After Hours
210 episodes - English - Latest episode: 27 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1.2K ratingsHarvard Business School professors discuss and debate current events that sit at the crossroads of business and culture. Youngme Moon, Mihir Desai, and Felix Oberholzer-Gee engage in a spirited discussion on a range of topics torn from the headlines — from Facebook, to free trade, to the #MeToo movement. Informed by their unique expertise as professors at one of the world’s leading business schools, their takes are always surprising, unconventional, and insightful.
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Episodes
The Best Of Recommendations
March 27, 2024 04:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MBRevisit some of Felix and Mihir’s recommendations.
The Best Of After Hours - TikTok & Sports
March 20, 2024 14:08 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBRevisit Felix and Mihir’s discussion about TikTok bans and why sports have become so valuable.
March 13, 2024
March 13, 2024 04:00 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBMihir, Felix and NYU’s Dolly Chugh discuss the pressure on business leaders to conform to the demands of woke capitalism. Should you give in? Push back? What are the risks and rewards? Also: Feeling low lately? Chances are you are just getting older. We speculate why most people go through some sort of midlife crisis and talk about ways to better cope with life’s seemingly inevitable ups and downs. (Originally aired Nov. 2, 2022)
ICYMI: The Promise and Peril of AI
March 06, 2024 05:00 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBIn case you missed it: In this episode, Felix, Sarah and Mihir discuss Chat GPT, if AI is truly transformational, the future of search, and how to digitally detox from all this AI talk. (Originally aired March 1, 2023).
Our Predictions for 2024
December 27, 2023 05:00 - 49 minutes - 45.1 MBWhat’s in store for 2024? Mihir and Felix are back with their celebrated predictions episode. Will OPEC implode? Are quant funds in trouble? What’s Argentina’s future? Can inflation in the U.S. really sink to 2%? Is plastic the new asbestos? Who will acquire Electronic Arts? Is AIML a verb? Listen in as the hosts (foolishly) predict what the new year will bring.
The Stories of 2023
December 20, 2023 05:00 - 52 minutes - 47.9 MBFelix and Mihir reflect on the most important stories of 2023 including the remarkable rise of AI, the revolution in life sciences, the rising power of employees, the trial of SBF, how product market strategies are reflecting shifting financial logics, the reasons for increased warfare, the disjunction between financial markets and the real economy, the shocking rise of school absenteeism and the wonder of Simone Biles.
Appreciating Late Bloomers and a Big Bank
December 13, 2023 05:00 - 34 minutes - 32 MBFelix and Mihir discuss how JPMorgan has managed to succeed where others fail and how late bloomers manage to succeed after sometimes failing.
Turbulence at OpenAI — Our Take-Aways
November 29, 2023 05:00 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBFelix and Mihir discuss how Sam Altman was fired and reinstated over the course of just a few days. Was the board right to dismiss Altman? Does the turmoil change how we think about hybrid organizations that combine nonprofit and for-profit motives? What does the episode teach us about the future of AI? Plus, we look at the reasons why men now die even earlier than women. What do the numbers say about being male today?
The Future of Africa and Empty Lots
November 22, 2023 05:00 - 39 minutes - 36.6 MBWill Africa fulfill its remarkable promise in the next several decades? Is a land tax the best kind of tax? Would it solve our housing crisis? All that and more on this episode of After Hours.
Does AI Have a Copyright Problem?
November 15, 2023 05:34 - 36 minutes - 33.5 MBFelix and Mihir discuss how copyright applies to AI-generated works. Are AI companies guilty of mass infringement? Could users be sued if they use AI to generate texts and images? Wouldn’t it be right to compensate authors for their contributions to AI models? Plus, a decade in, what has the corporate purpose movement accomplished? We look back and take a glimpse at the future.
House Music
November 08, 2023 18:08 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBFelix, Sarah and Mihir consider whether real estate brokers add value, how the world of brokers will be transformed by a recent lawsuit and consider whether investors should be buying music as an asset class.
The U.S. economy is stellar. So why are we all so mad?
November 01, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBIn this episode, Mihir and Felix discuss consumer finances, which are remarkably healthy. The average U.S. household now has a net worth of more than a million dollars. But if things are this good, why are we so angry? Why lament the state of the economy? Plus, we talk about Tesla and the market for electric vehicles. Has it reached its nadir?
Bond Market Bedlam
October 25, 2023 04:00 - 30 minutes - 28.4 MBFelix and Mihir are back, and it’s time to unpack bond market bedlam!
Magnificent Markets and Conflict on Campus
September 06, 2023 04:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBFelix and Mihir discuss the meaning and impact of the increasing concentration of stock market performance via the “Magnificent 7” and the source and resolution of conflicts on campuses.
Magnificent Markets and Conflict on Campus
September 06, 2023 04:00 - 41 minutes - 38.3 MBFelix and Mihir discuss the meaning and impact of the increasing concentration of stock market performance via the “Magnificent 7” and the source and resolution of conflicts on campuses.
Going out with a bang: Recommendations for this summer
June 28, 2023 04:00 - 42 minutes - 39 MBThis is it, dear friends of the After Hours podcast. We end our sixth season with a long list of recommendations: shows to watch, books to read, foods to savor, places to visit... Thank for spending your time with us. We will be back after our summer break, sometime in September. Have a wonderful summer everyone!
Summer Stories to Savor
June 21, 2023 04:00 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBFelix and Mihir are joined by friends to discuss their stories to watch this summer, including the bust up of Sequoia, pricing, Gen AI, sports stories, the FTC and PBMs, Amazon in healthcare, and the future of theatres, travel, unions, brand activism, energy tax credits, interest rates and the war in Ukraine.
The Portfolio Life: Being Productive and Happy
June 14, 2023 04:00 - 44 minutes - 41 MBFelix and Mihir are joined by Christina Wallace to discuss the meaning of a portfolio life and why U.S. workers are happier than ever but less productive.
The Sunny Side of Bankruptcy
May 31, 2023 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.2 MBFelix, Mihir and their colleague Kristin Mugford debate the merits of using bankruptcy to shield companies from consumer lawsuits. Should we allow companies to bundle lawsuits, place them in a designated subsidiary with few assets and let that subsidiary go bankrupt? Might this actually be better for consumers who claim to have been hurt by defective products? Doesn’t everyone deserve their day in court? Plus, what is happening to prices of luxury goods? Are we looking at the next b...
What’s Your Personal Brand? Is Brand Building Worth it?
May 24, 2023 10:00 - 40 minutes - 37.5 MBFelix, Mihir and Jill Avery consider the merits of personal branding and how to think about the value of a brand. Why do people want to consider their personal brand? And, why do we still struggle to understand the value of brands given all the data we swim in?
Strike in Hollywood
May 17, 2023 10:00 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBIn this week’s episode, Felix, Mihir and Bloomberg’s Sarah Green Carmichael discuss the writers’ strike in Hollywood. Why do we suddenly see a strike during “the golden era of television” and amidst intensifying streaming wars? What are the thorniest issues? How do they speak to challenges for knowledge workers more generally? Plus, why you should love meetings. (We are not kidding!)
Everything’s Coming up AI!
May 10, 2023 10:00 - 47 minutes - 43.2 MBFelix, Mihir and Charlotte Howard discuss the recent earnings season with a spotlight on ExxonMobil, Chevron, Autozone, Apple, UPS, Microsoft and PDD – and what it all means for the economy.
Better Ways to Say Thank You
May 03, 2023 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MBFelix, Mihir and their colleague Kathleen McGinn discuss the role of gratitude at work and at home. Gratitude can be incredibly effective, so why don’t we thank others more often? What goes wrong when a thank you seems shallow and inauthentic? Can gratitude even be an impediment to change? Plus, we debate early retirement. Clearly, it is what people want. Why don’t we give it to them?
Betting on Netflix, Co-CEOs and India
April 26, 2023 10:00 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBFelix and Mihir discuss the state of Netflix and streaming, the co-CEO model, and Incredible India.
Taming AI
April 19, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 31 MBIn this episode, Felix and Mihir debate with their colleague Deborah Spar, Senior Associate Dean for Business and Global Society at Harvard Business School, the role of government in regulating AI. How do we make sure we get the best out this groundbreaking technology? Should we keep government out of the way, at least for the time being? Is industry self-regulation sufficient to prevent the worst? Are we contending with an existential threat? Plus, we discuss the vanishing division...
The Renaissance of Barnes & Noble and Dark Ages for Commercial Real Estate?
April 12, 2023 10:00 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBFelix and Mihir discuss the durability of a book retailer's turnaround, the future of commercial real estate and whether all the doomsaying is correct.
Women at Work—First-time Managers
April 05, 2023 15:57 - 31 minutes - 29 MBFelix is joined by Bloomberg’s Sarah Green Carmichael and Harvard Business Review editor Amy Bernstein to discuss the particular challenges that women face when they first assume managerial roles. Why is it that women do not experience the increase in personal satisfaction that is typical for men? What can companies do to better support first-time managers, women and men? Plus, we talk about the booming gaming business. Will it swallow all of entertainment?
The Future of Venture Financing and Philanthropy
March 29, 2023 10:00 - 39 minutes - 35.8 MBFelix, Mihir and Christina Wallace consider the SVB business model, what its loss means for entrepreneurial finance and what they make of new models of philanthropy.
Woke CEOs—the Backlash
March 22, 2023 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBIn this episode, Felix, Mihir and Semafor’s Liz Hoffman debate the backlash against woke CEOs. Did America’s corporate leaders go too far when they embraced broad social and political goals? Does corporate activism ultimately undermine political action? What’s the cost of cutting business ties with corporations that are deemed too woke? Plus, we ask Liz Hoffman about her new book, Crash Landing: The Inside Story of How the World’s Biggest Companies Survived an Economy on the Brink. ...
After Hours Special: The Crisis in Banking
March 21, 2023 18:40 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBMihir and Felix think about the current crisis in banking. Why did Silicon Valley Bank fail? Is the demise of Credit Suisse a result of the contagion in the United States? And what’s the future of banking? Will the big banks get even bigger? Even more prone to fail? Would we be better off if all deposits were insured? If banks were kept to a smaller size?
Primary Care Acquisitions and Wage Compression
March 15, 2023 10:00 - 37 minutes - 34.5 MBFelix, Mihir and Charlotte Howard of The Economist consider why retailers are buying primary care providers and if wage compression will last and what it means for the economy.
Finally-- A Clinically-Proven Way to Lose Weight. Now what?
March 08, 2023 11:00 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBFelix, Mihir and The Economist’s Charlotte Howard debate the merits of a new class of weight-loss drugs that drastically lower a person’s weight. Is this incredible scientific advance the solution to the obesity epidemic that is sweeping the planet? Should health insurance companies cover the pricey drugs? Will obesity become even more prevalent now that we have effective medication? Plus, we discuss the roller coaster that is Moderna. What’s next for one of the pandemic’s biggest w...
The Promise and Peril of AI
March 01, 2023 11:00 - 37 minutes - 33.9 MBFelix, Sarah and Mihir discuss Chat GPT, if AI is truly transformational, the future of search, and how to digitally detox from all this AI talk.
Turmoil in Energy Markets
February 22, 2023 11:00 - 34 minutes - 31.3 MBMihir and Felix are joined by Rawi to talk about the far-reaching consequences of the current turmoil in energy markets. Is Qatar the next Saudi Arabia? Are the oil majors actually saying goodbye to renewables? Are we seeing the de-industrialization of Europe? Plus, we debate the consequences of shrinking populations. Will it blow up social security? Could it be good news?
Bed, Bath and Beyond Annuities!
February 15, 2023 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBFelix and Mihir debate the latest phase of meme-stock craziness and the wisdom of retirement planning without annuities.
Sports!
February 08, 2023 11:00 - 38 minutes - 35.4 MBIn our first-ever After Hours sports episode, we ask why sports teams have become so valuable (is it really just the vanity of billionaire owners), debate the merits of paying amateur athletes, and explore why tennis pros receive such a small fraction of the sport’s overall revenue. Can hedge fund icon Bill Ackman save tennis?
The End of Google and Fruit Beetles?
February 01, 2023 11:00 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBIn this episode, Felix, Mihir and Sarah consider the merits of the most recent antitrust actions against Google, the ethics of unpaid labor, and the end of Noma.
Workplace Problems—Fixed!
January 25, 2023 15:12 - 31 minutes - 29.2 MBFelix, Mihir and Frances Frei discuss why many workplace issues seem so vexing—and how to fix them. We also talk about Jacinda Ardern’s resignation as New Zealand’s prime minister. Is she leaving too early? How do you best choose your exit?
A Lunar New Year Special: BYD, EVs and Chinese Capital Allocation
January 18, 2023 11:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBFelix and Mihir celebrate Lunar New Year by talking about BYD, Electric Vehicles, and capital allocation in China.
Banning TikTok, Lessons from Southwest’s Meltdown
January 10, 2023 16:56 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBSarah Green Carmichael and Felix discuss the ban of TikTok by India and the U.S. Federal Government. Do these bans keep us safe? How nervous should we be on social media apps? Is the U.S. next to build a Chinese-style walled garden that keeps out unwanted companies and governments? Also, we review Southwest’s operational collapse during the holidays. Is legacy technology to blame? Did the company really underinvest?
Our Predictions for 2023
December 28, 2022 11:00 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBCurious about 2023? Youngme, Mihir and Felix are back with their celebrated predictions episode. Who will acquire Spotify? Will Twitter implode? What’s the trend in inflation and energy prices? Who will top the music charts? Space travel for all? Listen in as the hosts outguess each other what the new year will bring.
2022-The Stories We Loved (and a Few Others)
December 21, 2022 11:00 - 52 minutes - 47.8 MBIn this episode, Youngme, Mihir and Felix share what they loved about 2022. Listen in to get their take on the end of magical thinking, quiet CEOs, the latest in sneaker fashion, and the collapse of FTX. Plus, we have an After Hours poem for you. (And no, we did not write it ourselves. Thank you, ChatGPT!)
China, Chips, Child Poverty & Measuring Inequality
December 14, 2022 11:00 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBFelix and Mihir are joined by The Economist’s Charlotte Howard and they discuss the geopolitical battle over semiconductors and the surprising victories in battling poverty.
Why Are Financial Regrets So Common?
December 07, 2022 11:00 - 33 minutes - 31.1 MBMihir, Felix and Bloomberg’s Sarah Green Carmichael talk about financial regrets. Why are they so widespread? Do people really make grave financial mistakes? Do they lack the information required to make smart choices? Plus, we debate the return of Disney’s Bob Iger. Will he shine once more?
Holding a Global Sports Event in Qatar?
November 30, 2022 11:00 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBWe debate the choice of Qatar as the host of FIFA’s World Cup. Was it a mistake to hold the tournament in a country that criminalizes homosexuality? Was this exactly the right thing to do? Who is to judge? Mihir, Felix and their colleague Tsedal Neeley struggle with the question when to say no to countries’ hosting ambitions. Plus, we debate the ongoing workplace revolution. Where will it all end? Did hybrid really win?
The Thanksgiving Food Episode!
November 21, 2022 20:08 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MBIn celebration of Thanksgiving, Felix and Mihir are joined by Youngme to talk about all things food! Join them as they talk about everything from the future of Kellogg’s to the explosion in Korean food around the globe. They also riff on the evolution of restaurant plating, the proliferation of QR menus, the best depictions of food in movies and television, the failure of recycling, and innovations in rice farming. Get ready to have hunger pangs after this one!
Washington Gridlock—How Will the Markets Respond
November 16, 2022 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MBMihir, Felix and Charlotte Howard discuss how companies will respond to political gridlock in the United States. Is it good for business? Will it really lift markets as many observers expect? Also: We speculate how the tech layoffs will influence the job market and the long-term prospects of tech talent.
Workplace Big Brother and Fresh Starts
November 09, 2022 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBIn this episode, Felix and Mihir are joined by Katy Milkman to discuss workplace surveillance and the value of a fresh start.
Who Is Afraid of Woke Capitalism?
November 02, 2022 10:00 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBMihir, Felix and NYU’s Dolly Chugh discuss the pressure on business leaders to conform to the demands of woke capitalism. Should you give in? Push back? What are the risks and rewards? Also: Feeling low lately? Chances are you are just getting older. We speculate why most people go through some sort of midlife crisis and talk about ways to better cope with life’s seemingly inevitable ups and downs.