Chicago Booth Review Podcast

Many of us have so many subscriptions that we’ve lost track of them all. Companies also increasingly have subscriptions for services such as software and cloud computing. As customers, they’re the source of a lot of value to providers. Chicago Booth’s Amir Sufi says this “customer capital” accounts for a lot of the differences in how companies are valued between industries. And it might even have overturned what has been a cardinal rule of business: that revenue is more important than acquiring and maintaining customers.

What makes news stories newsworthy? Can you measure newsworthiness? Are people right in thinking that the media tend to focus on bad news? Chicago Booth’s Emir Kamenica argues that accounting for newsworthiness changes how we view the media’s apparent focus on negative news. So how do you measure newsworthiness? And is the news not always as negative as it may first appear?

Elon Musk’s DOGE, the Department of Government Efficiency, has driven a steamroller through the federal government, slashing jobs and dismantling entire agencies. But will it actually do much to address the US’s budget deficit? We hear from Chicago Booth’s Sam Peltzman, a longtime critic of government regulation and bureaucracy, and a onetime federal employee himself.

In February, Jeff Bezos, owner of the Washington Post, said its opinion section would focus on contributions that support “personal liberties and free markets” and would not run any opinions that oppose those two values. In response, Chicago Booth’s Luigi Zingales called for opinion writers to boycott the publication. What does Zingales think the episode tells us about media coverage in the age of Trump? To follow the Stigler Center's 2025 Antitrust and Competition Conference, visit https://www.chicagobooth.edu/research/stigler/events/2025-antitrust

Who is the face of capitalism? And how has that face changed over time? In this bonus episode, John Paul Rollert, our In-House Ethicist, Rollert analyzes some of the characters who have represented capitalism over time in the popular imagination, revealing how many people perceive the economic system. He charts the evolution of capitalism’s protagonists from the hardworking professional lauded by Adam Smith to the tech founders of Silicon Valley. So who will be the next face of capitalism? https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/ihe-podcast#sort=%40articledate%20descending

Salary negotiations are difficult. Many of us hate talking about money, particularly with a potential employer. So what can you do to make sure you arrive at a fair wage? Chicago Booth’s George Wu says the trick to a successful salary conversation is to prepare, give yourself options, and don’t celebrate too soon.

Lisa Stefanik, an expert in interpersonal dynamics at Chicago Booth, dives into the essential nature of workplace conflict. She explains how avoiding confrontation can lead to echo chambers, stifling innovation. Instead, conflict can serve as a valuable tool for better decision-making and collaboration. Stefanik emphasizes the need for open communication and accountability in corporate structures, advocating for discomfort as a pathway to constructive dialogue. By embracing tension, teams can strengthen their relationships and improve organizational outcomes.

Anders Humlum, an Assistant Professor of Economics at the Booth School of Business, explores why women are utilizing generative AI less than men. He discusses the productivity implications of this gender gap and the necessary training to bridge it. The conversation also highlights demographic differences in AI adoption, the role of generative AI in various occupations, and how businesses can support equitable access to these tools. Humlum raises critical questions about who will truly benefit from the AI revolution.

What shapes a society’s culture? Chicago Booth’s Thomas Talhelm links the abundance of water in a region to its attitude to the future. His research finds that people who live in areas where water is plentiful tend to live more in the moment, whereas those who live where water is scarce tend to plan more for the longer term. Climate change will result in big changes to water access in the coming decades. So what effect could that have on culture?

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has taken a sledgehammer to Washington, closing government agencies and leaving many federal employees unsure if they still have jobs. Will that really make government more effective? Chicago Booth’s Rob Gertner says DOGE may end up creating a less effective and less efficient federal government. Rather than smashing things up, he advises focusing on incentives, funding and management. So how could we structure things to make government agencies worth their funding?