?
How can you be a better ancestor? Today, we're joined by Roman Krznaric, the public philosopher and author of The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long Term in a…
Giant Ideas$11B Airwallex Founder Jack Zhang's Crazy Journey: Choosing Happiness Over Valuation, Turning 1M into 500M, and Saying No to >$3B of Stripe Stock
What did it take to build an $11 billion company, Airwallex? Jack moved from rural northeast China to Melbourne at 15 and now runs Airwallex, the global…
Giant Ideas“Dive Headfirst”: Isomorphic Labs President Max Jaderberg on his Biggest Decision
Today, we're back with Max Jaderberg, president of Isomorphic Labs, to talk about his life lessons. After years at DeepMind working on deep learning…
Giant IdeasIsomorphic Labs President Max Jaderberg: Can AI Solve All Disease?
Today, we're joined by Max Jaderberg, President of Isomorphic Labs. Isomorphic Labs, the Alphabet-backed company spun out of DeepMind, is using AI to design…
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What Traits Do the BEST Founders Share? Tommy & Cameron's Reflections
After more than 50 episodes interviewing founders, investors and leaders, Giant co-founders Tommy Stadlen and Cameron McLain turn the mic on themselves to ask…
Giant IdeasAOL Co-founder, Steve Case: AI Lessons from the Internet Boom
Today, we're joined by Steve Case, the co-founder of AOL, to talk about what the first internet boom can tell us about this one. Steve started AOL in 1985…
Giant IdeasDoes "Financial Gravity" Corrupt? - Lean Startup author Eric Ries on staying Incorruptible
Today, we're joined by Eric Ries, the author of The Lean Startup and the founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange. Eric wrote the book that taught a generation…
Giant IdeasEx-Sequoia Chair, Michael Moritz - on Modern America & His New Book Ausländer
Today, we're back with Michael Moritz, the Sequoia investor who backed Google, Yahoo and PayPal, to talk about his family and his latest book. Moritz has…
Giant IdeasFormer Sequoia Chair Michael Moritz on Assessing Founders: "It's All About the First 15 or 16 Years of Life"
Today, we're joined by Michael Moritz, the former chairman of Sequoia Capital, one of the most successful venture capitalists of all time. Michael Moritz is a…
Giant Ideas"Run Towards Growth" Career Advice From ex-YC COO and Applied Intuition CEO Qasar Younis
Today, we're back for our FINAL episode before a 3 week summer break! We're back the first week of September. Today we're joined by Qasar Younis, co-founder…
Giant IdeasApplied Intuition CEO, Qasar Younis: Why He Raised ~$1B but Never Spent a Dollar
Today, we're joined by Qasar Younis, co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, a physical AI company valued at $15 billion that builds the models and simulation…
Giant Ideas"I Think of It More as Seduction": CNN Host Fareed Zakaria, on the Art of the Interview
Today, we're back with Fareed Zakaria, the host of CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, to talk about his lessons about how to do a great interview. Fareed Zakaria has…
Giant IdeasCNN Host, Fareed Zakaria: Is the Post-War World Order Collapsing?
Today, we're joined by Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's flagship foreign affairs show and author of The Post-American World. Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen talk…
Giant Ideas"We Hire For Default Optimism": Deel Co-founder & CEO, Alex Bouaziz on Arsenal, His Father, and Video Games
Today, we're back with Alex Bouaziz, co-founder and CEO of Deel, to talk about his life lessons. Alex Bouaziz is the co-founder and CEO of Deel, the global…
Giant IdeasDeel Speed: From $1M to $100M in Less Than 2 Years - Deel Co-founder, Alex Bouaziz
Today, we're joined by Alex Bouaziz, co-founder and CEO of Deel, the global HR and payroll platform now serving companies across 150+ countries with more than…
Giant IdeasCityblock Co-Founder, Toyin Ajayi: What Happens When You Treat Healthcare as a Right, Not a Transaction?
Today, we're joined by Toyin Ajayi, co-founder and CEO of Cityblock Health and a former doctor who trained in the NHS before taking on the US healthcare. Toyin…
Giant IdeasiPod & iPhone Inventor, Tony Fadell: Why Saying No Was Steve Jobs' Biggest Skill
Today, we're joined by Tony Fadell, the inventor of the iPod and co-inventor of the iPhone. Tony is the founder of Nest (the smart thermostat acquired by…
Giant Ideas"We Had to Kill the Ipod To Save Apple" - iPod & iPhone Inventor, Tony Fadell
Today, we're joined by Tony Fadell, inventor of the iPod, co-inventor of the iPhone, and founder of Nest, acquired by Google. He's also the New York Times…
Giant IdeasTwilio & Inertia Co-founder, Jeff Lawson: Is Nuclear Fusion The Holy Grail of Energy?
Today, we're joined by Jeff Lawson - co-founder of Twilio and now founder of Inertia, a fusion energy company commercialising the Lawrence Livermore fusion…
Giant IdeasLightspeed Co-founder Barry Eggers: Are Billion-Dollar Seed Rounds the New Normal?
Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment…
Giant IdeasDrama Is Conflict, Brand Is Character: Lessons from Nike, Airbnb and Apple with AKQA & Studio.one's Ajaz Ahmed
On this episode of Giant Ideas, Tommy sits down with Ajaz Ahmed, founder of AKQA and now Studio.One, to decode what truly iconic brands have in common — from…
Giant Ideas“I’m a Pathological Optimist” - Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales' Life Lessons
In this episode of Giant Ideas, Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, discusses how trust, purpose, and community design shaped one of the world’s most used…
Giant IdeasWikipedia Founder, Jimmy Wales: What Can You Trust In The Age of AI?
Why did Wikipedia stay donation-funded and ad-free while OpenAI raced toward billions in GPU spend and a hybrid for‑profit model? In this episode, Jimmy Wales…
Giant Ideas"Hard Work, Grit, Tenacity and Not Giving Up" - Robinhood Co-Founder Baiju Bhatt's Life Lessons
In this episode of Giant Ideas, Cameron sits down with the co‑founder of Robinhood to talk about where it all began, and what founders today can learn. They…
Giant IdeasRobinhood & Aetherflux Co-Founder Baiju Bhatt: It's Time To Commercialise Space
Baiju Bhatt, the co-founder & CEO of Robinhood, has a vision that the Earth will one day be like Saturn - with rings in outer space. Baiju's latest company is…
Giant IdeasRebuild Your Life Around Friendship (Before It's Too Late): Vivek Murthy's Life Lessons
In episode two with former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, he reflects on the hidden epidemic of loneliness through the story of his own life. Moving from a…
Giant IdeasFormer US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy: Is Technology Fuelling a Loneliness Epidemic?
In this episode, former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy explains why loneliness has become a defining problem of modern life. He explains why: - The crucial…
Giant Ideas“Ambition Without Execution is Delusion", Form Energy CEO Mateo Jaramillo on Starting Form Energy
Cameron sits down with Mateo Jaramillo, the former Tesla exec building one of the most ambitious climate companies in the world: Form Energy. In this bonus…
Giant IdeasForm Energy CEO Mateo Jaramillo: Building the Largest Battery System in the World
Cameron sits down with Matteo Jaramillo, the former Tesla exec building one of the most ambitious climate companies in the world: Form Energy. They dive into…
Giant Ideas"Mothers Can Do it All. They Just Shouldn't Do it On Their Own" - Former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Life Lessons
In this episode of Giant Ideas, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern returns to explore the person behind the public role. Invited to choose three…
Giant IdeasFormer NZ Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern: How to Lead with Compassion When Everything’s on Fire
Today on the podcast we are joined by Jacinda Ardern - former Prime Minister of New Zealand, and the world's youngest female head of government. This is a…
Giant Ideas"They Haven’t Got a Clue How Remorseless the Pressure Is", Former Meta President Nick Clegg on His Life Lessons
Former UK Deputy Prime Minister and ex‑President of Global Affairs at Meta Nick Clegg returns for a deeply personal conversation. Nick reflects on the three…
Giant IdeasFormer Meta President & Deputy PM, Nick Clegg: Is Social Media Driving Us Apart?
Nick Clegg is the former UK Deputy Prime Minister and former President, Global Affairs at Meta. He has had a front seat to two of the biggest power structures…
Giant Ideas"Ego Destruction and Humility…": US Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang on Running for President
Andrew Yang joins the Giant Ideas podcast again, this time offering a deeper dive behind the person behind his giant ideas. Andrew ran for president in 2020…
Giant IdeasPresidential Candidate Andrew Yang: AI Needs Universal Basic Income
Today on the Giant Ideas podcast we are joined by Andrew Yang. When Andrew Yang, a political outsider, ran for US President in 2020 his campaign hinged on a…
Giant Ideas'Sometimes People Get Confused Between Ego and Rigour': PsiQuantum Co-Founder, Jeremy O'Brien's Wisdom
We welcome back Jeremy O'Brien, co-founder and CEO of PsiQuantum, a quantum computing company on a mission to deliver the first commercially useful quantum…
Giant IdeasPsiQuantum Co-Founder, Jeremy O'Brien: Quantum Is Sooner Than You Think
Today on the Giant Ideas podcast we welcome Jeremy O'Brien, co-founder and CEO of PsiQuantum, a quantum computing company on a mission to deliver the first…
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Succession and HBO-hit Industry Writers Talk with Henry Mance about Writing, Power, and Corruption
Welcome back to Giant Ideas! Happy new year. We return to normal scheduling next week, but this week we are sharing an exclusive conversation with some of the…
Giant Ideas"A BILLION dollars came in to Mercury in a few hours" Mercury CEO on Lessons from SVB's Failure & How To Lead Through a Crisis
Immad Akhund is the Co-founder & CEO at Mercury - one of the most widely used business banking platforms globally. He is also an active investor in Silicon…
Giant IdeasImmad Akhund, CEO at Mercury: The Reality of Building a Unicorn (and Why it's Worth the Pain)
Immad Akhund is the Co-founder and CEO at Mercury - one of the most widely used business banking platforms globally. He is also an active investor in Silicon…
Giant IdeasBjarke Ingels Wisdom: Your Home Should Be a Portrait of You
Today on the Giant Ideas podcast we welcome back visionary architect Bjarke Ingels, founder of @BIGSOLUTIONS (Bjarke Ingels Group), whose work includes…
Giant IdeasTurning Architectural Dreams Into Reality, with Global Architect & Founder Bjarke Ingels
Today on the Giant Ideas podcast we welcome visionary architect Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), whose work includes Google’s Silicon…
Giant IdeasDoug Bernauer Wisdom: SpaceX & Elon Musk's Secret to Ambitious Leadership
Doug Bernauer, founder of Radiant (one of Giant’s most exciting growth investments) joins us again on the Giant Ideas podcast. We backed Radiant in their…
Giant IdeasNuclear Reactors In A Box (Radiant Founder, Doug Bernauer)
Today we are joined by Doug Bernauer, founder of Radiant – one of Giant’s most exciting growth investments. We backed Radiant in their Series C round. Their…
Giant IdeasHalle Tecco Wisdom: Choosing a Life Partner & Prioritising Adventure
What are the moments that defined you? Last week we had an in depth conversation with star investor Halle Tecco about creating massively better healthcare in…
Giant IdeasMassively Better Healthcare (Star Investor Halle Tecco)
Today on the podcast, we are excited to be joined by Halle Tecco - an entrepreneur and investor passionate about fixing the healthcare system. Halle is the…
Giant IdeasInfosys Co-Founder, Narayana Murthy: India’s Rising Status as a Tech Superpower
Today on the podcast we have Narayana Murthy - Founder and former CEO of Infosys - a giant which reached $100BN, one of the largest companies in history, and…
Giant IdeasIkoyi Co-Founder, Jeremy Chan: What It Takes to Build a Global Top 50 Restaurant
Today on the podcast we welcome Jeremy Chan. Jeremy is a British-Canadian chef who grew up between London and Hong Kong, and is the Co-founder of Ikoyi…
Giant IdeasWaymo, Udacity, and Kitty Hawk Founder, Sebastian Thrun: Building Moonshots & His Next Company
Today on the podcast we are joined by Sebastian Thrun - the “Godfather of self-driving cars”. He invented Google’s autonomous vehicle, now known as Waymo…
Giant IdeasSynthesia Co-founder and COO, Steffen Tjerrild: the Future of Video, Trust, and Deepfakes
Today on the podcast we have Synthesia Co-founder and COO Steffen Tjerrild. Synthesia is an AI company that allows you to create professional videos with just…
Giant IdeasRugby’s First Black Captain for Saracens, Floyd Steadman: From Care Home to Inspirational Headmaster
Today on the podcast we are joined by Floyd Steadman OBE. Floyd Steadman’s journey began in North-West London as a 10-year-old runaway, surviving alone after…
Giant IdeasFormer CIA Director, General David Petraeus: Hard Power, a New Global Order?
Today on Giant Ideas we’re joined by General David Petraeus — arguably one of the most influential generals in American history. From leading coalition forces…
Giant IdeasScribd & Created By Humans Co-Founder, Trip Adler: How Can Creativity Thrive in the AI Era?
Welcome back to Giant Ideas! Today we are joined by Trip Adler, the Co-founder of Scribd - a company he co-founded with Jared Friedman, now Partner at Y…
Giant IdeasLinkedIn Co-Founder, Reid Hoffman: AI Will Give Us All Superpowers
Today on the podcast we are joined by tech titan Reid Hoffman. As the founder of LinkedIn, which Microsoft acquired for $26 billion, Reid is one of the most…
Giant IdeasWhy Success Is A Trap… And How to Achieve It: Philosopher & Author, Alain De Botton
Alain de Botton, philosopher, author, and founder of The School of Life, joins the Giant Ideas show today. The School of Life provides emotional education to…
Giant IdeasWorld Leading Tech Analyst, Benedict Evans: Making Sense of AI
Welcome back! Today, we’re joined by one of the most insightful voices in tech - Benedict Evans, former Andreessen Horowitz partner and founder of Benedict's…
Giant IdeasGirlboss and Nasty Gal Founder, Sophia Amoruso: The Post GirlBoss Era
Sophia Amoruso is the entrepreneur-turned-investor best known for founding the fashion e-commerce brand Nasty Gal and for coining the term “Girlboss”. She…
Giant Ideasa16z General Partner, Katherine Boyle: American Dynamism and the Rise of Defense Tech
Today on the Giant Ideas podcast we are joined by Katherine Boyle, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. In 2022 Katherine unveiled her thesis - ‘Building…
Giant IdeasNBA Champion, Rick Fox: How to Lead Maverick Geniuses like Kobe and Shaq and Win
Welcome back to the Giant Ideas Podcast, Season 2! Today on the podcast we are joined by Rick Fox - businessman, actor, three-time NBA Champion and captain of…