The William Blair Thinking Podcast

William Blair's Arjun Bhatia and Jonathan Ho discuss the latest developments shaping the AI landscape, from intensifying model competition and pricing pressure to data center expansion, cybersecurity risks, and the pace of enterprise adoption. They explore what these trends could mean for investors as the AI economy continues to evolve.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal discusses how the Iran conflict, AI-driven investment themes from William Blair’s 46th Growth Stock Conference, persistent inflation pressures, and Kevin Warsh’s early approach as Fed chair are shaping the macro outlook for the second half of 2026.

William Blair industrials analyst Ross Sparenblek discusses how humanoid robotics could mark a structural shift in productivity by extending AI’s capabilities from digital tasks into real-world physical labor. He outlines the key forces accelerating adoption, from demographic pressures to supply chain dynamics, while highlighting both the long-term opportunity and the technical and scaling challen...

As geopolitical tensions persist and inflation concerns resurface, equity markets remain resilient while bond markets signal a more cautious outlook. Richard de Chazal unpacks what’s driving this divergence, the durability of the U.S. consumer, and why quality may be coming back into focus.

Ryan Daniels, William Blair's group head of healthcare technology and services research , discusses how policy reform, reimbursement changes, technology innovation, and consumer preferences are accelerating a shift in care delivery toward outpatient, virtual, and home based settings. He outlines why this trend is reaching an inflection point in 2026 and what it could mean for providers, payers, em...

AI is transforming drug discovery, but not by replacing the lab. In this episode of William Blair Thinking Presents, Matt Larew, partner and equity research analyst covering life science tools and diagnostics, explains where AI is accelerating early discovery, why wet lab validation still matters, and what real progress looks like as adoption moves from hype to practice.

War-driven energy shocks, sticky inflation, and an unusually split Fed are back at the center of the macro conversation. In this month’s Monthly Macro, William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal assesses what those dynamics, and the growing influence of AI, mean for bonds, equities, and portfolio risk.

In this episode of Biotech Breakthroughs, Matt Phipps, group head of biotech research, speaks with William Blair biotech analyst Myles Minter about how gene editing is moving from early hype toward clinically validated therapies. They discuss lessons from the first approved ex vivo product and highlight key 2026 catalysts across CRISPR, base editing, RNA editing, and DNA writing.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal unpacks the market implications of the U.S.–Iran conflict, discussing how the war is reshaping inflation and growth risks and challenging central banks’ playbooks, and why markets may be underpricing the possibility of a more prolonged disruption. Richard also touches on emerging stress in private credit beneath the surface.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal and co-head of technology, media, and communications research, Jason Ader, unpack the sharp selloff in software stocks and the growing fear around AI-driven disruption. They explore why the “software apocalypse” narrative may be overblown, how AI could ultimately expand the software market, and what investors should watch as winners and losers begin to...

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal breaks down rising geopolitical tensions, sticky inflation risks, Fed policy uncertainty, and the durability of U.S. growth amid fiscal stimulus and the evolving AI-driven productivity cycle.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal discusses why 2026 looks brighter for the economy, exploring the impact of AI-driven investment, evolving policy risks, and the surprising strength of the American consumer. *This episode was recorded December 16th, 2025

Tony Frascotti, William Blair's Head of Private Shares Trading, discusses the evolving landscape of private shares trading, highlighting market shifts, the expanding influence of AI and crypto sectors, and the changing dynamics of IPOs and liquidity for late-stage private companies. *This episode was recorded December 8th, 2025

William Blair financial technology analyst Andrew Jeffrey discusses how stablecoins, regulatory clarity, and new payment rails are transforming global B2B transactions. *This episode was recorded November 17, 2025

William Blair’s group head of healthcare technology and services analyst, Ryan Daniels, explores how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing healthcare revenue cycle management by automating financial workflows, reducing costs, and reshaping the industry’s future for providers and vendors.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal and group head of energy and power technologies Jed Dorsheimer explore the seismic changes reshaping the U.S. energy landscape as rising electricity costs and surging demand—especially from AI—put unprecedented pressure on the grid. The discussion also unpacks a five pillar plan for energy abundance, the balance between renewables and firm baseload pow...

William Blair energy and environmental services analyst Tim Mulrooney and macro analyst Richard de Chazal explore how reshoring, AI infrastructure, and labor and energy challenges are driving transformation across the U.S. economy.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal and energy analyst Neal Dingmann discuss how rapid technological advances, shrinking inventories, and relentless demand—especially for natural gas—are reshaping the energy sector, driving new strategies and investment opportunities for the years ahead.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal and specialty retail analyst Dylan Carden unpack why retail stocks are under pressure despite solid earnings, exploring the impact of tariffs, supply chain shifts, and what it means for the holiday season. This episode was recorded on August 22, 2025.

Ryan Daniels, William Blair’s group head of healthcare technology and services, returns to discuss the accelerating transformation of specialty care in the face of rising acuity, delayed diagnoses, and regulatory shifts. From bundled payments to AI-driven coordination, this episode explores how providers and investors are reshaping oncology, cardiology, and other high-impact disease states.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal dissects July’s economic surprises—from noisy GDP data and sticky inflation to the disruptive rise of stablecoins and a renewed case for small- and mid-cap stocks. This episode was recorded on August 1, 2025.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal discusses the Fed’s softer tone, how companies are adapting to tariffs and labor shifts, and why housing and hiring trends are setting the stage for a dynamic second half of 2025.

Sharon Zackfia, head of consumer research at William Blair, shares insights from over a decade of Glassdoor data to reveal how culture, leadership, and operational models—not just pay—shape employee satisfaction and long-term brand success in the restaurant sector.

Ryan Daniels, William Blair's group head of the healthcare technology and services research sector, explores how America’s rapidly growing senior population is reshaping healthcare, technology, and everyday services through the powerful trend of aging in place.

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal unpacks the latest on global tariffs, inflation pressures, recession risks, and why smidcap stocks might be poised for a comeback in a shifting economic landscape. *This episode was recorded on May 28, 2025