Thomas Zurbuchen is currently Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, where he seeks answers to big questions about the universe and our place in it. Previously, he was a professor of space science and aerospace engineering at the University of Michigan and a founding director of its Center for Entrepreneurship. In this episode, ... Show More
Jul 8
#236 Harley Finkelstein: You Must Requalify for Your Role, Every Year
Shopify President Harley Finkelstein talks with Shane Parrish about treating every role in your life like a job you have to earn again each year. Harley shares why stepping down as COO was his hardest choice, the family motto that guides his daughters, and what makes someone good ... Show More
1h 49m
Jul 1
#235 Outliers: Jimmy Pattison — Building a $16B Empire Without Connections, Capital, or Credentials
At 96 years old, Jimmy Pattison still runs his $16 billion empire personally. He’s built it over 63 years without outside capital or a college degree. He owns 100% of car dealerships, billboards, radio stations—even Ripley’s Believe It or Not—with a philosophy of: "No partners, n ... Show More
1h 13m
Jun 24
#234 Indra Nooyi: Lessons from the Top of PepsiCo—and the Cost of Getting There
On her first day as CEO of PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi fired her general counsel. Then rehired him before dinner. It wasn’t a stunt. It was a signal. She ran a $200 billion empire the same way she ran her life: with surgical precision, uncompromising standards, and an allergy to corpora ... Show More
1h 36m
Nov 2023
NASA’s Former Head of Science on What It Takes to Manage Complex, High-Risk Projects
As the head of science at NASA, Thomas Zurbuchen managed an $8.6 billion dollar budget. A typical Monday, for him, might have involved hitting an asteroid with a space craft or trying to launch a rocket. Zurbuchen left that role in 2022, but he’s still the longest continually ser ... Show More
31m 9s
Aug 2021
543: Leadership Lessons from NASA, with Dave Williams
Dave Williams: Leadership Moments from NASA
Dave is an astronaut, aquanaut, jet pilot, emergency physician, scientist, CEO, and bestselling author. He is the former Director of Space & Life Sciences at NASA’s Johnson Space Center and has flown in space twice on Space Shuttles Col ... Show More
35m 41s
Dec 2022
Lessons From A Year In Space - A Conversation with Astronaut Scott Kelly
Scott Kelly is an American engineer, retired astronaut, author and naval aviator. He is best known for spending a record-breaking year in space. He is a former US Navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and veteran of four spaceflights. Kelly commanded the space shuttle Endeavour in 2007 ... Show More
52m 29s
Apr 2022
Neil deGrasse Tyson: Astrophysicist, Planetary Scientist, and Author
For decades, Neil deGrasse Tyson has shared his knowledge and his wonder about the depths of the universe, helping millions grasp what they see when they look up at the sky.Neil is director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History. It turns out that Nei ... Show More
1h 11m