The Power of Big Bets

Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, discusses the concept of Big Bets, which are bold and concerted efforts to solve problems on a large scale. He explains that Big Bets involve finding fresh ideas or new technologies, forming unlikely partnerships and alliances, and fiercely measuring results. Shah gives an example of a Big Bet made by the Rockefeller Foundation during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they focused on dramatically increasing testing in the United States by releasing a report, building alliances, and measuring the effectiveness of their approach. He argues that a Big Bet mindset can overcome cynicism and lead to significant change.