Episodes

  • CRYPTO: Is it Ready to Transform the Global Economy?

    CRYPTO: Is it Ready to Transform the Global Economy?
    Jan 8 2026
    As the co-founder and CEO of Circle — the fintech powerhouse that issues USDC, a popular cryptocurrency pegged to the US dollar — Jeremy Allaire has had a front-row seat to the crypto revolution. Circle now commands a market cap of over $20 billion, yet Jeremy insists it is still an "early stage company." Why? Because the true transformation of the global economy, he says, is just beginning. "In this episode, Jeremy and Rufus discuss how the economic system is becoming “internet native," what happens when money becomes programmable, and why blockchain is the "major missing layer" of the internet. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/nbi — 🎁 Join the Next Big Idea Club and we'll send you a signed copy of Walter Isaacson's new book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written. You’ll also get ad-free versions of this show, invitations to member-only Q&As, and the six best books of the year delivered to your door. Sign up at nextbigideaclub.com and use code PODCAST for 20% off. 🎥 Watch video episodes on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@NextBigIdeaClub Want to connect? 🔗 Follow Rufus on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ 📖 Subscribe to our daily newsletter, ⁠⁠Book of the Day⁠⁠ ✉️ Send us an email: ⁠podcast@nextbigideaclub.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Why the Blockchain Is Still Critical to Our Future

    Why the Blockchain Is Still Critical to Our Future
    Jan 6 2026
    Chris Dixon runs a16z crypto, a fund that has raised more than $7 billion. So it’s no surprise that when talking about the blockchain, he says things like, “ I've never seen a situation in technology where the gap between what I believe is the potential of the technology and the perception is so wide.” The thing is, he may be right. From enabling digital ownership to complementing AI, the blockchain is poised to reshape the world. In this episode, which first aired in February 2024, Chris explains how. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/nbi The Next Big Idea Club - Join a stimulating community for a year of learning and growth at nextbigideaclub.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Reading Rewired the Human Brain. What Happens If We Stop Doing It?

    Reading Rewired the Human Brain. What Happens If We Stop Doing It?
    Dec 28 2025
    Maryanne Wolf is a UCLA professor and the renowned author of "Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain" and "Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World." She says deep reading makes you a better thinker, communicator, and citizen. But what happens if you lose the ability to read slowly, patiently, and critically? Is there anything you can do to get it back? Sponsored By: GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbi The Next Big Idea Club - Get 20% a membership when you use code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com (This episode first aired in March 2023.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • How to Make Your Holiday Gatherings Memorable

    How to Make Your Holiday Gatherings Memorable
    Dec 23 2025
    This is one of our favorite episodes — a conversation with Priya Parker, a conflict resolution specialist who’s worked on peace processes around the world, about her book The Art of Gathering. What she told him changed how we think about every dinner party, every work meeting, every family get-together we host. Priya’s argument is simple but radical. She says most of our gatherings fail because we focus on the wrong things. We obsess over the menu, the playlist. And we ignore the one question we should be asking: Why are we bringing these people together? With the right answer to that question, she says, you can turn any gathering into something meaningful — maybe even transformative. (This episode first aired in January 2020.) Supported By: Aura Frames - Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbi The Next Big Idea Club - Take 20% off a subscription or gift with code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    43 mins
  • FLOURISH: Daniel Coyle on the Art and Science of Feeling Alive

    FLOURISH: Daniel Coyle on the Art and Science of Feeling Alive
    Dec 16 2025
    What does it mean to flourish? According to author Daniel Coyle, flourishing is “joyful, meaningful growth — shared.” But how do you achieve that enviable state? The answer lies in Dan’s forthcoming book, “Flourish,” which you can pre-order now on Amazon, Audible, or Bookshop.org. Highlights: (5:11) Life isn't a treasure hunt; it’s more like treasure creation (14:15) The $90 million deli that said no to Disney (20:40) Your brain’s two attention systems (58:00) The rule of the beautiful mess (65:07) Why you should open yellow doors Sponsored By: GoDaddy | Get a domain and professional email plan for just $0.99/month at Godaddy.com/GDNOW Aura Frames | Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com The Next Big Idea Club | Know someone who devours great nonfiction? Get them a year of the best new ideas and take 20% off with code PODCAST at nextbigideaclub.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Kari Leibowitz Loves Winter (And You Can Too)

    Kari Leibowitz Loves Winter (And You Can Too)
    Dec 11 2025
    In our divided nation, there's one thing many of us seem to agree on: winter sucks. A recent study found that nearly half of Americans would skip winter if they could. Yet not everyone dreads the cold months. Psychologist Kari Leibowitz has spent years studying these winter-lovers, and she's arrived at a surprising truth: people who thrive this time of year aren't just born that way — they've learned to see the season differently. So can you. (This episode first aired in January 2025.) Sponsored By: Aura Frames - Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com GoDaddy - Get a domain and professional email plan for just $0.99/month at Godaddy.com/GDNOW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    59 mins
  • Best Of: How Successful Groups Work

    Best Of: How Successful Groups Work
    Dec 4 2025
    Daniel Coyle will soon join us on the show to talk about his forthcoming book, Flourish. Today, we're revisiting our 2022 conversation with Dan about his last book, The Culture Playbook. Here's how we described the episode back then: The filmmakers at Pixar. The servers at Union Square Cafe. The badasses on SEAL Team Six. What do these super successful groups all have in common? Strong team culture. But what exactly is culture, and how do you build it? Daniel Coyle has spent the last few years searching for answers. In this episode, he shares what he’s found. Sponsored By: Aura Frames - Get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames by using promo code IDEA at auraframes.com GoDaddy - Get a domain and professional email plan for just $0.99/month at Godaddy.com/GDNOW Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • AI and the Future of the University

    AI and the Future of the University
    Dec 2 2025
    A few weeks ago, Rufus moderated a panel discussion at Vanderbilt’s New York City campus on artificial intelligence and the future of American higher education. Today, we’re bringing you that conversation. It features Nabiha Syed, executive director of Mozilla Foundation; Nicholas Dirks, president and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences; Julie Samuels, president and CEO of Tech:NYC; and Matthew Johnson-Roberson, inaugural dean of the College of Connected Computing at Vanderbilt. Listen to our interview with Sal Khan here Follow Quantum Potential here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    44 mins
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