Best HBR Presents / Brian Kenny Podcasts (2025)

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Inside India’s Energy Transition: Tata Power’s Net Zero Strategy 36:17

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4d ago36:17

36:17

Tata Power stood at the forefront of India’s energy transition. The firm’s long history was deeply intertwined with the country’s development. As Mumbai’s power needs increased, Tata Power built out thermal assets across India, and while thermal power generation remained Tata Power’s mainstay, the firm slowly started diversifying. By 2024, Tata Pow…

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Tim Ferriss at a Career Crossroads: How Should He Shape His Next Chapter? 50:24

18d ago50:24

50:24

In April 2024, writer, podcaster, and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss—known for his hugely popular podcast “The Tim Ferriss Show” and NYT-bestselling books like The 4-Hour Workweek—found himself at a crossroads. Although his podcast was generating millions annually, he questioned the sustainability of podcasting and his own competitive advantage given the…

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How Dollar Tree Plans to Thrive Despite Breaking the Buck 21:07

1M ago21:07

21:07

For 35 years, Dollar Tree, a discount retail chain selling general merchandise, had held its fixed price point steady, pricing all of its household items, food, stationery, books, seasonal items, gifts, toys, and clothing that made up its diverse and ever-changing assortment at $1.00. While all other dollar store chains had raised prices over the y…

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How Lyft’s CEO Got the Company Moving Again 26:33

2M ago26:33

26:33

In the winter of 2023, Lyft was facing declining market share and financial pressures. Enter new CEO David Risher, who took the helm amid low morale and limited resources. His challenge: reignite innovation, refocus the culture, and find new ways to stand out in an industry dominated by Uber. Harvard Business School professor Ranjay Gulati joins ho…

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Partnerships Power Highland Electric’s Expanding Fleet of School Buses 31:02

2M ago31:02

31:02

How do you scale innovation in a system where critical pieces are out of your control? That is the challenge Highland Electric Fleets faced as it worked to replace diesel school buses with electric vehicles across the United States. While Highland provided financing, infrastructure, and fleet operations, success depended on external partners, inclu…

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Atlassian Anchors Remote Flexibility in Structured Daily Practices 34:13

2M ago34:13

34:13

In 2020, Atlassian committed to a fully distributed model, allowing employees to work from anywhere, permanently. While many tech peers later reversed course on remote work, Atlassian optimized its approach, developing data-driven routines, rethinking office spaces, and reshaping team rituals for its 12,000 employees in 13 countries. By 2024, these…

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Disrupting the Freezer Aisle: Dr. Bombay Ice Cream 34:03

3M ago34:03

34:03

When Happi Co. CEO Sam Rockwell partnered with Snoop Dogg and his son, Cordell Broadus, to launch Dr. Bombay Ice Cream, the team set out to disrupt a stagnant market with innovative flavors and culturally resonant branding. By combining Happi Co.’s operational expertise with Snoop Dogg’s global influence, the brand quickly secured placement in 80% …

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Shake Shack’s Digital Playbook: More Tech, Same Hospitality? 28:58

3M ago28:58

28:58

Shake Shack started in 2001 as a hot dog cart in New York City’s Madison Square Park. It’s now a global fast-casual restaurant chain renowned for both quality and hospitality. In 2024, following a rapid rollout of digital tools like kiosks and mobile ordering, Chief Growth Officer Stephanie So found herself asking, had Shake Shack built a model tha…

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At Booking.com, Innovation Means Constant Failure (Summer Repeat) 26:41

4M ago26:41

26:41

During a busy travel season, digital travel platform Booking.com wanted to try an experiment that would mean changing the site’s landing page. The CEO at the time, Gillian Tans, made the decision to lean into the company’s “test everything” culture—even if it meant failure. In this episode from 2019, Harvard Business School Professor Stefan Thomke …

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Ensuring Boston Ballet Stays Relevant 30:59

4M ago30:59

30:59

Ming Min Hui, executive director of Boston Ballet, is unique in her field. As a young, Asian American woman with a Harvard Business School MBA and a background in finance, she has focused her tenure on ensuring the ballet company stays true to its art form and simultaneously relevant to its times. Hui had worked for eight years at Boston Ballet as …

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How Bill Wilson Cofounded Alcoholics Anonymous and Created a Lasting Social Movement 23:34

5M ago23:34

23:34

Bill Wilson was an incredibly entrepreneurial young man with tremendous potential. He was also a drunk who had hit rock bottom. Then an epiphany led him to enduring sobriety. With his personal drive and fellowship with former drinking buddies, Wilson built a social movement and worldwide organization. Founded in 1935, Alcoholics Anonymous has helpe…

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How Keurig Brewed a Return to Growth 23:01

5M ago23:01

23:01

Keurig Green Mountain (KGM) created a new category of consumer products, becoming a household name in at-home coffee brewing in North America. But by the early 2010s, the public company had lost momentum and suffered a series of product missteps, negative media scrutiny, and ongoing challenges to its partner relationships. In late 2015, the company…

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Mattel’s Barbie Playbook: Replicating Success Across the Company’s Portfolio 30:47

6M ago30:47

30:47

The 2023 movie Barbie and its accompanying marketing blitz incited a worldwide craze. Suddenly Barbie was everywhere, a celebrated icon reinstated at the forefront of cultural conversation. This flourishing of goodwill stood in contrast to decades of criticism of the Barbie brand. Although proponents had celebrated Barbie for her promise to “inspir…

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How Duolingo Aims to Diversify Beyond Language Learning 34:53

6M ago34:53

34:53

Launched in 2011, Duolingo grew into the most downloaded education app in the world. By late 2024, it boasted 100 million monthly active users, 8 million paid subscribers, and a market capitalization approaching $15 billion. The success stemmed from a gamified approach to learning, use of adaptive AI technology, and alignment of incentives: maintai…

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The Nuqul Group Works to Preserve Its Founder’s Legacy 29:56

7M ago29:56

29:56

In 1948, Elia Nuqul fled his hometown in Palestine with his family to Jordan. The refugee overcame many hardships and started a trading business in 1952. Nuqul Group subsequently grew into one of Jordan’s largest family businesses. Its flagship company, Fine Hygienic Holding (FHH), was a leader in hygienic paper products across the Middle East and …

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Calyx Global: Improving the Quality of Carbon Credits 39:15

7M ago39:15

39:15

In 2021, Donna Lee and Duncan van Bergen founded Calyx Global, a carbon credit rating company. The startup worked to improve the quality of carbon credits sold in the voluntary carbon market. Organizations buy those credits to use in their decarbonization efforts to meet net-zero commitments. The firm had carefully avoided perceptions of conflicts …

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How Lanco Medical Group Fosters Workforce Happiness to Motivate Employees and Grow Fast 26:42

8M ago26:42

26:42

How important is it to maintain a happy workforce? With this question in mind, Lanco Medical Group, a small but fast-growing pharmaceutical distributor serving Latin America, approached the design of their employee benefits and incentives program. But there were gaps between what leadership believed motivated employees and what employees truly valu…