Wall Street Week Examining Trump’s Economy, Takeaways from Corporate & Government Mistakes, Sweden’s Modular Homes
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Feb 27, 2026 
Josh Steiner, a former Treasury chief-of-staff turned investor, reflects briefly on a Washington-era diary mistake. Michael Lynton, ex-Sony Pictures executive, revisits the decision that led to a major cyberattack. They discuss owning errors and the psychology behind them. Conversation also covers Sweden’s factory-built modular homes and how they could boost housing affordability.
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Greenlighting The Interview Led To A Devastating Hack
- Michael Lynton says his core mistake at Sony was greenlighting The Interview and abandoning the studio's rigorous approval process.
- He got swept up wanting to be part of the creative group and later faced a devastating cyberattack that crippled Sony systems.
Sony Hack Knocked Out Most Systems And Leaked Films
- After releasing a trailer, Sony received warnings and then suffered a cyberattack that disabled 70% of laptops and leaked emails and films.
- Lynton recounts how the studio couldn't operate for a week and content like The Karate Kid was exposed online.
The Spotlight Effect Makes Mistakes Feel Bigger Than They Are
- Suppressing and avoiding a public mistake prolongs shame; people rarely keep it as front-of-mind as you think.
- Allison Papadakis introduces the spotlight effect to explain why Lynton overestimated others' focus on the hack.
