Taylor's Version, Pt 1: Swift Strategy Secrets

In our first episode of On Brand: Taylor’s Version, we’re joined by Sinéad O’Sullivan — aerospace engineer turned business strategist, former head of Strategy at Harvard Business School, professor, and co-founder of a global investment fund. She’s advised everyone from NASA to prime ministers … and she also happens to be in the top 0.01% of Taylor Swift fans worldwide. Her new book, Good Ideas and Power Moves: Business Lessons from Taylor Swift, hits shelves this week — and she’s here to share why Taylor isn’t just a pop star, but one of the sharpest strategists of our time.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why “doing strategy” is more than PowerPoints and wish lists
• How Taylor Swift creates interlinked universes across her albums
• What it means to be anti-fragile and thrive in chaotic environments
• How storytelling can be leveraged as a business strategy
• Why Taylor Swift is her own product and outperforms traditional companies

Episode Chapters

• (00:00) Intro
• (01:00) Getting Started with Taylor’s Version
• (01:35) Reputation Era Story Prompt and Misunderstandings
• (03:40) Doing Strategy the Taylor Way
• (08:10) Building Worlds Not Products
• (12:30) Lessons for Brands and Community
• (17:50) Fearless Era Story Prompt and Courage
• (24:20) Anti-Fragile Moves and Thriving in Chaos
• (28:10) Timing, Reverse Acquisitions, and Big Picture Strategy
• (38:30) Where to Connect with Sinéad

About Sinéad O’Sullivan

Sinéad O’Sullivan is an aerospace engineer turned business strategist, former head of strategy at Harvard Business School, professor, writer, and co-founder of a global investment fund. She has advised organizations from NASA to prime ministers and is the author of Good Ideas and Power Moves: Business Lessons from Taylor Swift. O’Sullivan has a BA in engineering, an MSc in finance, and a PhD in strategy.

What Brand Has Made Sinéad Smile Recently?

Sinéad shared that she’s been smiling at the creative universe built around Barbie. From specialty cars to Airbnbs, the way Barbie has expanded into a full cultural ecosystem reminded her of the worlds Taylor Swift builds with her albums—demonstrating creativity, collaboration, and clever brand storytelling.

Resources & Links

• Connect with Sinéad on LinkedIn.
• Sinéad’s website.
• Sinéad’s Substack.
• Sinéad’s new book, Good Ideas and Power Moves: Ten Lessons for Success from Taylor Swift.

Listen & Support the Show

• Watch or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon/Audible, TuneIn, and iHeart.
• Rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify to help others find the show.
• Share this episode — email a friend or colleague this episode.
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On Brand is a part of the Marketing Podcast Network.

Until next week, I’ll see you on the Internet!

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