I am heading into the mothership HQ today for my first live in-person Masters in Business interview in about 16 months. It is with Charity Dean, a lead character in Michael Lewis‘ latest book, “The Premonition: A Pandemic Story.”
Coincidentally, today is also the show’s 7th anniversary . . . It is hard to believe I have been at this for this long, with more than 350 shows broadcast already. (My teaser for the show 7 years ago is here).
The show arose out of my annoyance on a cross-country flight: During a layover, I watched a TV interview with a famous hedge fund manager who doesn’t give many of them. But it was an exercise in frustration, filled with superficial, pointless questions on ephemeral topics. The interview was already out of date by the time the guest walked out of the studio.
A year later, I had an opportunity to make an elevator pitch for my idea: “Mark Maron’s WTF meets Charlie Rose for finance.”1 Find intelligent, accomplished people, and instead of asking them for stock tips, ask them for insights into their process, how they learned their craft, how they built their business, and what they might share with their younger selves (if they could).
Hence, my insistence on no stock picks and no predictions.
A few things make the show unique, but the biggest one is that we record 32 minutes for broadcast radio. That means it has to be jargon-free, appealing to both the layperson and the professional. The 2nd biggest thing is the platform, which I have used to get access to folks that often do not do these sorts of things. There are also endless people who deserve credit for the success of the show (see this and this). It has been a very instructive learning process for me, and I hope you found it useful also.
Here is to the next 7 years of MiB… Thanks for listening.
Previously:
Coming July 12: Masters in Business on Bloomberg Radio (July 8, 2014)
My Own Answers to Our Favorite Podcast Questions (July 12, 2019)
MIB: Top 10 Favorite Episodes (November 21, 2019)
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1. This was years before we knew about his, um, behavioral issues.
