Masters of Scale

by WaitWhat
3,831
Business #94, Management #9

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. 

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. 

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 & inclusion, leadership change and much more. 

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Recent Reviews
  • SLS808
    Super interesting
    Lots of unexpected stories on here. The anecdote about trying new recipes with AI was particularly interesting.
  • Benjamin Leyland
    Ultimate Sidekick
    I absolutely adore this podcast. Entertaining, engaging, informative. The use of sound design, humor, parotic, TV, and radio style segments keeps me listening to the very end. Probably my highest completion rate podcast.
  • mrvaluead
    Incredible Talent @ every position
    Such an amazing business podcast! I am a loyal listener and listen every week! It’s had such a positive Impact on me as a person both professionally and personally. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything the masters of scale team does and I highly recommend anyone who is Interested in business. ✅🙌🤝🦉🪑🌎👊🏼🧠👔💪🏼💯🦾📱📚
  • Thermite
    Has become DEI virtue signaling fluff
    Program was legendary with the best in business sharing secrets and insights and experience about how to grow and scale businesses that created market value. Now it’s slid into a virtue-signaling orgy that is mainly focused on DEI, ESG, and solving the ‘problems of capitalism’ rather than creating value— ie products that the market values and pays for— using yogic-like twists of flexible logic to serve up a message of leftist leaning fluff.
  • th3byrdm4n
    So disappointing
    I’ve been subscribed for years. Tons of interesting people, I don’t think a single episode has been shared with anyone I know. What else can I say?
  • Luna From Seattle
    Too much marketing. Not enough substance.
    Episode 62. I’m 10 minutes in through a 27 min talk and the guy still didn’t get to what I need. Skip if you are busy.
  • Andrew fan do
    The best
    It was the best
  • Brozbty
    Anyway we can separate the two shows?
    I find myself skipping nearly every single rapid response show. I get having both in the main feed but could we get a second feed that’s just the masters of scale episodes? Now it’s even more upsetting, I had a filter set up to filter out rapid response but you guys removed that from the episode title, I’m just not a fan of bob safian’s uncritical gushing interview style and would appreciate a separate feed of just the original style episodes.
  • lesmizerable
    Highly recommend!
    Sharp, insightful, entertaining, and relevant advice for business owners and professionals alike.
  • WiseMindGentleSoul
    Incredible wisdom from leading entrepreneurs
    This show extracts wisdom from some of our world’s most experienced entrepreneurs by encouraging vulnerability and weaving together compelling stories. It is such a joy to get to hear from founders of companies whose products I have used and enjoyed for so long. It makes the consumer experience personal. And for current and budding entrepreneurs, this show is a no brainer for learning purposes.
  • Jumanji73
    Too woke
    The podcast has turned into Reid’s political soapbox. It seems the trajectory of the show is similar to that of San Francisco and all that implies. Stick to innovative entrepreneurship and try looking outside the walls of your beloved Silicon Valley.
  • markmarlmark
    Really amazing show with fascinating guests
    So much important information for entrepreneurs and business owners in every episode.
  • Don’t care to say
    Boring and disjointed
    Reid talks far too much, this isn’t an interview. Just Reid talking with a few quotes from his guest.
  • pantspal
    Love show hate same commercials
    I truly love the show but listening to the same commercial for 20 different episodes is awful. It can be the same sponsor but please change up the commercials
  • PRR888
    MANIFESTO for AGILE SCALING
    Being a long time listener, Hoffman’s guests, topics, and depth of discussion is unmatched. He deftly displays the agility and humility behind “Blitzscaling” with all his guests, and their riviting stories behind the curtain. Always a treat and lesson in a listen. Can’t be missed….
  • williamcardwell
    TrustDALE.com
    When I started my online consumer research and referral website in 2009, I felt like I was operating in a vacuum. I discovered Reid and MOS early on and it has been such a classroom! I’m a faithful listener and adaptor of the lessons I learn. Thank you guys and ladies so much!
  • Eddie J. Soto
    So much education in one episode!
    I agree with Max Rhodes that independent retail are more resilient because they can provide a better personal experience. I love what he is doing with Faire in supporting independent retailers with the resources that big box stores have with data, financing and support with buying inventory.
  • lukebdaddy
    Ehhh
    A bit over-produced for my taste.
  • Clintonrebel
    Over produced
    Ads are too long and too much cute intro music. They have some great guests on the show so I hate to knock it but only half of the show (at most) is actually content.
  • Go Marc
    Love this podcast. Just wish there were transcripts
    Love this podcast. Just wish there were transcripts … otherwise a 5 star podcast
  • shaggy fur face
    Interesting, unfortunately leftist
    Your leftism is showing. Huge turn off. Just scale it back a little.
  • Juancinco12
    Kathryn finney episode was trash
    Everything she’s complaining about, she herself does, but with her own spin on it. Other tips stated that she claims she never saw in a book before are because they’re common sense and there was no need to include this in print… also, latin people dont use the term Latinx
  • Omojeje
    Excellent!
    I continue to learn so much from this podcast. The quality of experiences and insights shared by the well accomplished guests, coupled with the hosts own tremendous expense brilliance makes this podcast one of the very best business podcast out there.
  • Antulio
    Amazing Show
    The interviews and information provided from the host and guest are remarkable. Thanks
  • justpowell
    Weekly Learning
    I’ve recommended this podcast countless times. The guests are diverse and insightful, imparting their lessons learned and advice from an incredible array of situations. The Wait What podcast production group makes the overall experience amazingly entertaining. A smart listen for people who like to hear great stories and apply learnings within their own world.
  • Animal Country Club
    Much Needed Magic
    Such great and positive ideas. Sooo Important and just a value that keeps improving. Cooking up such impactful ideas and stories that bring them to life Thank You Leslee
  • pjgdds
    A new phenomenon of self improvement
    Just want to thank you for this podcast. You have charged me and focus of my life journey towards a right path.
  • CaptStubbie
    From Inspirational to Political
    I used to love this podcast! The earlier episodes provided well-produced podcasts that shared inspirational stories. I walked away with business insights from almost every episode. Now, the podcast has become political grandstanding. While I don’t disagree with what’s being said, it’s no longer a podcast that teaches people how other people scaled their business.
  • Hokmen
    Fantastic!!!
    You should get continuing credits for an MBA for listening to this… thank you!!!
  • stefanozfk
    Simply remarkable
    Amazing quality of top level ideas and conversations
  • sarakmdds
    Great show
    Every episode is insightful and produced well
  • Jacques212
    Love letter to tech leaders that ignores the harms to society
    I used to like the interviews and insights from the guests. But I grew tired of hearing things like “what our customers think is ____” as if we’re all the same. I also hear this hardcore focus on scale and low cost. It was truly disheartening to hear Fidji Simo of instacart talk about expanding advertising on Instacart as a way to lower delivery costs. I’m so sick of ads. SICK of them. But, it’s revealing to hear how these folks think. How do I rate this podcast? The quality is fantastic but I come away feeling so sad as a consumer who is more than a thing that wants stuff fast and cheap.
  • Alanbp1
    Commercials are too long
    Content is ruined by the number and length of commercials.
  • SharonClaire
    Shallow and superficial
    Not reality-based… Out to enrich the elites and try to impress normal healthy people. Won’t be coming back to hear any more.
  • J-312
    Listen to this podcast!
    Easily one of the best business/entrepreneurship podcasts.
  • gyuiyhhh
    Avoid this podcast
    If you want an elitist big tech “I know more than you “ podcast this is for you. I’ll take good honest business practices from the heartland any day
  • iMan1000
    MBA in a podcast
    Never seen so much value packed into one podcast. This info is priceless! People pay hundreds of thousands of dollar$ to learn these same principles in an MBA program, but here you’re learning from the best of the best and hearing it first hand! Incredible. Can’t thank you enough Reid and team!!!
  • AimeeFLR
    Chaotic listening
    Nice roundup of speakers but overall chaotic to listen to. 1) don’t appreciate paying for a subscription and being nevertheless forced to listen to these in between fluffer stories from their sponsor. 2) the content is spliced by way too much talk/interpretations and personal opinions from the host. 3) the music and Sound effects further dilute the content. 4)instead of nice crispy interview questions, you hear a lot of 2X3X questions, this tells me the interviewer is either unprepared or not confident enough to ask more concise questions. Lots of editing time can be saved here. 5) would also be nice to sort by entrepreneur/company/industry. I’ve already wasted a lot of time just trying to find a guest I’m interested in then having to Ffwd through above mentioned points is treacherous. Other than that, nice roundup of speakers and hits on some interesting points.
  • Mariann!!
    Amazing!
    Nice show! I fell so motivated.
  • gfrtccdyh
    Why?
    Host is horrible. Stop your babbling and pontificating!!! We’re here to hear your guests, NOT you!!!!!
  • anon888888888
    Eric Smidt
    One of the biggest know-it-all guests ever. I guess he knows a cure for cancer? How to get us to Mars? Horrible guest, do better.
  • Jd_aus_88
    Good content. Too many interruptions.
    Enjoyed the interview content, however the advertising is quite disruptive to the flow of the interview.
  • agentprovocateur234
    If you have the money
    Could he not find a more flattering cover photo?
  • Dr Feel God
    Timeless startup MBA in storyform
    I’m a 22 year startup junkie. I’ve built, sold, acquired, composted companies. Masters of Scale is a wealth of resources. Unlike most podcasts that are interviews du’jour with founders and thought leaders; Masters of Scale is a collection of business principles that every startup entrepreneur, employee or investor needs to know. Each episode is a timeless piece of wisdom that is illustrated through the interviews. This is a game changing difference from every other podcast. Evergreen. And startup gold. Let’s create!
  • joel einhorn
    Horrible
    Don’t waste your time
  • Karen Cahn
    Lifelong fan
    I loved the episode with Tyra Banks. More of that please.
  • Joselito Sanchez
    Great insight for entrepreneurs, there’s room for improvement
    I just recently started listening to this show. I love the quality of the interviews, they are well structured and they offer a window to the other side of what it takes to create a successful company. What I don’t like is that the music is distracting. It switches between the main interview to some other topic. If the intendent is for the podcast to be educational it would help to focus on the interview, allow it to be more organic and reassess the music and other audio elements to allow the listener to concentrate and process the information.
  • Bharat Krishnan
    One of the worst podcasts I’ve heard
    Reid is a billionaire - why exactly do I have to pay to hear the full interview? In general, after listening to four episodes, there are too many ads and he talks way too much. Dude, let us hear from the guy you’ve booked. There are some nuggets of wisdom, but again, you’ll need to pay to hear more.
  • Rupertsaid
    Show is good, forced ads make it unlistenable
    The show has these obvious adds by capitol one mixed into the show that make it very frustrating to listen to. It is like there is too separate stories that are mixed, which ruins it for me.
  • ASobering
    Such a wealth of knowledge! 🧠
    This is one of the most insightful podcasts that I have ever come across! Reid does such a great job of sharing his wisdom and I love how he leads meaningful conversations with guests who bring so much experience to the table. Highly recommend checking this show out - you won’t be disappointed!
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