In 1670, King Charles II granted his cousin a grandiose charter to trade furs in faraway territory of North America. At one point, the charter covered nearly 12% of the earth's land surface and area ten times that of the Holy Roman Empire at its height.

The Hudson's Bay Company would forever change the lives of everyone it touched, especially the hundreds of thousands of Indigenous people. The business model is simple by modern standards. It primarily traded one good, the beaver furs, in exchange for metal goods.

It would become a pawn in the chess game of empire-building and directly influence the formation of Canada and the United States. In episode five, we will explore the creation of one of the oldest commercial enterprises (still in existence today) and its rise to influence.

Episode Chapters:

(03:35) Part 1: A Strategy of Harmony

(01:02:53) Part 2: A Strategy of Chaos

(01:35:34) Part 3: A Strategy of Conquest

(03:35:41) Conclusion

**

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* Background music is called "Adding the Sun" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Episode 5

In the early 20th century, a new profession was born: management consulting. While it took some time for the field to establish itself, McKinsey & Company quickly rose to the top working with the largest organizations, governments and nonprofits.

How did The Firm become so influential? Episode 4 will try to answer this question by looking at McKinsey in the middle of the 20th century when it was led by the man who molded the organization in his image, Marvin Bower.

Sometimes called the Jesuits of capitalism, McKinsey has shaped the modern world, directly and indirectly, and often behind the scenes. When big decisions have been made, a McKinsey advisor was likely in the room.

Episode Chapters:

(06:12) Part 1 - Birth of a Profession

(43:23) Part 2 - A Law Firm That Doesn’t Practice Law

(01:45:43) Part 3 - The Gospel of the Multidivisional Model

(02:10:26) Part 4 - Jesuits of Capitalism

(02:39:42) Part 5 - Rise of Strategy

(03:17:07) Part 6 - Are They Worth It?

(03:35:41) Conclusion

**

P.S. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and the review helps others discover the podcast.

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* Background music is called "Adding the Sun" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Episode 4

In 1972, Polaroid released the SX-70, a true one-step instant photography, culminating 30 years of technical brilliance. Led by the enigmatic Edwin Land, Polaroid left a deep groove in history. Kids today use the word "polaroid" as a stand in for an instant picture even though they are not impressed by the technology nor know the rich history behind their photograph.

Today’s episode will look at how Edwin Land molded Polaroid in his image and drove the company to create a market, instant photography, through groundbreaking research. Land’s story is endlessly fascinating and we will also look at his secretive but highly influential military career with several U.S. administrations.

The SX-70 was a successful strategy for Polaroid but it also planted the seeds that would eventually derail the company and force it into bankruptcy. This episode might invoke deep feelings of nostalgia as we go back in time to look at one of America’s most influential companies.

Episode Chapters:

(02:23) PART 1 - “If you are right, the facts at the moment don't matter because in due course the facts will catch up with you.”

(08:13) PART 2 - “If anything is worth doing, it's worth doing to excess.”

(45:01) Part 3 - "Do not undertake a program unless the goal is manifestly important and its achievement is nearly impossible."

(01:10:18) Part 4 - "If you are able to state a problem then the problem can be solved. The rest is just hard work."

(01:22:06) Part 5 - "The only thing that keeps us alive is our brilliance. The only thing protecting our brilliance is our patents."

(02:06:37) Part 6 - "The bottom line is in heaven."

(02:28:23) Conclusion

**

P.S. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and it really helps others discover the podcast plus I love to hear your feedback.

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Links:

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* Bonus content for Polaroid episode

* Get email updates on the next episode, updates from previous ones and bonus content.

* Email me your feedback or questions about the episode

* Background music is called "Adding the Sun" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Episode 3