Podcast
If/Then
Hosted by Stanford GSB · EN
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. Hosted by senior editor Kevin Cool.
14episodes
Episodes
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Unconventional Wisdom
2w ago00:26:11Tap to summarize“I don’t see things like anybody else,” says Jonathan Berk, a professor of finance at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “And so I can see things people don't see.” On this episode, Berk explores recent research that pushes against conventional wisdom, from questioning the utility of the debt-to-GDP ratio to asking whether regulation is actually in the best interests of the consumer. “If you disagree with me… You have to write down a convincing theoretical model and analyze [it].”Berk admits his unique lens doesn’t always make life easy. But on the other hand, “it confers an enormous advantage” — and he believes that organizations which are able to harness the power of unconventional thinking can gain a competitive edge.“It’s allowed me to solve problems that other people couldn't solve,” he says. Has seeing the world differently helped you resolve a conundrum? Tell us more at ifthenpod@stanford.edu.Related Content:Jonathan Berk faculty profile What If We’re Looking at the National Debt All Wrong? Chapters:00:00:00 The Fosbury Flop, innovation, & unconventional thinking00:03:18 Introduction00:04:24 Questioning conventional wisdom00:04:57 Rethinking the debt-to-GDP ratio00:08:21 A finance perspective on national debt00:10:36 Why theory matters before alarm00:12:38 Regulation, charlatans, & consumer interests00:16:22 Licensing, certification, & competition00:19:51 The cost of pushing back00:21:16 Building organizations that welcome dissent00:24:59 ConclusionIf/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Why Who You Are Affects How You Think
4w ago00:24:43Tap to summarize“When people come to view attitudes and opinions towards, say, political policies or issues as relevant to their identities, they become more extreme in their attitudes,” says Christian Wheeler, the StrataCom Professor of Management and Professor of Marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “I become more positive or negative towards an issue the moment it becomes relevant to who I view myself as being.”Wheeler’s research offers insight into our increasingly polarized politics. However, his work has also yielded ideas for bridging divisions — beginning with how we listen to each other and how we see the people we disagree with.The moment we see someone as an individual rather than a category, we become more likely to find common ground. “Instead of viewing you as a Democrat or a Republican, I can view you as an individual,” Wheeler recommends. “Anything that humanizes you and moves you away from this simple category will help me to view you as an individual and less as just an interchangeable member of a category.” How much do your opinions define who you are? Tell us more at ifthenpod@stanford.edu.Related Content:Christian Wheeler faculty profile In a Polarized World, an Open Mind Can Hurt Your ReputationYou May Not Be Who You Think You AreClass Takeaways — How to Build Connection Through Better ListeningChapters:00:00:02 Tattoos, identity, & personal evolution00:03:26 Introduction00:03:59 Why identity matters00:04:56 Identity relevance & its implications00:08:03 Why openness to the other side gets punished00:10:57 Identities vs. opinions00:13:53 The power of individuation00:15:53 How to break the cycle of polarization 00:19:41 Organizational applications00:23:26 ConclusionIf/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Paradox of Masculinity
Apr 800:26:52Tap to summarize“Masculinity is my new frontier,” says Ashley Martin, an associate professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Martin, whose work examines why gender plays such a central role in how we perceive and make sense of others, has been looking at how traits associated with masculinity are simultaneously organizationally rewarded even as they’re personally harmful to men. “We spend a lot of time talking about gender inequality through the lens of women’s disadvantage,” she says. “I think that many of the problems that we’re seeing today… are actually bound up in masculinity.” What impact do you think masculinity and femininity have on our work and our world? Tell us more at ifthenpod@stanford.edu.Related Content:Ashley Martin faculty profile Is that Self-Driving Car a Boy or a Girl? Why Taking Gender Out of the Equation Is So DifficultChapters:00:00 How movies shape our ideas about masculinity04:02 Introduction05:15 How Ashley Martin got into studying gender05:58 When gender is removed from hiring07:10 The “pet rock” study10:35 The universal use of gender13:02 Gendering objects15:12 How masculinity affects men18:13 The current implications of Martin’s research20:41 What healthier models of masculinity might look like23:47 Ashley’s next frontier: masculinity, material culture, and social problems25:07 ConclusionIf/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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What We Actually Learn From Experience
Mar 2500:25:56Tap to summarizeSteven Callander has spent years building a mathematical framework to answer the question of how people learn from experience. “Here in Silicon Valley, the expression that you learn from failure is very widespread and very intuitive. But the question is… what do you learn? How do you optimally learn from that experience?”In this episode, Callander, the Herbert Hoover Professor of Public and Private Management and Professor of Political Economy at Stanford Graduate School of Business, explains the hidden, deceptively simple logic of correlated learning — and it may change how you think about finding the right job, the right market, or the right strategy. “It fascinates me and I can't stop thinking about it,” he says. Has theory made an impact on your life? Tell us more at ifthenpod@stanford.edu.Related Content:Steven Callander faculty profileHow to Turn Old Ideas Into Creative Solutions to Modern ProblemsWhat We’re Still Learning from Silicon Valley’s Bank CollapseChapters:00:00 Ann Miura-Ko on learning and the search for patterns in Venture capital02:51 Introduction05:23 What is correlated learning?06:40 Where does this research apply in the real world?09:28 Brownian Motion12:45 Steven Callander’s Framework15:25 Examples of correlated learning when seeking expert advice20:53 Applying correlated learning23:57 Why correlated learning research?24:51 ConclusionIf/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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How Dating and Sports Explain the Job Market
Mar 1100:25:19Tap to summarizeSeemingly unrelated activities — like taking a soccer penalty kick or crafting an online dating profile — involve an embedded economics. “Understanding and applying economic logic can be valuable in pretty much any job or any other endeavor in your life,” says Paul Oyer, a professor of economics at Stanford Graduate School of Business. On this episode, Oyer digs into the shared economic logic of online dating and the labor market, explains why pro athletes and sports fans think like economists, and explores how AI has reduced the beneficial friction that was once a part of job searches. Got a question about the economics of dating, sports, or the job market? Ask us at ifthenpod@stanford.edu.Related Content:Paul Oyer faculty profileUtility Player: Paul Oyer Explains How Economics Can Make Sports More FunChapters:00:00 Strategic decision-making in air traffic control03:06 Introduction03:27 Why sports are a useful lens for understanding economics09:53 Why economics matters far beyond money10:54 Economics & online14:36 Applications of game theory16:54 How AI is reshaping hiring and the labor market22:25 The labor market challenge economists still have not solved24:18 ConclusionIf/Then, from Stanford GSB, features conversations with faculty that explore how their research deepens our understanding of business and leadership.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →If/Then Returns: Season Three
Mar 400:01:25Tap to summarizeWhen should we leap instead of take the obvious next step? Why do we instinctively see gender everywhere? When do our opinions begin to feel less like ideas and more like our identity?If/Then, from Stanford Graduate School of Business, is back with a new season of sharp, surprising conversations that deepen our understanding of business and leadership.Each episode brings you into the room with a Stanford GSB faculty member as they discuss their research and how it challenges conventional wisdom, sharpens judgment, and reframes the way we approach complex decisions. Join us on Wednesdays for a new season of If/Then.What do you want to hear on If/Then? Email us at ifthenpod@stanford.edu.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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GSB at 100: "The Moment"
Dec 2200:28:34Tap to summarizeThis week on If/Then we’re sharing an episode of GSB at 100, a limited audio series created especially for Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Centennial. GSB at 100 presents a scrapbook of memories, ideas, and breakthroughs as Stanford GSB celebrates its first century and looks around the corner to what the next 100 years may hold. On this episode of GSB at 100, you’ll experience Centennial Day, hear Dean Sarah A. Soule honor the past, celebrate the present, and look to what the future may hold. GSB at 100 depicts a school defined not only by its innovation and impact, but by its people: curious students, devoted faculty, and accomplished staff — a community of thinkers, dreamers, and doers.Learn more about the Stanford GSB CentennialSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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GSB at 100: "The Experience"
Nov 2600:29:01Tap to summarizeThis week on If/Then we’re sharing an episode of GSB at 100, a limited audio series created especially for Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Centennial. GSB at 100 presents a scrapbook of memories, ideas, and breakthroughs as Stanford GSB celebrates its first century and looks around the corner to what the next 100 years may hold.On this episode of GSB at 100, you’ll step inside the classrooms where teaching sparks transformation.Learn more about the Stanford GSB CentennialSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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GSB at 100: "The Spirit"
Nov 1200:24:30Tap to summarizeThis week on [If/Then or View From The Top] we’re sharing an episode of GSB at 100, a limited audio series created especially for Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Centennial. GSB at 100 presents a scrapbook of memories, ideas, and breakthroughs as Stanford GSB celebrates its first century and looks around the corner to what the next 100 years may hold.On this episode of GSB at 100, you’ll hear from the dedicated and accomplished staff members who work behind the scenes to make Stanford GSB a community unlike anywhere else in the world.Learn more about the Stanford GSB CentennialSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Transcribe →What's Your Problem: "Teaching Computers to See"
Oct 2900:27:03Tap to summarizeThis 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 computer vision. Li reflects on her pioneering work developing ImageNet, the massive dataset that helped spark the modern AI revolution, and the “north star” questions that have guided her research from neuroscience to machine learning.Together, they trace how a single insight about how humans see the world led to a paradigm shift in artificial intelligence—and how Li’s vision continues to shape the way we teach machines to see, learn, and collaborate with us.More Resources: • Fei Fei Li • Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) • ImageNet • What’s Your Problem?If/Then is a podcast from Stanford Graduate School of Business that examines research findings that can help us navigate the complex issues we face in business, leadership, and society.Chapters: (00:00:00) Introducing “What’s Your Problem?” Kevin Cool introduces the Pushkin Industries podcast hosted by Jacob Goldstein.00:00:45 — What Is Computer Vision? Jacob Goldstein and Fei-Fei Li explain how machines learn to see and interpret images.00:03:18 — Real-World Uses of AI Vision Li shares examples from healthcare, robotics, and environmental science.00:05:06 — Discovering the Science of SeeingHow human vision research inspired Li’s lifelong “north star” in AI.00:09:56 — Creating ImageNet Li builds a massive image database that transforms computer vision research.00:13:29 — Defining 30,000 Visual Concepts How cognitive science helped shape ImageNet’s massive scale.00:16:41 — Building the Dataset by HandLi's team uses global crowdsourcing to label millions of images.00:19:38 — The 2012 Breakthrough Jeff Hinton’s neural network shatters records and sparks the deep learning era.00:22:19 — Data Meets Hardware Li reflects on how big data and GPUs converged to power modern AI.00:24:55 — Lightning Round with Fei-Fei Li Quick insights on resilience, mentorship, and the future of human-AI collaboration.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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