Intelligence Squared

Some of the world’s most successful and powerful companies began as tiny startups and became global giants within only a few years. The list is long and includes world-changing companies like Amazon, Google, Airbnb, Facebook, Uber and Alibaba. But what are the secrets to these startups' extraordinarily rapid successes?

According to Reid Hoffman, the man who founded LinkedIn, turned it into the world’s most important recruitment website and oversaw its sale to Microsoft for $26.2 billion, the secret is 'blitzscaling' — a philosophy which prioritises speed over efficiency and allows businesses to scale up at a furious pace. Blitzscaling means throwing out many of the old rules of business: it means embracing chaos, spending capital in ways that conventional business wisdom would consider wasteful, and tolerating practices traditionally thought of as bad management — all with the goal of growing as fast as possible.

In November 2018 Hoffman came to the Intelligence Squared stage for an exclusive London event where he revealed the methods he used to speed LinkedIn’s transformation into the billion-dollar business it is today and described his revolutionary strategies for companies to win in a world where doing things incredibly quickly is the best way to beat the competition.

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Many would argue that these are the fundamental goals of a good education. So why has Cambridge University taken to warning its students that the sexual violence in Titus Andronicus might be traumatic for them? Why are other universities in America and increasingly in Britain introducing measures to protect students from speech and texts they might find harmful? Safe spaces, trigger warnings and no-platforming are now campus buzzwords – and they’re all designed to limit free speech and the exchange of ideas. As celebrated social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues in his forthcoming book The Coddling of the American Mind, university students are increasingly retreating from ideas they fear may damage their mental health, and presenting themselves as fragile and in need of protection from any viewpoint that might make them feel unsafe.The culture of safety, as Haidt calls it, may be well intentioned, but it is hampering the development of young people and leaving them unprepared for adult life, with devastating consequences for them, for the companies that will soon hire them, and for society at large.

That, Haidt’s critics argue, is an infuriating misinterpretation of initiatives designed to help students. Far from wanting to shut down free speech and debate, what really concerns the advocates of these new measures is the equal right to speech in a public forum where the voices of the historically marginalised are given the same weight as those of more privileged groups. Warnings to students that what they’re about to read or hear might be disturbing are not an attempt to censor classic literature, but a call for consideration and sensitivity. Safe spaces aren’t cotton-wool wrapped echo chambers, but places where minority groups and people who have suffered trauma can share their experiences without fear of hostility.

On November 19th Haidt came to the Intelligence Squared stage to discuss and debate these ideas. Joining him were the former chief rabbi Jonathan Sacks, who believes that educating young people through debate and argument helps foster robustness, author and activist Eleanor Penny, and sociologist Kehinde Andrews, one of the UK’s leading thinkers on race and the history of racism.

In partnership with Index on Censorship

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It’s a defining moment for British democracy. This December, Parliament will vote on whether to approve or reject Theresa May’s draft Brexit withdrawal agreement. With the nation’s future hanging in the balance, some have called this the greatest crisis Britain has faced since Suez.

On Monday December 3rd, Intelligence Squared brought together three prominent lawmakers to debate the three options ahead. Should Parliament vote to accept May's deal? Should MPs vote it down, so the government can return to the EU negotiations and threaten to leave without a deal? Or should there be a second referendum on the withdrawal agreement, with the option of remaining in the EU?

Arguing in favour of a second referendum on the deal, with the option of remaining in the EU:

Andrew Adonis - Labour Party peer who served as a minister in the governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for five years. He supports Britain remaining in the European Union.

Arguing for the government to renegotiate and threaten to leave without a deal:

Daniel Hannan - Leading pro-Brexit politician and Conservative Member of the European Parliament for South East England.

Arguing for Theresa May’s draft withdrawal agreement:

Nicky Morgan - Conservative MP for Loughborough and former Secretary of State for Education under David Cameron. She is now Chair of the Treasury Select Committee. She has come out in support of Theresa May’s deal.

The debate was chaired by presenter on Radio 4’s Today programme and former BBC political editor Nick Robinson.

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In this episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast we had Jeanne Marie Laskas, the American professor, journalist and author of To Obama, looking back at the Obama presidency through the lens of tens of thousands of letters the President received every day from ordinary American citizens. Jeanne Marie was interviewed by the playwright, critic and broadcaster Bonnie Greer.  

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The multibillion-pound parenting industry tells us we can all shape our children to be joyful, resilient and successful. But what if it’s all bunk? Intelligence Squared are bringing together a panel of top geneticists and parenting experts to explore just how important parenting is.

Arguing in favour of the motion are Robert Plomin, Psychologist and Professor of Behavioural Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London; and Stuart Ritchie, Lecturer in the Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre at King’s College London.

Arguing against the motion were Susan Pawlby, a developmental Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years of experience working with mothers and babies both in clinical and research contexts; and Ann Pleshette Murphy, a therapist, parenting counsellor and advocate for young children and their families.

The debate was chaired by Xand van Tulleken, a medical doctor and broadcaster who has presented numerous shows for the BBC and Channel 4, often alongside his identical twin brother Chris. 

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In this episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast we were joined by Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House Director of Communications for a whopping 11 days. He was interviewed by Josh Lowe, Deputy Editor of Apolitical, for a wide-ranging and often outrageous discussion on the Trump presidency this far. 

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This week's episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast was a wide-ranging conversation about race and identity in Britain. In the studio we had Kamal Ahmed, BBC Editorial Director and author of The Life and Times of a Very British Man alongside the BBC News Presenter Razia Iqbal. 

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Is this the last stand for American democracy? That’s what many of Donald Trump’s opponents believe. The upcoming US midterm election is the last chance to prevent the United States from becoming a truly authoritarian state. That fear has the Democrats campaigning hard. But the Republicans are scared too: If Democrats sweep the House and Senate, they could kill off Trump’s legislative agenda and gain new investigative powers to hit Trump hard over Russia, alleged obstruction of justice and the numerous allegations of influence-peddling at Trump’s businesses. And then there’s the Mueller investigation, which is due to conclude next year: if the special counsel finds evidence of criminal wrongdoing by the President, Democrats could begin impeachment proceedings. This may truly be the impeachment election.

So what future awaits America in this historic election? Will Justice Kavanaugh’s acrimonious confirmation lead to a pro-Trump surge or will a wave of women voters sweep Republicans out of office? And in this hyper-partisan atmosphere, is there any chance to repair America’s fractured political landscape?

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In this week’s episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast, the historian and author of Lords of the Desert James Barr sat down with Times journalist Catherine Philp to reveal the the story of the hidden 25-year rivalry between Britain and the United States, using newly declassified records and long-forgotten memoirs.

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In this week’s episode of the Intelligence Squared podcast, Oxford economist and author of Doughnut Economics Kate Raworth sat down with Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the RSA, to discuss her transformative ideas for a new economy. 

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