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Giant Ideas

Giant Ideas

Giant Ventures 68 Episodes Jul 2, 2026

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

Deel Speed: From $1M to $100M in Less Than 2 Years - Deel Co-founder, Alex Bouaziz Jul 2, 2026 2120 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? Jun 25, 2026 2548 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 Jun 18, 2026 1333 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 Jun 11, 2026 2236 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? Jun 4, 2026 2612 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? May 28, 2026 2855 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 May 21, 2026 2297 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 May 14, 2026 1081 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? May 7, 2026 2114 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 Apr 30, 2026 1559 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 Apr 23, 2026 2047 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 Apr 16, 2026 1560 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

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