Jump Podcast

Inflation is up, wars are dragging on, and most of the stock market's gains are locked inside a handful of AI giants... so what happens to everyone else? In this episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik go hunting for the exceptions: companies thriving inside industries that are supposedly dying. They dig into how A24 built a movie studio empire on twenty-million-dollar bets instead of bill...

AI is no longer just a tool to learn, it’s becoming an existential question about work, education, and what it means to be human. In this episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik unpack the growing anxiety around AI, from students booing commencement speakers to workers wondering what kind of future they’re preparing for. They explore why “prompt engineering” isn’t enough, how AI may be exp...

If you’ve ever tried to push a new idea through a large organization, you probably know the feeling: the strategy is solid, the data is there, and somehow the idea still goes nowhere. In this episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik sit down with cultural anthropologist and MotivBase co-founder Ujwal Arkalgud to unpack the “invisible rules” that shape how organizations make decisions, assig...

In this episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik take on one of business’s oldest questions: Why do great companies actually fail? Is it really arrogance and complacency that bring companies down… or is that just a narrative we’ve been telling ourselves for centuries?   From the chaos hitting SaaS companies in the wake of AI to classic examples like Kodak and AOL, Michelle and Dev unpack wh...

In this episode of the Jump Podcast, Dev Patnaik sits down with Anousheh Ansari to explore the power of bold challenges and “moonshot” thinking. Anousheh shares the story behind the early days of the XPRIZE Foundation, from the audacious $10M prize that helped kickstart private spaceflight to the dozens of competitions now tackling everything from wildfire detection to clean water and human health...

In this episode of the Jump Podcast, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik dig into what’s unfolding in Minneapolis and why it has become a real time stress test for leadership. As immigration enforcement spills into everyday life and disrupts business, they explore why this moment is not just political but deeply human. Drawing on neuroscience, empathy, and leadership examples, Michelle and Dev...

It’s a new year, unwritten and full of possibility. Before the noise and distractions rush in, take a moment to decide what direction you actually want your company to head. The most disruptive companies in history didn’t lead with 50-page strategy decks; they rallied people around big, focused challenges.   Drawing on examples from President John F. Kennedy's race to the moon to companies such as...

AI-induced layoffs. Chatbot psychosis. Climate disasters. Gene-editing breakthroughs. Self-driving cars. 2025 felt like a sci-fi movie trailer. In this year-end episode, Dev and Michelle take us beyond the moments and examine the momentum underneath it all—the shifts rewiring markets, geopolitics, and society. Because when robotaxis go from fiction to reality in a matter of months, it’s a signal t...

A couple episodes back, we sat with an AI optimist. Now we’re heading to the other end of the spectrum. Stuart Russell—UC Berkeley professor, co-author of the field’s definitive AI textbook, and one of the world’s most respected experts—brings a far more concerning view of where AI may take us. He’s been outspoken about the risks ahead: AI systems that exceed human capability, an economy that can’...

In a world overflowing with information, wisdom is surprisingly hard to come by. We dig into the difference between wisdom and knowledge, why knowledge doesn't necessarily precede wisdom, and how leaders can cultivate it (doing, reflecting, coaching). We close from Headlines from the Future, including China’s underwater data center, the global spread of 3D‑printed guns, and Nike’s robotic ankle br...

We sit down with Zack Kass, global AI advisor, former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI, and author of The Next Renaissance, for his take on where artificial intelligence is headed and how it will shape our future. Zack’s undeniably optimistic outlook anticipates a golden age where access to “unmetered intelligence” will unlock academic progress and drive economic gains that lift up societies. He dra...

Last week, Lululemon’s founder and former CEO fired shots at the company with a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal. And the numbers are on his side—the company's stock has plummeted more than 50% in the past year. In this episode, we unpack what the clash reveals about the challenge of scaling without losing your edge—and what future-focused strategists can learn about navigating category mat...

In this episode of the Jump Podcast, Dev and Michelle unpack the “Great Lock-In of 2025”, a viral challenge born on TikTok that they reframe for strategy leaders. They challenge executives to treat Q4 as “Q0”, a time to run small experiments, close open loops, and reset leadership habits before the new year. This episode is a call to action for leaders ready to lock in and lead with intention. It’...

Disney’s decision to suspend—and later reinstate—late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is all anyone can talk about. The involvement of Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has sparked debate over free speech and potential government overreach. But Dev Patnaik and Michelle Loret de Mola argue that, at the heart of the controversy, lie important lessons for enterprise businesses on navigating...

What kind of future are we actually building—and is it one we want to live in? Live from Jump Offsite 2025 in Napa Valley, Dev Patnaik and Michelle Loret de Mola share takeaways from three days of deep dives, bold ideas, and uncomfortable truths. AI is accelerating, but do we really understand what we’re unleashing? Culture is shifting, but are we losing the social glue that holds us together? And...

We speak with cognitive scientist Shannon Heald to explore what it really means for AI to be a thought partner, and why the missing piece is metacognition. We examine how we’ve moved from offloading memory, with tools like maps and lists, to offloading generation with large language models, and what that means for leaders trying to balance efficiency with insight. Shannon also shares how leaders c...

What if your greatest leadership tool isn’t in your spreadsheet, but in your spirit? In this profound and provocative episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik are joined by Dr. Lisa Miller—Columbia professor and author of The Awakened Brain—to explore the science of spirituality and its surprising impact on decision-making and leadership. Lisa reveals that every human is biologically wired...

Customer service may be stuck in the past, but finance doesn’t have to be. In this episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik talk with Anders Jones, CEO and co-founder of Facet, a fintech company shaking up the traditional wealth management model. Facet’s subscription-based service brings affordable, high-quality financial advice to the mass affluent—those with too much complexity for DIY bu...

In this episode of the Jump Podcast, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik sit down with Diana Williams, CEO of Kinetic Energy Entertainment, to talk about where stories are headed next. From Star Wars to immersive VR, Diana shares how the rules of media are being rewritten, from who owns the story to how fans shape it. It’s a conversation about creativity, control, and why the future of entertai...

HBO is HBO again—but what does that really mean? In this episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik dive into the streaming wars, using HBO Max’s identity crisis as a masterclass in brand strategy. From dizzying rebrands to the pitfalls of copycatting Netflix, they unpack why rediscovering your DNA is key to long-term success. With lessons from Netflix, Apple TV, and Disney+, this episode is...

Is Silicon Valley still the epicenter of innovation, or has the magic moved elsewhere? In this thought-provoking episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik revisit the 2020 exodus narrative and dissect what really happened to the Valley. They explore how proximity, culture, and infrastructure still fuel Silicon Valley’s innovation scene—even as remote work and tech layoffs reshape the landsca...

Smart is good. Wise is better. In this episode of The Jump Podcast, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik break down why today’s leaders need more than just intelligence to thrive, they need wisdom. They explore the difference between solving complicated versus ambiguous problems, why empathy and perspective are essential leadership tools, and how even titans like Elon Musk can falter without a d...

How do you win today without tripping over tomorrow? In this episode of the Jump Podcast, Dev Patnaik and Michelle Loret de Mola explore what it really means to balance the now and the next. They spotlight companies like Microsoft, CVS, Walmart, Delta, and Visa—each showing how strategic infrastructure investments and boring-but-brilliant moves can solve today’s challenges while setting up for lon...

In this episode of the Jump Podcast, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik unpack the rollercoaster world of tariffs—and why your strategy might need more than a spreadsheet to survive it. As new policies throw global markets into chaos, the duo explores how the smartest leaders are tuning out the drama and zeroing in on what really matters: building rock-solid relationships. Whether it's navigat...

What if the secret to smarter strategy isn’t what you’re doing—but when you’re doing it? In this episode of The Jump Podcast, Dev Patnaik and Michelle Loret de Mola dive into why timing might be the most underrated part of strategic thinking. From crisis mode to long-term vision, they break down how leaders can align their approach to the moment—whether you’re righting the ship, catching up to com...