The Business Canon

Episode 20 - Innovator's Dilemma vs. Zero to One: Disrupt or Create?

What is the true nature of innovation? This episode stages a Debate between two of the most influential technology strategists of our time. One host, drawing on the ideas of Clayton Christensen's The Innovator's Dilemma, argues that the most powerful form of innovation is "disruption"—creating a simpler, cheaper product that overthrows an established market leader from below. The other host, channeling the contrarian philosophy of Peter Thiel's Zero to One, argues that true innovation is about "creation"—building something entirely new (going from 0 to 1) that creates a new market and a creative monopoly. The debate explores two fundamentally different, and equally powerful, visions for the future of technology and business.

Episode 21 - The 7 Habits (Part 2): The Path to Mastery

In part two of our series on Stephen Covey's The 7 Habits, we transition from the foundation of character to the principles of personal management. Our hosts explore the crucial link between the "Private Victory" of self-mastery and the "Public Victory" of effective teamwork. This episode focuses on the bridge habit, "Put First Things First," analyzing Covey's famous time management matrix and the discipline required to prioritize the important but not urgent. We discuss why this habit is the practical fulfillment of the first two habits, turning your vision and values into reality. This is a masterclass in execution, moving beyond ideas to the daily discipline of an effective life.

Episode 22 - Habit 3: Put First Things First

The key to effectiveness is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. In this focused Brief on the third habit from The 7 Habits, we distill Covey's revolutionary approach to time management. Our hosts quickly explain the four quadrants of the time management matrix, differentiating between urgency and importance. You will learn why highly effective people ignore the siren call of Quadrant III (urgent but not important) and spend their time in Quadrant II (important but not urgent). In just a few minutes, you’ll have a powerful, principle-centered tool for organizing your week and your life around what truly matters.

Episode 23 - A Critique of "Radical Candor": Can You Really Care and Challenge?

Kim Scott's Radical Candor has become a dominant philosophy in modern management, but is its "Care Personally/Challenge Directly" framework a realistic ideal or a recipe for dysfunction? In this Critique episode, we analyze the model's real-world application. Our hosts praise the framework for providing a clear, actionable language for feedback. However, we also offer a constructive critique, questioning whether "challenging directly" can easily devolve into "obnoxious aggression" in a culture that lacks deep psychological safety. We explore the immense difficulty of training managers to "care personally" and analyze if the model places an unfair burden on employees to interpret their boss's true intentions.

Episode 24 - Biographies as Business Guides: Steve Jobs vs. John D. Rockefeller

What can we truly learn from the lives of great business titans? This episode stages a Debate on the value of biographies, comparing the leadership styles of two iconic figures. One host, drawing on Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs, argues for the power of the mercurial, product-obsessed visionary who bends reality to their will, contending that true innovation requires an uncompromising and often difficult personality. The other host, drawing on Ron Chernow's Titan, argues for the systematic, ruthless, and detail-obsessed empire builder. They contend that enduring success comes not from brilliant products, but from the relentless and rational consolidation of market power.

Episode 25 - The Practice of Management (Part 1): The Drucker Revolution

We begin our multi-part series on the man who invented modern management, Peter F. Drucker, with his foundational 1954 work, The Practice of Management. In this first episode, our hosts explore the revolutionary context of this book. We discuss how Drucker was the first to treat management not as a mere function of ownership, but as a distinct profession, a liberal art, and a serious intellectual discipline. The conversation unpacks his foundational ideas, including the assertion that a business is defined by the customer it creates and his framework for understanding the essential functions of a manager. This is a journey back to the very origins of modern business thinking.

Episode 26 - The Purpose of a Business: To Create a Customer

What is the primary purpose of a business? It is not to make a profit. In this essential Brief, we distill one of Peter Drucker's most powerful and enduring insights from The Practice of Management. Our hosts quickly explain his argument that the only valid definition of business purpose is to create a customer. You will learn why this simple idea, which focuses on marketing and innovation, is the foundation of all successful enterprises. We explore how profit is not the goal, but rather the test of the validity of a business idea. In just a few minutes, you’ll have a profound, customer-centric principle to guide your own strategic thinking.

Episode 27 - The "Principles" of Ray Dalio: A Culture of Genius or Fear?

Ray Dalio's system of "Radical Transparency" and "Idea Meritocracy," as outlined in Principles, has been hailed as a revolutionary management philosophy. In this Critique episode, we analyze the potential downsides of this unique culture. Our hosts explore whether a system of constant criticism, public "baseball card" ratings, and algorithmic decision-making can create a psychologically safe environment. We question whether this approach, while successful at a hedge fund, is transferable to more creative or collaborative fields. The conversation delves into the fine line between a high-performance culture that overcomes ego and a culture of fear, surveillance, and groupthink.

Episode 28 - Start with Why vs. Start with What: The Purpose Debate

Is a transcendent "Why" the necessary starting point for every successful business? This episode presents a Debate between two fundamental approaches to entrepreneurship. One host champions the philosophy of Simon Sinek's Start with Why, arguing that great companies are built on a clear and inspiring purpose that attracts loyal customers and employees. They contend that "what" you do is simply the proof of your "why." The other host takes a more pragmatic stance, arguing that many successful businesses start with a simple "what"—a great product that solves a problem—and that the "why" is often a story that is retrofitted later. They believe that a relentless focus on product-market fit is more important than an abstract purpose.

Episode 29 - Thinking, Fast and Slow (Part 3): Overconfidence and Choice

In part three of our series on Thinking, Fast and Slow, we explore the profound and often-dangerous effects of overconfidence and the illusions of choice. Our hosts unpack Daniel Kahneman's research on our tendency to construct coherent but often false narratives about the past, leading to the "narrative fallacy" and "hindsight bias." The conversation explores how these biases make us overly confident in our ability to predict the future. We also analyze the architecture of choice, discussing how the way options are framed can dramatically alter our decisions. This episode is a sobering look at the limits of our own expert judgment.