Podcast · 49 episodes
Giant Ideas, page 2
by Giant Ventures · English
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.
All episodes, page 2
"Mothers Can Do it All. They Just Shouldn't Do it On Their Own" - Former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Life LessonsJacinda Ardern’s life lessons, leadership path, motherhood while in office, handling misogyny, and what she’s doing after leaving New Zealand’s prime minister role.19 Mar 2026 · 13 min · 5 chapters
Former NZ Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern: How to Lead with Compassion When Everything’s on FireJacinda Ardern discusses empathetic, values-based political leadership—building consensus, transparency, and compassion—especially during crises.12 Mar 2026 · 25 min · 8 chapters
"They Haven’t Got a Clue How Remorseless the Pressure Is", Former Meta President Nick Clegg on His Life LessonsNick Clegg reflects on leadership under extreme scrutiny, the pressure differences between politics and Silicon Valley, and life lessons from family, marriage, work-life balance, and political defeat.5 Mar 2026 · 25 min · 12 chapters
Former Meta President & Deputy PM, Nick Clegg: Is Social Media Driving Us Apart?Nick Clegg argues social media’s effects are often overstated and mixed, while the bigger long-term threat is the “fragmentation” of the open internet.26 Feb 2026 · 41 min · 18 chapters
"Ego Destruction and Humility…": US Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang on Running for PresidentAndrew Yang reflects on running for US president as an “ego destruction and humility” experience, then connects his earlier universal basic income (UBI) campaign to later work in business and…19 Feb 2026 · 17 min · 8 chapters
Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang: AI Needs Universal Basic IncomeAndrew Yang argues AI will eliminate millions of jobs quickly (citing Dario Amodei’s estimate: half of entry-level white-collar roles in 3–5 years), making unemployment and social instability likely.12 Feb 2026 · 33 min · 14 chapters
'Sometimes People Get Confused Between Ego and Rigour': PsiQuantum Co-Founder, Jeremy O'Brien's WisdomJeremy O’Brien, PsiQuantum co-founder, reflects on building an at-scale quantum computer and how the team avoids confusing ego with rigor.29 Jan 2026 · 20 min · 12 chapters
PsiQuantum Co-Founder, Jeremy O'Brien: Quantum Is Sooner Than You ThinkQuantum computing’s near-term arrival and why it matters for chemistry, materials, and large-scale applications; SciQuantum’s photonics-based approach to million-qubit, error-corrected systems; how…15 Jan 2026 · 32 min · 19 chapters
Succession and HBO-hit Industry Writers Talk with Henry Mance about Writing, Power, and CorruptionHow TV writers portray “bad business” and power, using Succession and BBC/HBO’s Industry as case studies; what drives morally hollow leaders, how institutions reward cruelty, and how audiences can…8 Jan 2026 · 25 min · 12 chapters
"A BILLION dollars came in to Mercury in a few hours" Mercury CEO on Lessons from SVB's Failure & How To Lead Through a CrisisMercury CEO Ahmad (Imad) discusses surviving the Silicon Valley Bank run (March 2023), how Mercury gained deposits during the crisis, and leadership lessons for calm, transparent crisis management.18 Dec 2025 · 17 min · 9 chapters
Immad Akhund, CEO at Mercury: The Reality of Building a Unicorn (and Why it's Worth the Pain)Imad Akhund (Mercury CEO) discusses what it takes to build and scale a unicorn, how founders should pitch investors, and how he invests as an angel (350+ startups; $26M fund).11 Dec 2025 · 30 min · 16 chapters
Bjarke Ingels Wisdom: Your Home Should Be a Portrait of YouBjarke Ingels (BIG) explains how his early love of drawing shaped his architecture, how he builds confidence to deliver radical projects, and why a home should function as a “portrait” of its…4 Dec 2025 · 16 min · 5 chapters
Turning Architectural Dreams Into Reality, with Global Architect & Founder Bjarke IngelsBjarke Ingels (BIG) discusses why architecture matters, how to make “beautiful + functional + economic + generous” buildings, and his concept of hedonic sustainability/“ancient futurism” (sustainable…27 Nov 2025 · 26 min · 14 chapters
Doug Bernauer Wisdom: SpaceX & Elon Musk's Secret to Ambitious LeadershipDoug Bernauer discusses leadership lessons from Elon Musk/SpaceX and how he applies them at Radiant, emphasizing “vision” and pushing beyond what seems reasonable, plus mentorship from Hyman Rickover.20 Nov 2025 · 10 min · 5 chapters
Nuclear Reactors In A Box (Radiant Founder, Doug Bernauer)Radiant’s plan to mass-produce portable nuclear fission reactors (“nuclear in a box”) for rapid deployment on Earth, targeting diesel-parity power for remote sites and data centers, with a…14 Nov 2025 · 39 min · 21 chapters
Halle Tecco Wisdom: Choosing a Life Partner & Prioritising AdventureHalle Tecco reflects on life wisdom behind her healthcare entrepreneurship, focusing on choosing a life partner, deciding about kids, prioritizing family over “hustle culture,” and sustaining…6 Nov 2025 · 12 min · 4 chapters
Massively Better Healthcare (Star Investor Halle Tecco)How to “massively better” US healthcare by fixing perverse incentives, reducing inefficiency and middlemen, enabling prevention, and increasing competition/consumer choice; also how AI and…30 Oct 2025 · 27 min · 20 chapters
Infosys Co-Founder, Narayana Murthy: India’s Rising Status as a Tech SuperpowerNarayana Murthy (Infosys founder/former CEO) discusses building Infosys from a $250 start, entrepreneurship in a free market, India’s rise as a tech superpower, and how hard work and values drive…16 Oct 2025 · 39 min · 22 chapters
Ikoyi Co-Founder, Jeremy Chan: What It Takes to Build a Global Top 50 RestaurantJeremy Chan, British-Canadian co-founder of London’s Ikoyi, explains what it takes to build and sustain a global top-50, two Michelin-star restaurant—through obsessive discipline, a…2 Oct 2025 · 48 min · 22 chapters
Waymo, Udacity, and Kitty Hawk Founder, Sebastian Thrun: Building Moonshots & His Next CompanySebastian Thrun (Waymo/Google self-driving, Google X, Udacity, Kitty Hawk) explains why driverless cars matter (safety and cost), how Waymo achieved high reliability, the competitive landscape, and…18 Sep 2025 · 49 min · 18 chapters
Synthesia Co-founder and COO, Steffen Tjerrild: the Future of Video, Trust, and DeepfakesSynthesia’s text-to-video AI and its implications for creativity, deepfakes, trust/provenance, and future interactive, personalized media.4 Sep 2025 · 34 min · 15 chapters
Rugby’s First Black Captain for Saracens, Floyd Steadman: From Care Home to Inspirational HeadmasterFloyd Stedman’s life story and leadership philosophy, from running away from an abusive father and spending years in care, to becoming the first Black captain of Saracens and later a headmaster known…31 Jul 2025 · 33 min · 18 chapters
Former CIA Director, General David Petraeus: Hard Power, a New Global Order?Global security in a “chaotic multipolar” era; hard power vs soft power; how technology (drones, AI, unmanned systems) is reshaping warfare; and lessons from Petraeus’s Iraq surge and leadership…17 Jul 2025 · 38 min · 15 chapters
Scribd & Created By Humans Co-Founder, Trip Adler: How Can Creativity Thrive in the AI Era?Trip Adler argues that creativity must survive the AI era by shifting from “Napster-era” unlicensed training to a “Spotify-era” licensing model.3 Jul 2025 · 31 min · 18 chapters