When AI agents do your shopping, everything changes, with Shopify’s Jess Hertz

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1. 

   15 Sep 2026 · 33 min

   Let’s Kill Sh*t: Axios CEO on simplifying your work-life in the AI era

   AI isn't simplifying your life… Yet. It's mass-producing more options, more decisions, and more noise. Axios CEO Jim VandeHei returns to Rapid Response to make the case that the antidote isn't a better productivity app, it's a ruthless, three-part system he calls Confront, Delete, Amplify. VandeHei shares what he's learned from running Axios by these principles, including calling a leadership meeting with the subject heading "Let's Kill S***," and why he shuttered the Axios app despite years of internal resistance. He also reveals his candid read on the midterms and what they mean for…

2. 

   12 Sep 2026 · 27 min

   Rapid Response: On's 16-year overnight success: Zendaya, Federer, and outrunning competition

   On built a $4 billion sports brand in 16 years with a garden hose, a Roger Federer dinner in Zurich, and a young designer who watched a Halloween YouTube video. Co-founder and co-CEO David Allemann joins Rapid Response to explain why the defining decade for On is still ahead, and why being the most premium brand matters more than being the biggest. He breaks down the leadership shake-up that brought him back into a CEO role, and what the first-of-its-kind LightSpray robotic process says about On’s innovation philosophy. Allemann also makes the case for why the "movement class" is replacing…

3. 

   10 Sep 2026 · 31 min

   From high school dropout to CEO, with Autodesk’s Andrew Anagnost

   Autodesk is the massive public software company at the heart of designing almost everything around you, from cars to buildings to video games. CEO Andrew Anagnost talks with host Jeff Berman about why he first joined a “rebel” group at the company, how he battled for the top job, and why he thinks leading with empathy is smart business. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4. 

   8 Sep 2026 · 25 min

   NFL Kickoff: the science gets more damning, but the money keeps growing

   The NFL is the world's most valuable sports business, and it keeps growing. But is the growth sustainable? Sports journalist Michele Steele joins Rapid Response to kick off the 2026-2027 NFL season with a clear-eyed look at what's driving record franchise valuations, why quarterback salaries keep exploding, and what the league's dizzying array of streaming platforms means for the fans. She also breaks down the NFL's deliberate "Helmets Off" strategy to grow its female audience, the business calculus behind nine international games this season, and whether the Bears are really leaving…

5. 

   3 Sep 2026 · 35 min

   Angela Duckworth on why grit isn’t enough

   With the highly anticipated follow up to her bestseller “Grit”, psychologist and author Angela Duckworth offers a new framework for achieving excellence. She talks with host Jeff Berman about why making even small changes to your situation is the precursor to success. You can find more about Angela's book Situated here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Situated/Angela-Duckworth/9781668005941 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

6. 

   29 Aug 2026 · 45 min

   Pioneers of AI: Designing AI for people and the planet, with Aza Raskin

   AI is rapidly changing what it means to be human, but is AI development truly human-centered? According to Aza Raskin, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, the answer is largely “no.” The man who invented the “infinite scroll” is now working to understand why the most powerful technology so often fails to prioritize the human experience and our collective well-being. Raskin is also leading the Earth Species Project — using AI to better understand the animals that live alongside us, by unlocking patterns in vast amounts of data on animal communication. He joins Pioneers of AI to…

7. 

   27 Aug 2026 · 36 min

   Chicago Fed President on inflation, recession, and Trump’s attacks

   The economy is strong, prices are still too high, and the job market is sending mixed signals. The Federal Reserve is navigating all of it while fending off the most overt political pressure in its modern history. Austan Goolsbee, President of the Chicago Fed, joins Rapid Response ahead of the Central Bank’s highly-watched meeting in Jackson Hole, to give his most candid read on what's actually going on. He explains why tariffs, war in the Middle East, and six years above the 2% inflation target make this the most dangerous inflation environment he's seen, what Kevin Warsh's new leadership…

8. 

   25 Aug 2026 · 28 min

   Ford's Jim Farley on beating China, and the storm nobody sees coming

   With the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz and fuel prices still elevated, few auto executives are feeling the pressure more acutely than Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley. He joins Rapid Response to give a candid account of what the turmoil means for the auto industry, and for an iconic American brand navigating one of the most turbulent moments in its history. Farley gets frank about the China threat reshaping the global auto business, and his frustration with Ford's own ingenuity. Plus, why Ford is back in Formula One, and why Farley sees a storm gathering in the so-called…

9. 

   20 Aug 2026 · 33 min

   How Barnes & Noble made a comeback, with CEO James Daunt

   CEO James Daunt has now rescued two iconic bookstore chains: Barnes & Noble and Waterstones. He joins host Jeff Berman to discuss the turnarounds, plus how bookstores are preparing for an onslaught of AI-written content, his BookTok strategy, and why local control is the key to making great bookstores. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

10. 

    18 Aug 2026 · 30 min

    What the jobs report isn't telling you about AI & the workforce, with Upwork’s Hayden Brown

    Few leaders have a better real-time read on how AI is actually reshaping the workforce than Hayden Brown. As CEO of Upwork, the platform where 18 million freelancers meet the businesses that need them, she sees what the monthly jobs report can't: which skills are surging, which jobs are quietly disappearing, and why 23% of businesses that moved work to AI are already bringing humans back. Brown joins Rapid Response to share what she's actually seeing on the ground, why she refused to blame AI when she laid off a quarter of Upwork's staff, and what the data says about the gap between AI hype…