Giant Ideas

Giant Ventures
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Giant Ideas invites leading minds from tech, business, politics and beyond to explore the giant ideas that use technology as a force for good. Giant Ventures, founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen, backs purpose-driven founders solving the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges.

  1. Form Energy CEO Mateo Jaramillo: Building the Largest Battery System in the World

    3 DAYS AGO

    Form Energy CEO Mateo Jaramillo: Building the Largest Battery System in the World

    Cameron sits down with Matteo Jaramillo, the former Tesla exec building one of the most ambitious climate companies in the world: Form Energy. They dive into long-duration energy storage, the AI-driven demand boom, and what it takes to scale hard tech from idea to gigawatt-hours. - Why Matteo left a path toward the priesthood after Yale Divinity School - Simple breakdown of iron-air batteries - Why 100-hour duration matters for grid reliability and extreme weather - How iron-air can be ~10x cheaper than lithium-ion for long-duration storage - Form’s first deployments and the path from R&D to commercialization - The Google Energy Deal - Scaling Hard Tech (and Avoiding the “Trap Doors”) - Lessons from the boom-and-bust of battery startups - Balancing commercial progress and technical readiness so neither outruns the other - Why manufacturing is the hardest and final “trap door” in battery startups - How Form produced 100,000+ electrodes (60 miles of material)  - Why big tech isn’t just buying power, but funding new energy technologies - The role of Form’s data set (tens of millions of operating hours) in using AI to accelerate materials and electrochemistry innovation - Lessons from Tesla & Elon Musk - Matteo’s take on Elon’s aggressive deadlines—and why he runs Form differently And lots more! 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.

    35 min
  2. "Mothers Can Do it All. They Just Shouldn't Do it On Their Own" - Former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Life Lessons

    19 MAR

    "Mothers Can Do it All. They Just Shouldn't Do it On Their Own" - Former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's Life Lessons

    In this episode of Giant Ideas, former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern returns to explore the person behind the public role. Invited to choose three photographs that define her life, Jacinda reflects on a childhood shaped by New Zealand, parents who modelled service and fairness, and the early experiences that forged her lifelong commitment to tackling inequality and child poverty. She shares a candid glimpse into the emotional weight of leadership, including the lasting impact of March 15, and why stepping down wasn’t about burnout, knowing when to pass the baton. Jacinda also talks about becoming a mother while in office, learning to let go of control, accepting help, and challenging the myth that women must “do it all” alone. She also describes how she’s crafting her next chapter and why her family makes her so happy. In this conversation: The three “photographs” that define Jacinda’s life and valuesHow she was a a reluctant leaderThe emotional legacy of crisis leadership Motherhood, power, and the myth of “doing it all”Pushing back on misogyny Life after high office and why she has “no regrets”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.

    13 min
  3. Former NZ Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern: How to Lead with Compassion When Everything’s on Fire

    12 MAR

    Former NZ Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern: How to Lead with Compassion When Everything’s on Fire

    Today on the podcast we are joined by Jacinda Ardern - former Prime Minister of New Zealand, and the world's youngest female head of government. This is a conversation for anyone who wants to lead with kindness, and learn how to deal with high pressure situations. As PM, Jacinda became famous worldwide for her unique leadership style: leading with compassion and empathy. A 'different kind of power’ as she puts it.  Her time in office was marked by her handling of major crises. She rushed through gun control laws within weeks of the Christchurch mosque attack. When Covid hit, Jacinda moved decisively to a rapid lockdown, something that would later prove divisive. In the midst of all that, Ardern was the second ever elected leader to give birth while in office.  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.

    25 min
  4. "They Haven’t Got a Clue How Remorseless the Pressure Is", Former Meta President Nick Clegg on His Life Lessons

    5 MAR

    "They Haven’t Got a Clue How Remorseless the Pressure Is", Former Meta President Nick Clegg on His Life Lessons

    Former UK Deputy Prime Minister and ex‑President of Global Affairs at Meta Nick Clegg returns for a deeply personal conversation. Nick reflects on the three “photographs” that define his life: a chaotic, international childhood; the unexpected joy of being locked down with his wife Miriam and their three sons on a remote ranch in Montana; and the searing public failures of losing power and his parliamentary seat. Along the way, he shares what it takes to sustain a high‑pressure dual‑career marriage, why physical resilience is underrated for ambitious parents, how he rebuilt after political defeat to reach the top of Silicon Valley, why he believes political leadership is tougher than being a CEO, and how to make Europe great. 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.

    25 min
  5. Former Meta President & Deputy PM, Nick Clegg: Is Social Media Driving Us Apart?

    26 FEB

    Former Meta President & Deputy PM, Nick Clegg: Is Social Media Driving Us Apart?

    Nick Clegg is the former UK Deputy Prime Minister and former President, Global Affairs at Meta. He has had a front seat to two of the biggest power structures globally: Westminster and Silicon Valley.  At Meta, he became the company’s chief policy decision-maker, meeting with world leaders, governments and policymakers around the globe. He has written two best-selling books, Politics: Between the Extremes and How To Stop Brexit (And Make Britain Great Again). His latest book: "How to Save the Internet” - posits that the global, open internet is fragmenting. The book outlines the global cooperation needed to reform Big Tech and preserve the internet as we know it: from where Big Tech has faltered to the necessary radical reforms ahead... In this conversation, Tommy sits down with Nick to ask whether tech is actually making us happier, if the evidence on social media and polarization follows the headlines, and why Nick is far more worried about AI and the breakup of the open internet. 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.

    41 min
  6. "Ego Destruction and Humility…": US Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang on Running for President

    19 FEB

    "Ego Destruction and Humility…": US Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang on Running for President

    Andrew Yang joins the Giant Ideas podcast again, this time offering a deeper dive behind the person behind his giant ideas. Andrew ran for president in 2020, and is the founder of a nonprofit called Humanity Forward, and the Forward Party, a new political party in America aiming to bridge partisan divides. Today his focus is on his new company - launched in late 2025. With Noble Mobile, aiming to cut out the middle man and make mobile data cheaper for Americans. In this episode we talk about: - Why EVERYONE should run for president (and why your fear of public humiliation is holding you back in life) - Nobile Mobile and why he believes Americans are being ripped off for their phone contracts. - The 3 photographs that define his life - The art of reinvention and his 'tours of duty' 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.

    17 min
  7. Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang: AI Needs Universal Basic Income

    12 FEB

    Presidential Candidate Andrew Yang: AI Needs Universal Basic Income

    Today on the Giant Ideas podcast we are joined by Andrew Yang. When Andrew Yang, a political outsider, ran for US President in 2020 his campaign hinged on a warning: he predicted that a huge number of jobs would be lost by automation. His solution was a monthly universal basic income (UBI) of $1,000, designed to offset the job losses. Now, six years later, it appears Yang might have been onto something.  Dario Amodei, CEO of AI Giant Anthropic, has predicted that half of entry level white collar jobs will be eliminated in the next 3-5 years - spiking US unemployment to over 10%. So, is UBI still the answer? Would UBI create a dystopian world of state-supported benefits, and loss of meaning? Or could UBI lead to more purpose, hope and a sense of buy-in to the American economy? Listen to find out more about UBI, why 'elite oversupply' causes social unrest, why people are severely underestimating how disruptive AI will be compared to past industrial revolutions, and why he thinks we should redesign the economy around human flourishing, not just GDP... Andrew is also the founder of a nonprofit called Humanity Forward, and he co-founded the Forward Party, a new political party in America aiming to bridge partisan divides. Today his focus is on his new company - launched in late 2025. With Noble Mobile, aiming to cut out the middle man and make mobile data cheaper for Americans. 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.

    33 min
  8. 'Sometimes People Get Confused Between Ego and Rigour': PsiQuantum Co-Founder, Jeremy O'Brien's Wisdom

    29 JAN

    'Sometimes People Get Confused Between Ego and Rigour': PsiQuantum Co-Founder, Jeremy O'Brien's Wisdom

    We welcome back Jeremy O'Brien, co-founder and CEO of PsiQuantum, a quantum computing company on a mission to deliver the first commercially useful quantum computers to tackle some of the world’s greatest challenges. O’Brien has dedicated 25 years to this mission and was previously a Professor of Physics & Electrical Engineering at Stanford and Bristol University. This is an episode for anyone curious to understand the person behind the technology with a goal is to unlock problems that are fundamentally out of reach today, and reinvent whole industries. In this episode, we talk about founding a company with 4 co-founders, how to keep morale high when you're in stealth for so long, his 3 photos that define his working life, and the secret to his success... 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.

    20 min
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About

Giant Ideas invites leading minds from tech, business, politics and beyond to explore the giant ideas that use technology as a force for good. Giant Ventures, founded by Cameron McLain and Tommy Stadlen, backs purpose-driven founders solving the world’s most pressing environmental and social challenges.

Information

  • Creator
    Giant Ventures
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    56
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Giant Ideas
  • Show Website
    Giant Ideas

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