Giant Ideas
Giant Ideas invites leading minds from tech, business, politics and beyond to explore the giant ideas that use technology as a force for good. Giant Ventures, founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen, backs purpose-driven founders solving the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges.
Episodes
Isomorphic 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 new medicines, with the mission of solving all disease. Tommy Stadlen and Cameron McLain talk to Max about why he believes no future exists where medicines aren't designed with AI, and why he'd be "severely disappointed"
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 what the best entrepreneurs have in common.From resilience, storytelling, obsession and self-awareness, to the power of control. They speak about:Cameron's four founder traits, and why three out of four is the barWhy Tommy added control
AOL 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, when 3% of people were online. He took it public in 1992 as the first internet company to list, and now runs Revolution, the firm behind Rise of the Rest and more than 200 investments across 100 American cities. Cameron McLain talks to Stev
Does "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 of founders how to build under uncertainty, and he has spent the years since trying to fix what happens to those companies once they grow.His new book, Incorruptible, is about a double mystery: why successful companies so often get ruine
Ex-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 written a memoir, Ausländer, out in the US this month. It began with papers found when they cleared out their mother's house in Wales, and grew into an account of how his grandparents were murdered and how his father got out during the N
Former 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 venture capitalist and philanthropist renowned for backing early tech giants like Google, PayPal, and YouTube during his 38-year career, first as Partner then Chairman of the firm. Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen talk to Michael about w
"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 and CEO of Applied Intuition and former COO of Y Combinator, to talk about his life lessons & career advice.He speaks about:The rule he got from a Harvard professor: a mediocre person in a high-growth industry beats the best
Applied 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 tools behind autonomous vehicles, defence systems, and industrial machines (before this, he was COO of Y Combinator).Tommy Stadlen talks to Qasar about why he thinks physical AI will define the next 25 years, and why Applied's abi
"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 interviewed people from presidents, dictators, and the Dalai Lama over three decades, live on air. Tommy Stadlen and Cameron McLain talk to Zakaria about the craft behind those conversations: why he treats an interview as seduction ra
CNN 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 to Fareed about what the world could look like in 2040: why he believes the American-led order built in 1945 is dissolving, why he argues liberal democracy's issues are cultural rather than economic, and why he still thinks a
"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 payroll and HR platform he's grown from zero to a $17 billion business in just a few years. Tommy Stadlen talks to Alex about the mindset behind building Deel, from why he calls himself a "wartime CEO" to how a chance encount
Deel 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 $1 billion in annual revenue.Tommy Stadlen talks to Alex about how Deel became the fastest startup to reach $100M in recurring revenue: and why that record came down to one thing: following customers. Alex explains why Deel launched wit
Cityblock 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 built Cityblock to serve people on Medicaid. The company is now around $1.5bn in annual revenue, with 150,000 members across 11 states. Tommy Stadlen talks to her about her giant idea, value-based care: why she thinks paying doctors for
iPod & 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 Google) and the New York Times best-selling author of Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making.In this second episode, Tommy Stadlen talks to Tony about his years working alongside Steve Jobs and what he's learned about
"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 bestselling author of Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making, and has invested in over 100 companies working across AI, surgery, textiles, and drug discovery.Tommy Stadlen talks to Tony about why Apple was so close to
Twilio & 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 breakthrough (the first experiment to produce more energy from fusion than it consumed.)Cameron McLain talks to Jeff about why he thinks the barriers to fusion are manufacturing problems, not physics problems, what a 10-15 year timeline to
Lightspeed 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 advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.In this episode, Cameron McLain sits down with Barry Eggers, co‑founder of Lightspeed Venture Partners (≈$40B AUM), to decode what’s really happening in today’
Drama 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 Nike, Apple and Disney to Gymshark, and how founders can learn from them.Ajaz argues that “great brands are great storytellers” with a clear desire to right a wrong in the world. He shares lessons from two decades with Nike, why authenticity
“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 websites. He reflects on three photographs that define his life, Wikipedia’s core purpose and why transparency, clear purpose, and walking the walk are central to trust.He also shares the trust framework of building trust, and why execution matte
Wikipedia 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 joins Tommy and Cameron to unpack how business models factor in truth, trust, and the future of knowledge online.Jimmy explains why he has no regrets about keeping Wikipedia a nonprofit, what he’s learned from two decades of volunteer-driven
"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 discuss:- The origin story & friendship of the co-founders of Robinhood: Growing up as children of immigrant and meeting at Stanford- 75 VC rejections: Why investors said young people would never invest, and what those VCs fundamentally mis
Robinhood & 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 Aetherflux: building solar panels in space, with energy harvested continuously from the sun, and transmitting it back to Earth or directly to AI infrastructure in orbit, via laser.The economics of space-based energy are becoming int
Rebuild 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 tight‑knit immigrant family, to the healing power of nature, to the weight of taking the oath as Surgeon General, he shares how meaning and resilience are rooted in relationships rather than status or achievement. Vivek shares how forming a Mo
Former 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 difference between being alone and feeling lonely,- How mobility, social media, and the decline of traditional communities have eroded our sense of belonging- Why young men are emerging as one of the most vulnerable groups. - How loneliness isn
“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 episode, they dive into WHY he started the company, why one challenge coin in West Virginia changed everything, the three photographs that defined his life so far...Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.
Form 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 long-duration energy storage, the AI-driven demand boom, and what it takes to scale hard tech from idea to gigawatt-hours.- Why Matteo left a path toward the priesthood after Yale Divinity School- Simple breakdown of iron-air batteries- Why 1
"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 photographs that define her life, Jacinda reflects on a childhood shaped by New Zealand, parents who modelled service and fairness, and the early experiences that forged her lifelong commitment to tackling inequality and child poverty.She sh
Former 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 conversation for anyone who wants to lead with kindness, and learn how to deal with high pressure situations.As PM, Jacinda became famous worldwide for her unique leadership style: leading with compassion and empathy. A 'different kind
"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 “photographs” that define his life: a chaotic, international childhood; the unexpected joy of being locked down with his wife Miriam and their three sons on a remote ranch in Montana; and the searing public failures of losing power and his parl
Former 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 globally: Westminster and Silicon Valley. At Meta, he became the company’s chief policy decision-maker, meeting with world leaders, governments and policymakers around the globe. He has written two best-selling books, Politics: Between the E
"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, and is the founder of a nonprofit called Humanity Forward, and the Forward Party, a new political party in America aiming to bridge partisan divides. Today his focus is on his new company - launched in late 2025. With Noble Mobile, aiming to c
Presidential 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 warning: he predicted that a huge number of jobs would be lost by automation. His solution was a monthly universal basic income (UBI) of $1,000, designed to offset the job losses.Now, six years later, it appears Yang might have been onto someth
'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 computers to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. O’Brien has dedicated 25 years to this mission and was previously a Professor of Physics & Electrical Engineering at Stanford and Bristol University.This is an episode for an
PsiQuantum 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 commercially useful quantum computers to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. O’Brien has dedicated 25 years to this mission and was previously a Professor of Physics & Electrical Engineering at Stanford and Bristol Universi
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 best television writers in the world right now: Succession writer Lucy Prebble, and the creators of the HBO hit Industry, Micky Down and Konrad Kay.This was conversation was recorded last year - chaired by the legendary Henry Mance, the FT&a
"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 Valley - as an active investor in 350 startups at their earliest stages including Airtable, Substack, and Rappi. In this episode we talk about the three photographs that define Immad's life so far, the fateful weekend of the Silicon Va
Immad 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 Valley - as an active investor in 350 startups at their earliest stages including Airtable, Substack, and Rappi. This year he announced that Mercury raised $300 million at $3.5 billion valuation. He also announced his $26 million fund to back
Bjarke 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 Google’s Silicon Valley campus, the Danish Maritime Museum, and 2 World Trade Center. In this episode, Bjarke shares his philosophy on how your home should be a portrait of who you are. He also reflects on the three photographs that have defined
Turning 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 Valley campus, the Danish Maritime Museum, and 2 World Trade Center. In this episode, Bjarke shares his philosophy of “utopian pragmatism,” the inseparable link between form and function in architecture, and his thoughts on why architecture matte
Doug 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 Series C round to mass produce portable nuclear reactors.The founder, Doug, worked with Elon Musk for 12 years at SpaceX - including their reusable rocket prototype and the Mars Colonisation project. In this episode, he shares the 3 photographs t
Nuclear 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 vision is to mass produce portable nuclear reactors. But their vision goes far beyond that.They want to first manufacture nuclear reactors for Earth - giving clean energy to remote areas. And they then want to use this profit to develop a reac
Halle 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 the US.Today, she joins us to talk about the 3 moments that defined her and the wisdom gained so far in life. From choosing a life partner, to deciding whether to have children, to choosing to leave your home town and prioritise adventure. Abo
Massively 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 co-founder of Co-fertility - a company rewriting the egg freezing and egg donation experience. She is also the founder of Natalist and Rock Health, one of the pioneering digital health early-stage venture funds.Now, as Course Director at Harvard
Infosys 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 transformed India’s economy.Infosys - founded in 1981 - offers consulting, IT, and outsourcing services across the globe. Starting with a small loan, 18 years later it became the first ever Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ. Murthy has be
Ikoyi 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 restaurant. In 2017, Chan joined forces with Iré Hassan-Odukale – a friend who had just left a career in insurance - and together they decided to build Ikoyi.Ikoyi is now a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in London, and it has recently been voted o
Waymo, 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, which is doing a quarter of all rideshare journeys in SF.Sebastian’s life has been full of moonshot ideas. He co-founded Google X, the moonshot factory at Google, and co-founded the flying taxi startup Kitty Hawk and Udacity, which democratised
Synthesia 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 a few lines of text. It’s now used by over 1 million customers, including +80% of Fortune 100 companies. Synthesia is a UK unicorn, recently valued at $2 billion.At the heart of Synthesia's exponential growth is Steffen. As the company’s
Rugby’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 escaping an abusive home. Rejected by his own father and placed into care, Floyd's early life was marked by hardship, racism, and resilience.After discovering rugby, Floyd became the first Black captain of Saracens rugby club, rising thro
Former 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 in Iraq and Afghanistan to running the CIA, General Petraeus has shaped the world on and off the battlefield.We explore his insights on global security, technological warfare, leadership under pressure, and what the future holds for geopolit
Scribd & 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 Combinator. Scribd is a digital document library that hosts over 195 million documents, with billions of views a year.Today we talk about Trip’s next act: Created By Humans, where he is Co-Founder and CEO, on a huge mission to champion AI rights f
LinkedIn 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 successful entrepreneurs in history.He broke through as a founding board member of PayPal, one of the so-called PayPal mafia alongside Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. Reid went on to become a legendary investor both as an angel and partner at Grey
Why 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 help people lead more fulfilled lives.Alain is a world-renowned philosopher and public speaker, and has shaped much of the discourse of 21st century philosophy and emotional introspection. He is the author of over 20 books - from novels like
World 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 Newsletter. Over the last ten years, Benedict has independently predicted huge waves in tech, often before others. If you’ve followed the evolution of technology, it’s likely you’ve read his work. Benedict has spent 20 years analysing me
Girlboss 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 wrote the New York Times best-seller #Girlboss in 2014, which also got turned into a Netflix show. She lived the Girlboss dream herself: turning a humble eBay store that she started at age 22, into a company with hundreds of millions of dollars
a16z 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 American Dynamism’ - which has both inspired the tech landscape and provided a central philosophical plank of Trump’s America. American Dynamism is defined as “embodying the spirit of innovation, progress, and resilience that drives the United
NBA 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 Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant at the LA Lakers.Elite sport was part of Rick's life from an early age - his mother was an Olympic athlete. Rick's own NBA career went on to span 13 seasons, from Boston Celtics in 1991, to captain
Station F Director, Roxanne Varza: How to Turn a Country into a Tech Superpower
Roxanne Varza is the Director of Station F: the biggest startup incubator in the world. Based in Paris, Roxanne is recognised as one of the most influential figures in the French startup ecosystem. The French media have called Varza the "young empress of startups," and even the “new pope of high-tech and startups in France." Roxanne was formerly a TechCrunch journalist and startup a
Floodgate Founding Partner, Mike Maples Jr: The Best Founders Live in the Future
Mike Maples Jr is a Co-Founding Partner at Floodgate. He was named a “Rising Star” by Fortune, and has been on the Forbes Midas List eight times in the last decade. Before becoming a full-time investor, Mike was a founder and operator at back-to-back startup IPOs. Now, Mike’s own investments include companies like Twitter, Twitch, Lyft, Refinery29, and Clover Health. Mike is also the author of the
The Giant Ideas Podcast: Trailer
Welcome to the Giant Ideas podcast! Run by Giant Ventures - the venture fund for purpose-driven founders building companies that matter. At Giant, we’re lucky to often meet extraordinary people with giant ideas that are changing the world. So we’ve released a brand new podcast to showcase these behind-the-scenes conversations on the giant ideas shaping the world, and the inspiring stories of the l
Covid Vaccine Pioneer, Bob Langer: Turning Science Into Billion Dollar Ideas
Today on the podcast, we are joined by Robert Langer, scientist, inventor and entrepreneur - and one of the most cited researchers in history, often called the “Edison of Medicine”. What makes Dr Langer special is that he is not only an academic but also an entrepreneur: turning frontier science into groundbreaking companies. Langer Lab's research has given rise to over 400 companies, and is
Exponential View Founder, Azeem Azhar: How AI and Energy Will Shape The Next Decade
Today on the Giant Ideas podcast we are joined by Azeem Azhar: author, futurist and founder of the Exponential View newsletter and podcast which explains how society and the political economy are changing under the force of technology.Azeem’s first book Exponential: Order and Chaos in an Age of Accelerating Technology studied how technology’s rapid pace of development is impacting the world.Azeem
World Leading Designer, Thomas Heatherwick: Why We Need to Humanise Cities
🎄 Today is our last podcast before the holidays! We will be back on 9 January with a conversation on AI - follow the show to get a notification when it's live!On the show today we are joined by one of the world’s leading designers: Thomas Heatherwick. Thomas has created many of the world’s most striking new public spaces and buildings. Heatherwick Studio is behind culture-defining projects li
Double Olympic Champion, Alistair Brownlee: Why You Should Never Rely on Willpower
Today on the podcast we are joined by Alistair Brownlee, Double Olympic Triathlon Champion - to talk about his incredible career and the extreme mental discipline that got him to the very top of athletics. It’s his first in depth interview since he announced his retirement.Alistair Brownlee is the only athlete in history to hold two Olympic titles in the individual triathlon event, having won gold
Babylon Founder Ali Parsa’s Next Act: AI Health Mega-Assistant
Today on the podcast we have Ali Parsa - founder of two unicorn health businesses - Babylon Health and Circle Health.Ali was born in Iran, but left when he was 16, in the aftermath of the Iranian revolution. Amazingly, he taught himself UK high school, and went on to study civil and environmental engineering at University College London.He sold a media company he started during university, and th
Thrive Global & Huffington Post Founder, Arianna Huffington: Health Is What Happens Between Doctor Visits
Today on Giant Ideas we bring you a conversation with a titan of American business and society, Arianna Huffington. Arianna is the co-founder of The Huffington Post, which built an audience of 200 million, and the founder and CEO of Thrive Global. She also sat on the board of Uber during its succession drama. Arianna is also the author of an astonishing fifteen books - on everything from Sleep to
Bridgewater Associates Founder, Ray Dalio: How Principles Lead to Success
In 1975, in a two bedroom apartment in New York City, Ray Dalio founded an investment firm. Over forty years later, this firm - Bridgewater Associates - has grown into not just the world's largest hedge fund, but also what Fortune has called the “fifth most important private company in the United States”. Ray Dalio himself appears on Time Magazine's list of the world’s top 100 most influ
Former Sony Entertainment CEO & Snap Chair, Michael Lynton: the Power of Mentorship
Today on the podcast we have Michael Lynton, one of America’s leading CEOs. Michael led Sony Entertainment as CEO, overseeing Sony’s global entertainment businesses during a period of great success. But it also had its challenges - notably when North Korean hackers released private emails and unreleased films. Michael had previously worked for Time Warner as CEO of AOL Europe, and was Chairman an
LIVE TALK: Square co-founder: Jim McKelvey, Live Talk on Moving The Needle of Drug Discovery
This talk was recorded live at our Giant Ideas event at the Tate Modern earlier this year.Jim McKelvey, best known for co-founding multi-billion dollar company Square, joined the stage at Giant Ideas to talk about moving the needle of drug discovery.McKelvey co-founded Square with Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey in 2009, and it became a revolutionary payment processing company, allowing small busin
LIVE TALK: Former BBC Global Director of Diversity: June Sarpong, Live Talk on Winning Through Diversity
Today on the podcast we have June Sarpong - internationally renowned broadcaster, writer and diversity expert. June started her career presenting for shows on MTV and Channel 4's T4.It would be fair to say that June is considered a ‘British Icon’ and has broad cultural influence. Not everyone can claim that Elton John has performed a special edition of the hit "Your Song" with the a
LIVE: Syre co-Founder, H2 Green Steel & Northvolt director Susanna Campbell: Co-creating climate unicorns
Today joining the podcast is Susanna Campbell - co-founder of Syre, and a board member of Northvolt and H2 Green Steel - all companies incubated by Vargas. Based in Sweden, Vargas has systematically created a succession of climate juggernauts from scratch. Their portfolio includes unicorns like Polarium and H2 Green Steel, and Northvolt, a climate decacorn - so worth over 10 billion dollars - whic
LIVE: Former Oatly CEO Toni Petersson: Building Oatly and Making Climate Products Sell
Today on the podcast we bring you a conversation with Toni Petersson, former CEO of Oatly. This was recorded live at our Giant Ideas summit in June of this year.Toni Petersson was the CEO of oat milk giant, Oatly, for a decade. He transformed an unknown Swedish eco food company into a global consumer giant, with just shy of $1BN in sales. On its first day on the NASDAQ in 2021 it traded at $13 bil
LIVE: Former UK Foreign Secretary, David Miliband: Populism, Democracy & Labour
After 14 years of Conservative rule, Britain voted on Thursday for change. But what should the world expect from a Labour government? 2024 is the year of democracy. More people than ever in history will go to the polls - 2 billion in over 60 countries. But it’s also a year of rising nationalism. With Europe at war, Trump possibly returning and Labour winning by a landslide, today we bring you an e
LIVE: Octopus CEO and Founder, Greg Jackson: Building a Climate Giant
Giant Ventures is a multi stage venture fund, co-founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen. This episode was recorded live at an event we hosted with McKinsey for Europe’s top 100 climate leaders. Asking the questions for us here is Pilita Clark, an editor and columnist at The Financial Times. Today on the show, we are joined by Greg Jackson, founder and CEO of Octopus Energy. You might think of
Monzo and GoCardless Founder, Tom Blomfield: Do Happy People Build Unicorns?
Today on the podcast we have Tom Blomfield - founder of not one but two UK unicorns - Monzo and GoCardless. We asked Tom on the show to give the inside story on what it takes to found a multi-billion dollar business - the character traits but also the sacrifices. Are there consistent characteristics that unite leading founders, and ultimately is the struggle worth it?To say scaling Monzo has been
LIVE: Calm Founder Michael Acton Smith, on The Future of Mental Health
Giant Ventures is a multi stage venture fund, co-founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen. We recorded these first episodes at our live Giant Ideas summit, held at London’s Tate Modern. The Giant Ideas summit brings together 200 founders, CEOs, heads of state and other leaders to explore how we can harness cutting edge technology as a force for good. Today we bring you an interview with the fou
LIVE: OVO and Vertical Aerospace Founder, Stephen Fitzpatrick, on the Future of Climate Tech
Giant Ventures is a multi stage venture fund, co-founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen. We recorded these first episodes at our live Giant Ideas summit, held at London’s Tate Modern. The Giant Ideas summit brings together 200 founders, CEOs, heads of state and other leaders to explore how we can harness cutting edge technology as a force for good. Today on the podcast we have a conversation
LIVE: Former Congressman John Delaney on building a pioneering US climate economy, and the future of the IRA
Giant Ventures is a multi stage venture fund, founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen. We recorded these first episodes at our live Giant Ideas summit, held at London’s Tate Modern. The Giant Ideas summit brings together 200 founders, CEOs, heads of state and other leaders to explore how we can harness cutting edge technology as a force for good. Today we bring you John Delaney - former Congre
LIVE: Airbnb Co-Founder Nathan Blecharczyk on the value of purpose, and building through a crisis.
Giant Ventures is a multi stage venture fund, founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen. We recorded these first episodes at our live Giant Ideas summit, held at London’s Tate Modern. The Giant Ideas summit brings together 200 founders, CEOs, heads of state and other leaders to explore how we can harness cutting edge technology as a force for good. Today we bring you an interview with Nathan Ble
LIVE: Former BP CEO Lord Browne on solving climate change
Giant Ventures is a multi stage venture fund, founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen. We recorded these first episodes at our live Giant Ideas summit, held at London’s Tate Modern. The Giant Ideas summit brings together 200 founders, CEOs, heads of state and other leaders to explore how we can harness cutting edge technology as a force for good. Today we bring you an interview with John Brown
LIVE TALK: Femtech pioneer Ida Tin on the future of women’s health
Giant Ventures is a multi stage venture fund, founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen. We recorded these first episodes at our live Giant Ideas summit, held at London’s Tate Modern. The Giant Ideas summit brings together 200 founders, CEOs, heads of state and other leaders to explore how we can harness cutting edge technology as a force for good.Today we bring you Ida Tin on the future of femt
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