Brad Stone, the senior executive editor for Global Technology at Bloomberg News, joins to discuss his latest book: Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire. We hear how the company has transformed under Jeff Bezos’s leadership and the existential threats coming for its market dominance. Follow Brad on Twitter, @BradStone. 
Scott opens with his thoughts on “burning benjamins” — AKA what happens when billionaires lose other people’s money. 

Hamid Moghadam, the CEO of Prologis, a logistics real estate business, breaks down how warehouses have evolved to meet the demand for speedy deliveries, how the pandemic expedited trends in the supply chain space, and how a booming era of e-commerce is driving this sector. He also reflects on his career path as an Iranian-American and a leader of a nearly $90 billion company.

Scott opens with Snap’s investments in augmented reality and explores how the broader social commerce space is shaping up as social media companies battle it out for shoppers’ attention — and wallets.  

Niall Ferguson returns to the pod for a discussion about his latest book, Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe. Niall shares why “all disasters are in some sense man-made” and what history can teach us about handling crises. Niall also explains the state of play around digital currencies from a geopolitical perspective. Follow Niall on Twitter, @nfergus. 

Scott opens with his thoughts on AT&T’s reverse merger with Discovery, and what it means for the streaming wars. He also discusses the implications of stock buybacks and dividends. 

Kenneth Cukier, a senior editor at The Economist, joins to share insights from his latest book, Framers: Human Advantage in an Age of Technology and Turmoil. Kenneth explains how to use frames to make better decisions and avoid crises, as well as why we should rethink the phrase “think outside the box.” He also shares his thoughts on how artificial intelligence is shaping business, healthcare, and society. 

Scott opens with why he believes America is experiencing the worst LBO in history. 

Algebra of Happiness: Develop a process for resetting. 

Bob Cialdini, one of the world’s leading social scientists, joins Scott to discuss his seven principles of persuasion and his revised edition of Influence — the psychology of why people say yes. Bob also shares how to use these principles in thoughtful debates, politics, and parenting. Follow him on Twitter, @RobertCialdini. 

Scott opens with his thoughts on Verizon selling Yahoo and AOL, Epic Games vs. Apple, and Biden’s economic plan. 

Algebra of Happiness: Tell someone how impressed you are with them. 

Al Franken, the former senator of Minnesota, shares how he got his start in comedy and discusses the state of play around our political ecosystem — including who might be in the running in 2024, the issues he believes Democrats and Republicans can compromise on, and the need to address systemic inequality. We also hear his advice on being a good partner and father. Follow Al on Twitter, @alfranken.

Scott opens with his thoughts on the Streaming Wars and the push towards international content. He also shares his thoughts on Spotify and Apple’s podcast subscription services. Scott wraps with why he’s excited about Apple’s iOS 14.5 and what it means for Facebook and Google. 

Algebra of Happiness: The key is forgiveness. 

Jacqueline Novogratz is the founder, and CEO of Acumen, a global nonprofit investing in sustainable businesses, leaders, and ideas. She is also the author of, Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World. Jacqueline shares her ideas around moral leadership and how to use capital and networks as means, not ends, to solving the issues of poverty. Follow Jacqueline on Twitter, @jnovogratz. 

Scott opens with his thoughts on Coinbase’s “broken IPO.” He also discusses Spotify’s recent developments and the broader social audio wave — AKA why every company is trying to become Clubhouse. 

Algebra of Happiness: teaching masculinity.

Dror Poleg, the author of Rethinking Real Estate, joins Scott to discuss how NFTs could change the way we compensate employees and why you should think of offices and cities as consumer products. Dror also shares how crypto assets will come into play in the real estate world and why he’s particularly bullish on Ethereum. Follow Dror on Twitter, @drorpoleg, and check out his newsletter here.

Scott opens with his thoughts on ghost kitchens, autonomous food delivery cars, and the future of low-wage jobs. He also breaks down Alibaba’s $2.8 billion fine for antitrust violations. 

Algebra of Happiness: Build some anticipation in your life

Esther Perel is a psychotherapist and one of the leading voices on modern relationships. She discusses the challenges the pandemic has posed on our relationships, the importance of serendipitous moments, and why self-awareness is so important. Esther also shares how co-founders can overcome the various pain points they’ve experienced throughout the past year and parenting tips to ensure your children grow up to be great partners. Follow Esther on Twitter, @EstherPerel

Scott opens with his thoughts on Facebook developing an AR/VR device, why he’s bullish on Neeva (the subscription search engine), and why Pinterest is looking to acquire VSCO is a smart move.

Algebra of Happiness: make proactive investments. 

Esther’s podcast: “How’s Work?”

Marty Chavez, a senior advisor to Sixth Street Partners and the former CIO and CFO of Goldman Sachs, shares his ideas around regulating big tech like big banks, and discusses the trends playing out in our financial ecosystem. Marty breaks down the crypto space, fintech, and what’s at stake with the meme stock short-squeezes. 

Scott opens with his thoughts on WeWork going public via a SPAC merger. 

Algebra of Happiness: addressing income inequality. 
Marty’s Stanford Course: Money and Digital Currency Innovation