Giant Ideas

Doug Bernauer, founder of Radiant (one of Giant’s most exciting growth investments) joins us again on the Giant Ideas podcast. We backed Radiant in their Series C round to mass produce portable nuclear reactors.The founder, Doug, worked with Elon Musk for 12 years at SpaceX - including their reusable rocket prototype and the Mars Colonisation project. In this episode, he shares the 3 photographs that define his life, what he learnt from SpaceX, and why good companies need 'unreasonable' leaders. Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

Today we are joined by Doug Bernauer, founder of Radiant – one of Giant’s most exciting growth investments. We backed Radiant in their Series C round. Their vision is to mass produce portable nuclear reactors. But their vision goes far beyond that.They want to first manufacture nuclear reactors for Earth - giving clean energy to remote areas. And they then want to use this profit to develop a reactor for Mars, to send it on a Starship to power the potential future civilisation of Mars. It’s a giant idea - both on this planet, and beyond.The founder, Doug, worked with Elon Musk for 12 years at SpaceX - including their reusable rocket prototype and the Mars Colonization project. In this episode, we talk about why nuclear power’s time has finally come, how Radiant’s approach is unique, and his long term vision to deploy nuclear power on Mars.Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

What are the moments that defined you?Last week we had an in depth conversation with star investor Halle Tecco about creating massively better healthcare in the US.Today, she joins us to talk about the 3 moments that defined her and the wisdom gained so far in life. From choosing a life partner, to deciding whether to have children, to choosing to leave your home town and prioritise adventure. About Halle Tecco:Halle Tecco is an entrepreneur and investor passionate about fixing the healthcare system.She is the co-founder of Co-fertility - a company rewriting the egg freezing and egg donation experience. She is also the founder of Natalist and Rock Health, one of the pioneering digital health early-stage venture funds.Now, as Course Director at Harvard Medical School and Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, she supports future healthcare leaders through teaching.She is also the creator of The Heart of Healthcare Podcast, the #1 podcast in health tech, and is about to release a book, “Massively Better Healthcare: The Innovator's Guide to Tackling Healthcare's Biggest Challenges”.Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

Today on the podcast, we are excited to be joined by Halle Tecco - an entrepreneur and investor passionate about fixing the healthcare system.Halle is the co-founder of Co-fertility - a company rewriting the egg freezing and egg donation experience. She is also the founder of Natalist and Rock Health, one of the pioneering digital health early-stage venture funds.Now, as Course Director at Harvard Medical School and Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, she supports future healthcare leaders through teaching.She is also the creator of The Heart of Healthcare Podcast, the #1 podcast in health tech, and is about to release a book, “Massively Better Healthcare: The Innovator's Guide to Tackling Healthcare's Biggest Challenges”.We talk about:Why the US healthcare system is inefficient (from middlemen to bad incentives).Why even with more insurance coverage, many people still can’t afford care because of high deductibles.How big healthcare companies block change by using legal and regulatory power.How new ideas succeed by either working outside insurance or partnering with existing players.AI's potential to personalise medicine and lower costsBuilding a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

Today on the podcast we have Narayana Murthy - Founder and former CEO of Infosys - a giant which reached $100BN, one of the largest companies in history, and transformed India’s economy.Infosys - founded in 1981 - offers consulting, IT, and outsourcing services across the globe. Starting with a small loan, 18 years later it became the first ever Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ. Murthy has been listed among the 12 greatest entrepreneurs of our time by Fortune magazine. He has akso been described as the "Father of the Indian IT sector" by TIME.Murthy is also the father-in-law of Rishi Sunak, the former UK Prime Minister.In this episode, we talk about Narayana Murthy’s early life and values, how Infosys grew from $40,000 to a multi-billion dollar global enterprise, why he believes in hard work, and the role of entrepreneurship and capitalism in India.Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

Today on the podcast we welcome Jeremy Chan. Jeremy is a British-Canadian chef who grew up between London and Hong Kong, and is the Co-founder of Ikoyi restaurant. In 2017, Chan joined forces with Iré Hassan-Odukale – a friend who had just left a career in insurance - and together they decided to build Ikoyi.Ikoyi is now a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in London, and it has recently been voted one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. But Chan has not always been a chef. In fact he studied Philosophy with Cameron at Princeton, and worked briefly in finance. After leaving, he wrote to lots of restaurants asking them to take him on for some experience. He ended up working at restaurants like the two-starred Hibiscus, Dinner by Heston, and in one of the best restaurants in the world: Noma. He’s known for his creativity, innovation, and originality.In this episode we talk about:- The need for obsession and relentless drive when creating something new- The importance of staying true to your creative vision and maintaining integrity in the face of external pressures- The restaurant’s focus on creating meaningful, lasting experiences for guests and fostering a strong, values-driven team culture- The challenges, discipline, and daily routines required to operate at the highest level- The personal sacrifices required for success, and the reality of building a new business - from empty restaurants to finding new dishesBuilding a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

Sebastian Thrun, a pioneer in self-driving technology and co-founder of Udacity and Kitty Hawk, shares insights from his incredible journey. He discusses the critical safety and cost benefits of autonomous vehicles, and his early inspirations following a personal tragedy. Thrun compares the competitive landscape of self-driving cars, emphasizing the need for hybrid machine learning. He also delves into air mobility, the potential of AI to transform basic needs, and his mission to democratize education through innovative tech.

Today on the podcast we have Synthesia Co-founder and COO Steffen Tjerrild.Synthesia is an AI company that allows you to create professional videos with just a few lines of text. It’s now used by over 1 million customers, including +80% of Fortune 100 companies. Synthesia is a UK unicorn, recently valued at $2 billion.At the heart of Synthesia's exponential growth is Steffen. As the company’s COO, Steffen has seen the company through its inception to the latest funding round. Today we talk about text-to-video, product market fit, the future of deep fakes and how quickly you will be able to create your own Netflix shows... Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

Today on the podcast we are joined by Floyd Steadman OBE.Floyd Steadman’s journey began in North-West London as a 10-year-old runaway, surviving alone after escaping an abusive home. Rejected by his own father and placed into care, Floyd's early life was marked by hardship, racism, and resilience.After discovering rugby, Floyd became the first Black captain of Saracens rugby club, rising through a sport where no one looked like him. Later, he became a respected headteacher (including of Tommy Stadlen & Cameron McLain's school!) an advocate for inclusion, and the man who first spotted the talent of a young Maro Itoje.This conversation discusses:Growing up in care and rough sleeping Breaking racial barriers in elite rugbyNurturing the next generation including England captain Maro ItojeWhy representation still mattersWhat it means to lead, and how you can be kind and decisive as a leaderFloyd was awarded an OBE for his services to education, rugby, and charity, but his real legacy lives in the lives he’s changed.Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

General David Petraeus, a former CIA Director and influential military leader, shares his insights on the complex landscape of modern geopolitics. He discusses the shift from soft power to hard power amid rising nationalism and security challenges. Petraeus highlights the divides within U.S. foreign policy, particularly between isolationism and internationalism, and examines the evolving dynamics of military strategies, including the role of technology in warfare. His reflections on leadership and adaptability provide valuable lessons for navigating today's global tensions.