Think you've raised enough money for your startup? Think again. You have to run through a minefield of unexpected expenses as an entrepreneur. And you never know where the big opportunity will come from — or if you'll need to make an unexpected, expensive pivot to stay afloat. So always, always raise more money than you think you need. Mariam Naficy shares her white-knuckle experiences founding startups that survived two financial crashes — the online cosmetic company Eve.com in the dotcom-boom ’90s, and founder and the design marketplace Minted.com today. Cameo appearances: Selina Tobaccowala (Evite, Gixo), Daniel Kahneman (Nobel-winning psychologist), Brian Chesky (Airbnb), Amos Kedmey (Wine and Cheese Place).

Read a transcript of this interview at: https://mastersofscale.com/mariam-naficy-the-money-episode/

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2. Raise more money than you need, w/Minted's Mariam Naficy

Award-winning business advice from Silicon Valley and beyond. Iconic CEOs, from Nike to Netflix, Starbucks to Slack, share the strategies that helped them grow from startups into global brands — and to weather crisis when it strikes.&nbsp; On each episode of our classic format, founding host Reid Hoffman — LinkedIn cofounder, Greylock partner and legendary Silicon Valley investor — and a stellar lineup of guest hosts prove unconventional theories about how businesses scale. Guests share their stories of entrepreneurship, leadership, strategy, management, fundraising. You’ll hear the human journey, too — failures, setbacks, learnings.&nbsp; From our Rapid Response format, you can expect real-time wisdom from business leaders in fast-changing situations. Hosted by Bob Safian, past editor-in-chief of Fast Company, these episodes tackle crisis response, rebuilding, diversity &amp; inclusion, leadership change and much more.&nbsp;

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The streaming wars have reached a new inflection, as Netflix and Disney+ jostle for position, and in the process disrupt post-strike Hollywood. Paramount+ invested heavily in blockbuster veteran Alex Kurtzman to turn Star Trek into a distinguishing franchise. Now Kurtzman talks with Rapid Response host Bob Safian about the future of streaming, the end of TV’s golden age, and how courting Trekkies offers lessons for all customer engagement. Plus, Kurtzman shares behind the scenes stories of Star Trek’s past, present and future.

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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How Star Trek prospers against Netflix and Disney+, w/Executive Producer Alex Kurtzman

Generative AI is advancing at a breakneck pace, prompting questions on risk and opportunity, from content creation to personal data management. In a special live recording, we delve into the ways AI can augment human work and spur innovation, instead of simply using AI to cut costs or replace jobs. Host Jeff Berman joined a seasoned AI researcher, Intel's Lama Nachman, and a young start-up founder, Scale AI's Alexandr Wang, on stage at the Intel Vision event in April 2024. They explore topics like AI’s disruption of creative industries, mitigating its biggest risks (like deepfakes), and why human critical thinking will be even more vital as AI technology spreads.

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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How AI adds to human potential: (LIVE) with Scale AI’s Alex Wang and Intel’s Lama Nachman

Is the state of the U.S. economy good or bad right now? Stock markets have soared, but consumers remain wary. Are CEOs and investors deluding themselves? Or do Main Street Americans expect too much? Suzanne Clark, CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, has uncommon insight into this perplexing dichotomy. She talks with Rapid Response host Bob Safian about what she’s hearing from businesses in the U.S. and abroad. Plus, she shares details from her recent high-profile visit to China. Also: why bringing your full self to work may not be a good idea, and how optimism drives economic growth and progress.  

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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How optimism fuels the economy, w/U.S. Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark

John Mackey, co-founder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market, started in the grocery business as a Texas undergraduate seeking the keys to a happy life. The self-described “hippie” opened one natural foods store in Austin and scaled beyond imagination from there. In his 44 years as CEO, Whole Foods grew to more than 500 locations and to a $13.7 billion valuation. Mackey shares how tapping into passion and purpose can align an entrepreneur with larger waves of change. Even as traditional grocery chains cut costs and streamlined, Whole Foods focused on the in-store experience, and carefully selected locations for successful growth. Mackey shares lessons in being put to the test around politics and activist investors, and his belief in creating value for all stakeholders. Hear how and why he sold Whole Foods to Amazon, and how tapping into purpose led to a new venture, the health and wellness brand Love.Life.

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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144. The healthy, conscious capitalist, w/Whole Foods Market co-founder John Mackey

We are biologically wired to focus on the near-term, and that’s often a good thing. But in this moment — with global conflict, fast-evolving tech, and climate change dominating our present — we need to also prioritize long-term impacts. Futurist Ari Wallach joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to dive into our biological and business motivations around what he calls “futuring.” Host of the new PBS docuseries, A Brief History of the Future, Wallach shares lessons from the longest-standing corporations on Earth, why he views AI as “immortal algorithms,” and how business leaders must embrace the moral imperative of their business as a core KPI.

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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2. Raise more money than you need, w/Minted's Mariam Naficy

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