In short
Bold Names Podcast Episode Summary
Podcast Overview Title: Bold Names Description: WSJ’s Bold Names brings conversations with leaders of impactful companies featured in The Wall Street Journal. Hosts Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims interview CEOs and business leaders, challenging conventional wisdom and providing insights into C-suite decisions.
Episode Title Bold Names Is Back
Episode Description The episode marks the return of Bold Names with new episodes releasing on Fridays, starting September 12. The hosts invite feedback from listeners via email and promote the WSJ's free Technology newsletter alongside their columns.
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Key Highlights of the Episode
Opening Remarks
- Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims introduce the episode, emphasizing their mission to challenge conventional wisdom in the business world.
- A statement from a board member of a Fortune 50 company compares the current economic climate to "economic Pearl Harbor," suggesting significant and lasting changes.
Themes Discussed
- Communication with Leaders
- The hosts discuss communication with influential figures like Elon Musk, exploring the nature of their interactions and the frequency of contact.
- They touch on the importance of getting past the hype surrounding industry news.
- Current Industry Climate
- Acknowledgment of the "panicky" atmosphere in technology and business due to rapid changes.
- The notion that discomfort is part of adaptation, with a call to reflect on the implications of ongoing changes.
- Economic Effects
- Discussion on the "bullwhip effect" impacting the global supply chain, highlighting a potential period of instability lasting 9 to 12 months.
- The hosts pose questions about returning to "normalcy" in the business environment.
- Emerging Technologies and Defense
- Mention of the race to build self-driving cars and the shift in focus towards defense technology in Silicon Valley.
- Emphasis on the need for the nation to be quicker and more efficient in adapting to new technologies.
Fun Elements
- The episode features a light-hearted tone, with the tagline "Prepare to catch feelings" being mentioned as part of their marketing approach for the show.
- Encouragement for listeners to engage with the podcast, either via YouTube or traditional podcast platforms.
Closing Remarks
- The hosts remind listeners of the new episode schedule and encourage them to check out Bold Names starting September 12.
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Key Takeaways
- Economic Context: The significance of the current economic climate and its long-term implications.
- Communication and Transparency: The importance of communication within business leadership and its impact on decision-making.
- Technological Adaptation: Acknowledgment of the challenges and urgency in adopting new technologies, particularly in defense and automotive sectors.
- Engagement: The podcast aims to foster a connection with listeners, inviting them to participate and provide feedback.
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Call to Action
- Feedback: Listeners are encouraged to share their thoughts via email: BoldNames@wsj.com.
- Newsletter Sign-Up: Listeners can sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter for more insights.
- Column Recommendations: The hosts promote their individual columns for further reading.
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This summary encapsulates the essence of the podcast episode, providing a structured overview of the discussions and insights shared by the hosts.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00So I had one board member of a Fortune 50 company tell me that this is economic Pearl Harbor and the world will never be the same. I'm Tim Higgins, a business columnist for The Wall Street Journal. And I'm WSJ tech columnist Christopher Mims. And this is Bold Names from The Wall Street Journal. We're challenging conventional wisdom in the business world. Bringing you conversations. Let's go back to Musk. I'm just curious, how much are you in contact with him? What are you telling him? Anything specific? What am I telling him? What's your last text message? Let me see. Let me check. And getting past the hype?
0:37This feels like kind of a panicky time in your industry. I mean, is this a scary time? High speed change is very uncomfortable, right? It's uncomfortable for human beings. It's uncomfortable for even technologists. If it doesn't scare you and it doesn't give you pause for thought, then I think you're missing the point. Asking the tough questions and getting insights into the decisions being made in the boardroom and beyond. Are things back to normal? Can we all go home now? Can we end this podcast right here? Look, even if we, you know, got to a place tomorrow where it was like, OK, we're done.
1:13We're going to live through what's called a bullwhip effect in the world economy, in the global supply chain for the next nine or 12 months. The biggest stories in business and tech from the race to build self-driving cars. All of my mentors, friends, sponsors would be like, the first thing you need to do is get rid of that vehicle. That is the first thing you need to do. Those people are crazy. To Silicon Valley's turn to defense tech. This seems like it's a hot area right now. What are you finding? We ultimately need to be faster as a nation. We need to be more successful as a nation against these new technologies.
1:46And we need everybody. And we've had fun along the way. First of all, I like to share the tagline because I think it's great. Prepare to catch feelings.
1:58That was actually our log line for bold names when we pitched it. And now we're coming to YouTube. Of course, you can also still just listen to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You don't even have to look at us. Check out Bold Names from The Wall Street Journal. We're back September 12th, posting new episodes on Fridays.
From the publisher
Every day, Wall Street Journal journalists talk with the most powerful, influential and interesting people. WSJ columnists Christopher Mims and Tim Higgins are bringing some of those conversations directly to you. Bold Names returns with new episodes on Fridays starting September 12 on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
Let us know what you think of the show. Email us at BoldNames@wsj.com
Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter.
Read Christopher Mims’s Keywords column.
Read Tim Higgins’s column.
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