Thinkers & Ideas

In The Transformation Economy: Guiding Customers to Achieve Their Aspirations, B. Joseph Pine II argues that an economic shift is underway, in which transformations—not commodities, goods, services, or experiences—will become the highest form of value creation.Pine is an internationally acclaimed author, known for having coined the term “experience economy” in the 1990s. He works as a speaker and advisor to Fortune 500 companies. In his new book, he suggests that most companies compete by improving what they sell, while missing what customers actually want: to become different people.In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, Pine discusses the evolution of economic value creation, the North Star for transformation businesses, and how to scale from one to many transformation journeys.Key topics discussed: 01:01 | The evolution of economic value creation03:35 | How to get into the transformation business10:35 | The North Star for transformation businesses15:07 | Scaling beyond individual transformation journeys16:46 | Different types of transformation journeys20:37 | Making transformations last24:12 | Taking the first step toward the transformation economyAdditional inspirations from B. Joseph Pine II:The Experience Economy, With a New Preface by the Authors: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money, co-authored by James H. Gilmore (Harvard Business Review Press, 2019)

In The Doom Loop: Why the World Economic Order Is Spiraling into Disorder, Eswar Prasad argues that we are caught in a destructive feedback loop between economics, domestic politics, and geopolitics.Prasad is a professor of Trade Policy and Economics at Cornell University, as well as a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. In his new book, he explores how globalization, international institutions, the rise of “middle power” countries, and technological innovations had the potential to promote shared prosperity—but instead are driving global instability.In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the breakdown of the rule-based system, implications for trade policy in Europe and elsewhere, and the role AI plays in driving global instability.Key topics discussed: 01:20 | The doom loop driving global instability06:41 | The positive aspects of globalization and middle powers12:02 | Implications for European trade policy15:51 | The breakdown of the rule-based system18:36 | The role of AI and other technologies in the doom loop23:57 | Reasons for remaining optimisticAdditional inspirations from Eswar Prasad:The Future of Money: How the Digital Revolution Is Transforming Currencies and Finance (Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press, 2023)

In The New Geography of Innovation: The Global Contest for Breakthrough Technologies, Mehran Gul examines how innovation works in different countries around the globe—diving deep into the ecosystems that produce great technology companies.Gul is a writer and leading technology thinker, having served as the Lead for the Digital Transformation of Industries at the World Economic Forum. His book, which was nominated as a Financial Times best business book of 2025, he discusses why the United States remains at the world’s technological frontier, with only China being a true challenger.In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, Global Leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he talks about how innovation ecosystems are converging, the role of statecraft in fostering innovation ecosystems, and the main forces that will shift the global innovation landscape in the coming decade.Key topics discussed: 01:22 | Attributes of successful innovation ecosystems06:57 | US vs. China talent pool10:26 | What China gets right about innovation13:20 | Why Europe lags behind on innovation18:54 | The role of intentional statecraft in fostering innovation23:31 | The convergence of innovation ecosystems around the globe26:34 | Implications for businesses28:56 | How the global innovation landscape will evolve in the next decade

In Flourish: The Transformative Power of Creating Community, Daniel Coyle investigates the ecosystems in which humans do their best work—from sports teams, to the boardroom, and our daily lives.Daniel Coyle is the author of multiple New York Times bestsellers, in which he explores how people and groups grow, perform, and flourish. He combines immersive field reporting with behavioral science to create practical frameworks for building skill, culture, and meaningful connection.In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses his definition of flourishing, how to find moments of stillness in our turbulent world, and how leaders can balance efficiency with the disorder that fosters creativity.Key topics discussed: 01:03 | The definition of flourishing09:13 | Finding moments of reflection and stillness16:41 | Crisis as a trigger for flourishing19:52 | Messiness and creativity26:39 | Balancing disorder and efficiency29:40 | A starting point for leadersAdditional inspirations from Daniel Coyle:The Culture Playbook: 60 Highly Effective Actions to Help Your Group Succeed (Random House Audio, 2022)The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (Bantam, 2018)The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How. (Bantam, 2009)

In Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World: A New Economics for the Middle Class, the Global Poor, and Our Climate, Dani Rodrik proposes new modes of cooperation and policy experimentation to address our greatest global challenges.Rodrik is the Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy at Harvard Kennedy School. He codirects both the Reimagining the Economy Program at Harvard and the Economics for Inclusive Prosperity network.In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the trilemma between democracy, prosperity, and sustainability, how hyper-globalization contributed to this struggle, and his proposed framework for resolving it.Key topics discussed: 01:06 | The trilemma of democracy, prosperity, and sustainability03:50 | The shortcomings of hyper-globalization10:33 | Why manufacturing is no longer an escape from poverty14:47 | Services as drivers of development18:33 | The new framework of productivism23:25 | The power of unilateral climate actions27:26 | Implications for business leadersAdditional inspirations from Dani Rodrik:Straight Talk on Trade: Ideas for a Sane World Economy (Princeton University Press, 2017)Economics Rules: The Rights and Wrongs of the Dismal Science (W. W. Norton & Company, 2015)

In The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint for Building Things that Last, Jimmy Wales explains how he turned an impossible idea—creating an online encyclopedia that anyone can edit—into a global institution.Wales is the founder of Wikipedia. In his new book, he distills two decades of lessons from building one of the world’s most trusted collaborative projects. He argues that trust isn’t a soft virtue but a practical system—a set of design principles that allow people and organizations to cooperate effectively, solve problems honestly, and endure.In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses whether Wikipedia could still be created today, how it can retain its trusted status in an age of polarization, and what we can learn from Wikipedia to rebuild trust within society.Key topics discussed: 01:02 | How to scale interpersonal trust04:02 | The importance of assuming good faith07:13 | Could Wikipedia still be created today?09:06 | How Wikipedia can retain its trusted status in an age of polarization10:30 | The impact of AI on trust15:40 | How institutions can reclaim lost trust18:01 | Reasons to remain optimistic about rebuilding societal trust

In How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage, Ranjay Gulati argues that being bold is something you can learn—not a trait you have to be born with.Gulati, a professor at Harvard Business School, is a leading organizational sociologist and management scholar. In his new book, he explores the science and psychology of courage—showing that bravery is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the difference between uncertainty and risk, strategies for building courage at the individual and corporate level, and why we shouldn’t be worried about boldness leading to excessive risk-taking.Key topics discussed:00:58 | The definition of courage05:11 | Boldness and excessive risk-taking06:34 | Strategies for building courage as an individual14:51 | The power of sense-making18:16 | Risk management systems21:13 | How to build a culture of courage31:40 | One thing executives should do differentlyAdditional inspirations from Ranjay Gulati:Deep Purpose: The Heart and Soul of High-Performance Companies (Harper Business, 2022)

In The Land Trap: A New History of the World’s Oldest Asset, Mike Bird shows why land remains the ultimate currency of power.Bird is the Wall Street editor at The Economist, where he leads coverage across the American financial industry and cohosts the magazine’s flagship podcast Money Talks. In his new book, he presents a bold new framework explaining how land exerts influence over the modern world, shaping housing, banking, and geopolitics.In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, Bird discusses the history of land usage and ownership, how land is related to modern economic crises, and different governance models for land.Key topics discussed: 01:01 | What makes land unique, and why is it a trap?04:58 | The history of land ownership11:38 | The relation between land and economic crises16:00 | The role of “superstar cities”19:08 | How land could be governed23:36 | Business implications of land

In SuperAdaptability: How to Transcend in an Age of Overwhelm, Max McKeown argues that the key to thriving under uncertainty is adaptability—being able to change with your environment, again and again, getting better each time.McKeown is a leading strategy thinker, coach to Fortune 100 companies, and an award-winning author. In his new book, he reveals how figures as different as Frida Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Simone Biles all relied on the same pattern of thinking to adapt to radically changing circumstances.In his conversation with Adam Job, senior director at the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses the difference between adaptability and resilience, and how to scale adaptability from one person to a team to an entire organization.Key topics discussed: 01:14 | The power of adaptive intelligence03:03 | Adaptability vs. resilience05:15 | The RUN loop: Recognize, understand, necessary action09:08 | How to help others become more adaptable11:57 | How to make your company more adaptable16:19 | Applying the loop logic to innovation23:56 | Real life stories of adaptability29:23 | Bringing adaptability to life with illustrationsAdditional inspirations from Max McKeown:The Strategy Book: How to Think and Act Strategically to Deliver Outstanding Results (FT Publishing International, 2024)

In Capitalism and Its Critics: A Battle of Ideas in the Modern World, John Cassidy offers a multi-century history of global capitalism, told through the eyes of its dissenters.Cassidy is a staff writer at The New Yorker and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. His new book blends biography, history, and economic analysis to reveal the roots of urgent debates the business world and society face today, as AI, climate change, and inequality are forcing us to reexamine the economic system.In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, Cassidy discusses the main historical themes of capitalism critique, why the system continues to endure, how it is being, and what its future may be in the current context of assaults on the system from both the political left and right.Key topics discussed: 01:44 | The main themes of capitalism critique04:17 | Why capitalism endures09:15 | The paradox of state capitalism14:21 | The misunderstood Luddites19:09 | Trade tensions and global economic asymmetry24:45 | The role of unpaid domestic labor in driving the capitalist system28:50 | The most surprising insights in writing the book31:33 | The future of capitalismAdditional inspirations from John Cassidy:Dot.Con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold (Harper, 2022)How Markets Fail: The Logic of Economic Calamities (Picador, 2010)