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Giant Ideas

Giant Ideas

Giant Ventures 68 Episodes Aug 6, 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

"Run Towards Growth" Career Advice From ex-YC COO and Applied Intuition CEO Qasar Younis
"Run Towards Growth" Career Advice From ex-YC COO and Applied Intuition CEO Qasar Younis Aug 6, 2026 2002 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
Applied Intuition CEO, Qasar Younis: Why He Raised ~$1B but Never Spent a Dollar Jul 30, 2026 2345 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
"I Think of It More as Seduction": CNN Host Fareed Zakaria, on the Art of the Interview Jul 23, 2026 1033 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?
CNN Host, Fareed Zakaria: Is the Post-War World Order Collapsing? Jul 16, 2026 1458 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
"We Hire For Default Optimism": Deel Co-founder & CEO, Alex Bouaziz on Arsenal, His Father, and Video Games Jul 9, 2026 969 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
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?
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
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
"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?
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?
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
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

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