Jump Podcast

Stuart Russell raises alarms about the potential dangers of AI, suggesting it could surpass human capabilities. He discusses a future where human work is largely obsolete and raises concerns about an economy losing its rationale. The hosts explore the distinction between wisdom and intelligence, emphasizing that wisdom could be a significant competitive advantage amid AI advancements. They also tackle the role of empathy in leadership and innovative tech like Nike's robotic ankle and China's underwater data center pilot.

In a world overflowing with information, wisdom is surprisingly hard to come by. We dig into the difference between wisdom and knowledge, why knowledge doesn't necessarily precede wisdom, and how leaders can cultivate it (doing, reflecting, coaching). We close from Headlines from the Future, including China’s underwater data center, the global spread of 3D‑printed guns, and Nike’s robotic ankle brace.

We sit down with Zack Kass, global AI advisor, former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI, and author of The Next Renaissance, for his take on where artificial intelligence is headed and how it will shape our future. Zack’s undeniably optimistic outlook anticipates a golden age where access to “unmetered intelligence” will unlock academic progress and drive economic gains that lift up societies. He draws a sharp distinction between knowledge and intelligence, arguing that while humanity has gathered immense amounts of information, our brains’ processing power is limited. According to Zack, AI changes that, by giving us the cognitive horsepower to make sense of it all and fueling a new wave of scientific and social discovery. 

Last week, Lululemon’s founder and former CEO fired shots at the company with a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal. And the numbers are on his side—the company's stock has plummeted more than 50% in the past year. In this episode, we unpack what the clash reveals about the challenge of scaling without losing your edge—and what future-focused strategists can learn about navigating category maturity, cultural relevance, and corporate nightmares.

In this episode of the Jump Podcast, Dev and Michelle unpack the “Great Lock-In of 2025”, a viral challenge born on TikTok that they reframe for strategy leaders. They challenge executives to treat Q4 as “Q0”, a time to run small experiments, close open loops, and reset leadership habits before the new year. This episode is a call to action for leaders ready to lock in and lead with intention. It’s about turning intention into momentum—and, for some, that shift in mindset may manifest as getting bangs.

Disney’s decision to suspend—and later reinstate—late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is all anyone can talk about. The involvement of Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has sparked debate over free speech and potential government overreach. But Dev Patnaik and Michelle Loret de Mola argue that, at the heart of the controversy, lie important lessons for enterprise businesses on navigating conflicting stakeholder demands in an era of crisis overload.

What kind of future are we actually building—and is it one we want to live in? Live from Jump Offsite 2025 in Napa Valley, Dev Patnaik and Michelle Loret de Mola share takeaways from three days of deep dives, bold ideas, and uncomfortable truths. AI is accelerating, but do we really understand what we’re unleashing? Culture is shifting, but are we losing the social glue that holds us together? And in business, do startups still have the edge when it comes to disruption? One thing we walked away with: it’s time to pause and ask where our current trajectory is leading, and what trade-offs we’re willing to make along the way. And if you're still holding out hope for a brighter future, good news: your dog might live to see it.

We speak with cognitive scientist Shannon Heald to explore what it really means for AI to be a thought partner, and why the missing piece is metacognition. We examine how we’ve moved from offloading memory, with tools like maps and lists, to offloading generation with large language models, and what that means for leaders trying to balance efficiency with insight. Shannon also shares how leaders can pair AI’s ability to performance tune with a process of captured serendipity to evolve better ideas. AI can help you reach your goals, but you still need to go outside to find out what a hike is. The Jump Podcast  The Jump Podcast is the conversation for you, our tribe of future-focused leaders. Hosts Dev Patnaik and Michelle Loret de Mola explore the most pressing issues in business strategy, culture, and leadership, with insights that help even the most seasoned strategists reframe how to lead and how to plan for What's Next. From interviews with thought leaders to Headlines from the Future, The Jump Podcast aims to widen your perspective to plan for change before the ground shifts beneath your feet.   Jump Associates Jump is the strategy firm for future-focused leaders. We help ambitious companies see what’s coming and adapt before they fall behind. For over 25 years, we’ve worked with teams at Google, Nike, Samsung, Target, and Virgin to solve their most pressing growth challenges. In a world mired in yesterday’s data, we look ahead—integrating strategy, culture, and leadership to help organizations grow through change.

What if your greatest leadership tool isn’t in your spreadsheet, but in your spirit? In this profound and provocative episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik are joined by Dr. Lisa Miller—Columbia professor and author of The Awakened Brain—to explore the science of spirituality and its surprising impact on decision-making and leadership. Lisa reveals that every human is biologically wired for spiritual awareness, and when leaders tap into this awakened mindset, they unlock a deeper form of knowing—one that data alone can’t provide. Together, the trio dives into twin studies, MRI scans, and real-world examples to show how intuition, mystical experiences, and even dreams can guide game-changing decisions. In an era of radical uncertainty, this conversation offers a timely reminder: the most future-ready leaders are those willing to listen not just to the numbers—but to the soul.   #Spirituality #Religion #DecisionMaking #leadership   Links Subscribe to receive weekly Dev’s future focused letters: https://www.jumpassociates.com/podcastandnewsletter/ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jump-associates Start a conversation: inquiries@jumpassociates.com   The Jump Podcast The Jump Podcast features Dev Patnaik in dialogue with Michelle Loret de Mola. This is the conversation for future-focused leaders thinking about strategy, culture and leadership. The world is crazy. Everything seems to be changing, and not always in a good way. Today, business leaders are struggling to figure out avoid becoming the next Kodak, Blackberry or Blockbuster. But fear not, dear listener. Things can get better. People can do better. And the world can be better.   Jump Associates Jump is the world’s leading independent strategy and innovation firm. We work with the world’s most admired companies on their most important growth challenges. Using a future focused approach to strategy, we’ve helped these firms to grow their businesses in times of change.

Customer service may be stuck in the past, but finance doesn’t have to be. In this episode, Michelle Loret de Mola and Dev Patnaik talk with Anders Jones, CEO and co-founder of Facet, a fintech company shaking up the traditional wealth management model. Facet’s subscription-based service brings affordable, high-quality financial advice to the mass affluent—those with too much complexity for DIY but too little to interest legacy firms. Anders shares how his personal and professional journeys led to a new model of service delivery, how AI is augmenting (not replacing) the human advisor, and why success meant questioning industry norms like commission models and asset-based fees. The conversation dives deep into financial democratization, the gritty realities of cost structure innovation, and the surprising role moms played in sparking this movement. If you’ve ever felt like financial advice wasn’t made for people like you, this episode is for you.   #FutureOfFinance #FinTech #innovation #strategy #Disruption   Links Subscribe to receive weekly Dev’s future focused letters: https://www.jumpassociates.com/podcastandnewsletter/ Connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jump-associates Start a conversation: inquiries@jumpassociates.com   The Jump Podcast The Jump Podcast features Dev Patnaik in dialogue with Michelle Loret de Mola. This is the conversation for future-focused leaders thinking about strategy, culture and leadership. The world is crazy. Everything seems to be changing, and not always in a good way. Today, business leaders are struggling to figure out avoid becoming the next Kodak, Blackberry or Blockbuster. But fear not, dear listener. Things can get better. People can do better. And the world can be better.   Jump Associates Jump is the world’s leading independent strategy and innovation firm. We work with the world’s most admired companies on their most important growth challenges. Using a future focused approach to strategy, we’ve helped these firms to grow their businesses in times of change.