Masters of Scale

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Inside Walmart’s biggest shake-up in years, w/ CEO John Furner Nov 12, 2026

Show notes

John Furner started working in a Walmart garden center 33 years ago. Now, as CEO, he’s leading one of America’s largest companies at a critical moment. He talks with host Jeff Berman about how the influential retailer is transforming its business in the age of AI.

This conversation was recorded live as part of Masters of Scale Summit in October 2026 at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco.

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From underdogs to disruptors: how Tubi and e.l.f. built a different game Nov 10, 2026

Show notes

Free streaming and prestige-quality makeup at drugstore prices both sound like they must come with a catch. For Tubi and e.l.f. Beauty, that skepticism became the opening. Recorded live at Masters of Scale Summit, this conversation brings together former Tubi CEO Anjali Sud and e.l.f. president Kory Marchisotto, two leaders who took brands once written off as downmarket to 110 million monthly users and 30 straight quarters of growth. The pair dig into their unconventional Super Bowl plays, from Tubi’s cowboy-hat spot and free Super Bowl stream to e.l.f.’s Jennifer Coolidge and Melissa McCarthy ads. They explain how TikTok Live and “zero distance” let fans steer product and programming, and why e.l.f. built its “So Many Dicks” campaign around boardroom diversity. Two weeks after this recording, Anjali announced she’s taking the helm at SiriusXM, a move that underscores what she built at Tubi.

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Open to Debate: should we trust AI agents with our information? Nov 07, 2026

Show notes

Would you hand a stranger your bank passwords, your private messages, and control of your personal information? That’s the ask when the stranger is an AI agent, like Meta Muse, Claude Duet, or OpenAI Dots. In this special episode from Open to Debate, recorded live at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco on October 22, 2026, Jeff Berman, co-host of Masters of Scale, moderates a debate on the question: should we stop trusting AI agents with our information? Arguing yes, Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, says the convenience comes at the cost of our privacy, since agents need sweeping access that could undermine encryption, expose personal data, and create new vulnerabilities for hackers. Arguing no, Neil Chilson, head of AI policy at the Abundance Institute, counters that existing laws, competition, and targeted safeguards can manage the risks without giving up the productivity gains. So how much control is too much?

Follow Open to Debate on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@OpentoDebate)

This episode originally ran Friday, November 6th on the podcast “Open to Debate.”

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Demis Hassabis says society is “not ready” for the AI future Nov 05, 2026

Show notes

Google DeepMind co-founder and chair Demis Hassabis says the world is not ready yet for what’s next in AI. He joins Reid Hoffman to talk about how to effectively govern frontier AI, why a more diverse group of experts need a seat at the table, and more.

This conversation was recorded live as part of Masters of Scale Summit in October of 2026 at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco.

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Thriving in chaos: top leaders’ strategies from Masters of Scale Summit Nov 03, 2026

Show notes

A decade ago, Bob Safian wrote about Generation Flux, the people built to thrive amid constant change. Today, he says, we all belong to it, whether we want to or not. In this live segment from Masters of Scale Summit 2026, Safian gathers leaders from across business, tech, and media to work out what that takes, in real time. Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil opens with a double pendulum and a lesson in chaos theory. Raina Kumra, who now manages a team of 12 AI agents, explains why there is no keeping up, only keeping calm. Upwork’s Hayden Brown makes the case for leading like a pioneer, Baratunde Thurston tries not to become a machine, and Watch Duty’s John Mills explains why speed and haste are not the same thing. Then Autodesk’s Dara Treseder and her husband William, a Marine Reservist and co-founder of Arkenstone Defense, share how they juggle glass balls and rubber balls across career, marriage, and family, and keep score with a family NPS. Candid, surprising, and brimming with lessons about turning chaos to your advantage.

Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

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Reed Hastings on Hollywood’s future, Netflix’s shakeup and knowing when to leave Oct 31, 2026

Show notes

After nearly 30 years building Netflix, co-founder and former chairman Reed Hastings stepped down from the board of directors this past June. His departure came at a tumultuous time in Hollywood and at Netflix itself. On top of the fallout from its failed bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, Netflix has also been struggling with stagnating engagement and slowing revenue growth, prompting a big C-Suite shakeup and a mass layoff earlier this month. In this episode of On with Kara Swisher, Swisher talks to Hastings live on stage at Masters of Scale Summit 2026, discussing Netflix’s future and why Reed remains bullish on AI’s future, especially when it comes to education.

Follow On with Kara Swisher on YouTube (http://youtube.com/@onwithkaraswisher) or your favorite podcast app (https://pod.link/1643307527).

This episode originally ran Monday, October 26 on the podcast “On with Kara Swisher.”

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Maria Ressa on how to save democracy from Big Tech Oct 29, 2026

Show notes

When truth is under attack, how do you fight back? Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa has spent years confronting disinformation and political pressure through her news organization, Rappler. In conversation with Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger, Ressa explores the crises facing truth, accountability, and democracy, and what we can do to help defend them.

Her new book is The Fight Back: A Citizen's Guide to Standing Up to Dictators.

This conversation was recorded live as part of Masters of Scale Summit on October 21, 2026 at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco.

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Eric Schmidt scores US vs. China: who’s winning the AI race? Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

The AI race between the US and China is the defining competition of our age. Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, advisor to the Pentagon, and current CEO of Relativity Space joins Rapid Response live from Masters of Scale Summit to give his most unvarnished assessment yet. He reveals that the gap he once estimated at two years has narrowed to six months. Schmidt also takes on the open source question that’s keeping Silicon Valley up at night, explains why kicking China’s best PhD students out of the country is one of America’s dumbest own goals, and shares the one thing he believes could keep this from becoming a zero-sum game — even if the current political environment makes it nearly impossible.

This conversation was recorded live as part of Masters of Scale Summit on October 22, 2026 at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco.

Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

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Reid Hoffman and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar on where AI goes from here Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Few companies have as much influence over AI’s trajectory as OpenAI. Reid Hoffman sits down with CFO Sarah Friar to understand the precipice of the moment we are in and the decisions that could shape what comes next for each of us.

This conversation was recorded live as part of Masters of Scale Summit on October 21, 2026, at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco.

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REI’s secrets to sustaining a beloved brand and touching grass Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

REI has been around for 88 years. Mary Beth Laughton wants to make sure it’s around for 88 more. The CEO of America’s largest consumer co-op joins Rapid Response to talk about what it actually takes to revive an iconic business — without shareholders, without quarterly earnings calls, and with 26 million members who hold you to a higher standard than any Wall Street analyst ever could. She explains why her first act as CEO was to publicly break ties with a Trump cabinet secretary, and how the co-op structure gives REI a kind of clarity that most retailers can’t buy. Plus lessons drawn from Nike, Sephora, and Athleta on what it really means to lead a mission-driven brand when the values are battle tested, not just stated.

Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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