Episode notes
Professors reflect on what Stanford GSB has accomplished in one hundred years and what the future may hold.
If/Then
by Stanford GSB · English · Business
How do we lead with purpose, make better decisions, and navigate an uncertain future? On If/Then , Stanford GSB faculty break down cutting-edge research on leadership, strategy, and more, exploring enduring questions and the forces reshaping business and society today, from AI to geopolitics. Hos
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S2 · E44 · 26 Nov 2025 · 29 min
GSB at 100: "The Experience"
From management to modeling, we explore the classroom experience at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
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S2 · E43 · 12 Nov 2025 · 25 min
GSB at 100: "The Spirit"
Meet some of the people whose work powers a school that changes lives, organizations, and the world.
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S2 · E42 · 29 Oct 2025 · 27 min
What's Your Problem: "Teaching Computers to See"
This week on If/Then, we’re sharing an episode of What’s Your Problem?, a show from Pushkin Industries where entrepreneurs, engineers, and scientists talk about the future they’re trying to build—and the problems they must solve to get there. Hosted by former Planet Money co-host Jacob Goldstein, each conversation explores the challenges and breakthroughs shaping the next wave of innovation.In this episode, Goldstein speaks with Fei-Fei Li, Stanford computer scientist, former Chief Scientist of AI and Machine Learning at Google, and one of the most influential figures in the field of…
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S2 · E40 · 27 Aug 2025 · 56 min
View From The Top: “Lisa Su Is Still Curious About How Things Work”
This week on If/Then, we’re sharing an episode of View From The Top: The Podcast, an audio series featuring leaders from around the world in conversation with MBA students. Recorded live at the CEMEX Auditorium at Stanford Graduate School of Business, episodes feature insights on effective leadership, the values that guide it, and lessons learned along the way.Lisa Su, the chair and CEO of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), leads one of the world’s most influential technology companies, a pioneer in high-performance computing and designer of chips that power everything from cellphones to…
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S2 · E39 · 13 Aug 2025 · 16 min
The Joy of Discovery and Why Research Matters
As we celebrate the conclusion of the second season of the If/Then podcast, we present a bonus episode featuring Deborah H. Gruenfeld, the Joseph McDonald Professor and Professor of Organizational Behavior and a Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Gruenfeld, who appeared on the first season of If/Then in an award-winning episode about hierarchies and the nature of power, returned to the studio to share her thoughts on the value of academic research and its impact on individuals and organizations. “The nice thing about research is that it…
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S2 · E38 · 30 Jul 2025 · 34 min
The Future of Everything: "The Future of Motivation"
How do you stay motivated when your goal is months — or even years — away? Stanford’s Szu-chi Huang breaks down the science of sticking with it.
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S3 · E57 · 23 Sep 2026 · 55 min
An AI@GSB Special: Demis Hassabis Thinks We’re in the ‘Foothills of the Singularity’
Google DeepMind's CEO discusses solving intelligence, giving away AlphaFold, and why he believes AGI is just around the corner.
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S3 · E56 · 26 Aug 2026 · 20 min
Think Fast Talk Smart: "What Other People Teach You About Your Communication"
What if purpose is what drives us to act, but meaning comes from how those actions affect other people?This week on If/Then, we’re sharing a conversation between two Stanford GSB colleagues: Think Fast, Talk Smart host Matt Abrahams and organizational behavior professor Brian Lowery.Recorded live at Stanford’s LEAD Me2We event, Matt and Brian explore the difference between purpose and meaning, why meaning is rooted in our relationships with others, and how the way we show up shapes the people around us. They also discuss sincerity, leadership, and how to give feedback that helps people feel…
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S3 · E55 · 8 Jul 2026 · 33 min
Stanford Legal: "The Importance of Critical Thinking and Civil Discourse in Today's Polarized World"
How do you engage effectively across deep disagreement without shutting down the conversation?This week on If/Then, we’re sharing an episode from our colleagues at Stanford Legal, the podcast from Stanford Law School that looks at the cases, questions, and conflicts shaping public life.In a world where confidence is rewarded and humility can feel like a liability, Stanford Law professor Robert MacCoun argues for something radical: fewer unwavering opinions, more critical reflection, and a better way to disagree. On Stanford Legal, MacCoun joins co-hosts Pam Karlan and Diego Zambrano for a…
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S3 · E54 · 25 Jun 2026 · 29 min
What AI Can’t Do — And Why
“Humans manage to do so much with surprisingly little,” says Douglas Guilbeault, an assistant professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “Whereas AI, by comparison, is doing relatively little, but with so much power, so much compute, so many resources, and by comparison, relatively fewer constraints.”On a bonus episode of the If/Then podcast, Guilbeault describes the implications of his recent work. Although he readily acknowledges that AI is “increasingly able to do quite a lot,” Guilbeault and his colleagues believe they have identified a key principle…
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