Thought Sparks How Digital Feedback Shaped the World with Rita McGrath and Martin Reeves
In this week’s Thought Sparks Podcast episode, Rita McGrath, a Columbia University Business School Professor, C-Suite strategist, business founder and best-selling author, speaks with Martin Reeves, Chair of the BCG Henderson Institute. Their conversation pulls from Reeves’ recent book "Like: The Button That Changed the World”, to explore how digital feedback has shaped our culture, political institutions, and innovation practices, with case studies from Cambridge Analytica, Apple, McDonald’s, TikTok, and more.00:00 Meet Martin Reeves: BCG's Chairman & Author of "Like: The Button That Changed the World00:58 7 to 100 Billion Uses Per Day: How Kids Define Status Through Digital Feedback03:01 The Roman Colosseum Myth That Fooled Silicon Valley03:49 From Ancient Painting to American Psyche: How Art Reproductions Shaped Culture06:49 The Disruption Hidden in Plain Sight: Why Cheap Reproductions Changed Everything07:42 From TV Set-Top Boxes to Digital Revolution: The Evolution of Feedback08:27 "Don't Make Me Think": Why the Apple Watch Isn't Actually a Watch09:24 The "Uber of Everything" Problem: Why Naming Your Innovation Is Strategic10:28 The 50-Company Secret: Why Innovation Heroes Don't Actually Exist12:29 The Innovation Nobody Predicted: How Tactical Problems Become Business Gold15:38 The Transistor Truth: Why Innovation Is Really Just Advanced Tinkering16:41 Why 70% of Scientists Can't Predict Their Own Breakthrough Discoveries20:03 The $2 Billion Advertising Bubble: Why 89% of Ads Vanish Into Thin Air22:09 When Cambridge Analytica Proved Digital Feedback Actually Works26:18 The McDonald's McLean Disaster: When Market Research Lies to You35:32 The TikTok Experiment: Manufacturing Sentiment at Government Scale38:45 When Bots Like Bots: The Hidden Economy of Manufactured Influence46:13 The Future of Corporations: Do We Still Need Mega-Companies?47:32 From Savannah to Silicon Valley: Why Our Brains Aren't Built for Modern Business54:23 Science Fiction Strategy: Using Imagined Futures to Plan for Today55:48 The Philanthropic Corporation: When Work Provides Purpose, Not Just Income59:20 Why Innovation Books Take on Lives of Their Own (And What's Next for AI)Thought Sparks are the brainchild of Rita McGrath. They are insightful actions, strategic ideas, actionable suggestions and innovative approaches that help organizations and leaders master the future with less fear and more confidence. New episodes of the Thought Sparks Podcast are released every other Tuesday at 11am Eastern. Want to learn more about Rita’s ideas and hear more of her conversations with business leaders and innovators? Listen to more Thought Sparks Podcast episodes on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Watch Thought Sparks episodes on YouTubeFollow Rita on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Blue Sky.Connect with Rita on TikTokSign up for her Thought Sparks Newsletter on Substack. Learn more about Rita, her books and ideas at RitaMcGrath.com