Talking Of Giants: Recent Episodes
Vikhyat Muthyala
Stories of giants from different fields of life and the stories that make them interesting. Season 1 dives into stories of brands that rode fame, misery, and the oddest circumstance to become giants of their fields.
Hosted by Vikhyat Muthyala - a University of London Economics graduate by education, a Quizmaster by passion, and an educator by profession.
Totsuko, the company of Ibuka and Morita receives its first worthwhile commission. Inspiration strikes at that place that would put Totsuko on the path to becoming a much better version of itself. More innovative and more powerful. An inspiration that turns Totsuko, into Sony.
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As the war comes to a close Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka are left wondering about their future. They come together to create a company on the cutting edge of tech. But how do you reach the 'cutting edge' in a country where even food has to be purchased in the black markets?
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World War 2 was ravaging Japan. Bombers were playing cities to waste and wiping out age-old buildings. As Japan realizes its follies, two young men understand, they would need to rebuild. Rebuild both Japan and their lives. The story of how their lives started and how it led to the creation of Sony.
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How did the diverse, exuberant, and colorful world of Frappuccinos come to be? The story of how the initially unwanted drink found its way in and became an overnight star.
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Howard Schultz goes out on his own after leaving Starbucks. Now a chance to buy it stands on his path. Can an entrepreneur that built a small coffee house chain turn it into a huge corporate and still keep its heart beating? Is there really such a big company that is loyal to its roots? The changes, challenges, and compromises on Schutlz's path are this week's story.
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Howard Schultz faces a tough decision as the original Starbucks founders do not want to sell coffee and want to stick to their coffee-bean selling roots. What happens when an idea enters the mind of an ambitious entrepreneur but is forced to give it up? What happens to the Italian coffee romance that Schultz believes in and what will his place in Starbucks he drifts away from its core?
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An American rises out of the projects with ambition. A Dutchman is frustrated with American coffee. A couple of students in California devote a career to coffee. What does the juncture of the contributions of these men produce? A good coffee, turns out. And a company called Starbucks.
The story of the start of Starbucks as a humble coffee retailer in Seattle to its rise as the global cultural phenomenon it came to be.
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What happens when you put a populace unwillingly to give in, an era of prohibition and a boatload of great cars in one jar? A great race, apparently. Join me as we look at the story of the thrilling origins of the famous stock car racing brand, NASCAR. From moonshine alcohol to police chases to savvy bootleggers, we've got it all.
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A huge bag of money lands from the Japanese God of venture capital, Masayoshi Son. The WeWork story of what happens when turbocharging a faulty startup growth engine. This episode explores the story of the Neumann era pinnacle for WeWork and the fall from grace.
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Adam Neumann's gets back in the real estate game with WeWork. He wants to create spaces that nurture community and value its spirit. But underneath, there are glaring conflicts of interest. Conflicts which start showing visible cracks as they grow bigger. That story, in this week's episode.
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Adam Neumann is a man in Israel with a dream of making money. He moves to America and ends up creating a real estate behemoth masquerading as a tech company. This week we look at the start of the journey that took WeWork to extreme highs and then delivered a correspondingly gruesome fall.
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Cocoa butter, removed for years as a harmful product creating indigestion for cocoa powder consumers, becomes a savior. Replaces the protagonist of the story itself actually. The story of how Dairy Milk went from something that had a small shot at a narrow crowd to being the beloved brand it is. The Cadbury story continues...
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The abysmal working conditions of 1800s industrial Birmingham is not one to bring cheerful thoughts to any. But what if there was chocolate? What if this town created a much-beloved chocolate that would be an Easter egg staple and Valentine's day must for generations to come? This week, the story of the chocolatey goodness of the Cadbury brand.
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What does a startup do to make enough noise to introduce not just a product but a whole new industry? Are there opportunities that underdogs can exploit that are just are not in the reach of giants? The story of how Salesforce used those chances to become the giant it is today, is today's story.
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Can someone be famous for being famous? Do you really have travel lust or is Instagram telling you so? The rise of the influencer put culture and our understanding of it in the hands of individuals with monetary incentives. What that means and how we could navigate it, in our second round talking about Instagram.
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What if pictures became a window into the lives of people? What if social media helped us follow strangers from blazing cosmopolitan cities to the breezy Peruvian mountainsides? The story of the start of an app that had this dream and the events that followed.
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Towards the end of the 19th-century banks consolidated a great deal of power over American business. The dawn of the new century would put them at odds with politicians who saw an urgent need to rein them in. Already n his 70s, JP Morgan has one last breath of air to defend his kingdom - and to leave behind a powerful legacy. The final chapter in the three-part series about the JP Morgan empire.
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The rise of the Morgan dynasty in the House of Morgan. Not letting a good crisis go to waste. With growing power comes a public rage against the Morgan dynasty. Equivalents are drawn in Congress between JP Morgan and Shakespeare's cunning money-lender Shylock.
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The founding of J P Morgan company's earlier form preceeds JP Morgan. It even precedes his father Junius. It starts with a poor boy from Danvers who made his way through the world into the elite of London. The story of the Scrooge turned Santa Claus George Peabody and the founding of the Morgan empire.
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Part 3 of the Tata series talks about the story of India's first fully indigenous car. It also explores the idea of choosing battles that help the company and help the country. Join us for the story of how one company has successfully pulled that off for over a century.
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A man with a French passport and a passion for aviation. A man with a Parsi heritage and a well-established Indian business conglomerate to look after. This episode explores the story of what happens when they both happen to be the same person. Save the first two decades, the 21st century of the Tatas of India, is the century of JRD. A look into the life of this wise, quick-witted, and dedicated leader.
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' The business of business is business' ?
Creating a business conglomerate from meager origins is hard. Creating a business conglomerate under imperial rule is hard. Creating a business conglomerate that cares for welfare before profits is hard. What happens when all three challenges are presented at once?
The answer to that is the Tata story. A story of industrialists that built and grew with a nation that fought for its freedom.
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From praying to Zeus and hero worship to an international sports pinnacle and hero worship, Olympics has gone through many tests of time. The tale of how the modern games came to be, for whatever reason, tends to be simplified. Some unsung heroes, among them a poet, a businessman and doctor stand tall. This is the birth of the modern Olympics, through the lens of their efforts.
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There was the impregnable might of the German shoe in 1960s. There was the meek Onitsuka Tiger, a Japanese shoe. Then there was the man that hurled it at the fortress of German might, and built from the remains, an enduring American brand.
Join us for the story of the great Phil Knight, his coach Bill Bowerman, and the tale of their conquest of the world of shoes.
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From a girl running from dangerous mobs during the French revolution to being a widow at the young age of 27, Madame Clicquot's life was not easy. She was a rich man's daughter and another rich one's wife. She could easily have rested easy her whole life enjoying her huge inheritance. But she stood up to convention and carved her own path and thus created a great story of grit, strength and change.
Contact:
studentvikky5@gmail.com
What happens when you put a populace unwillingly to give in, an era of prohibition and a boatload of great cars in one jar? A great race, apparently. Join me as we look at the story of the thrilling origins of the famous stock car racing brand, NASCAR. From moonshine to police chases to savvy bootleggers, we've got it all.
Contact: studentvikky5@gmail.com
Credits:
NASCAR Youtube Channel
A pile of wooden bricks. A game that is a gaming industry superstar. How do you reach from one to another? The answer lies in the story of Leslie Scott, the creator of Jenga. Join me as I narrate this fascinating story of making wooden bricks and chasing dreams.
You can find me at studentvikky5@gmail.com.
How does an event terrorizing a nation help a noodle maker? From going from adversity to success, to changing adversity into success, join me for the striking story of the not-so-simple origins, of the simple Cup Noodles.
You can find me at studentvikky5@gmail.com.
Ever felt inspired by a story of success? Did they ever pique your interest, the odd events that sometimes make giants of any field into, well, giants? Bringing to you a podcast that brings together many such stories. The riveting, the abnormal, and the fascinating. Season One brings stories of brands well-loved. Or at least passionately hated. Welcome aboard!