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Cold Call

Cold Call

By: HBR Presents / Brian Kenny
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 Cold Call distills Harvard Business School's legendary case studies into podcast form. Hosted by Brian Kenny, the podcast airs every two weeks and features Harvard Business School faculty discussing cases they've written and the lessons they impart.Copyright 2025 President and Fellows of Harvard College Economics Leadership Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Apollo Global Management’s Business Model Transformation

    Apollo Global Management’s Business Model Transformation
    Nov 11 2025
    Apollo Global Management has transformed itself from a traditional private equity giant into an insurance-fueled credit powerhouse—thanks to its acquisition of life annuity issuer Athene. CEO Marc Rowan makes a bold bet that an asset-heavy model, which is backed by hundreds of billions in long-term insurance liabilities, can drive repeatable, superior returns and propel Apollo’s assets under management to $1.5 trillion. However, public markets award Apollo a multitude on its earnings that is far lower than asset-light peers like Blackstone, which highlights important trade-offs. Harvard Business School professor George Serafeim joins host Brian Kenny to discuss the questions raised by the case, Apollo Global Management, and explore what Apollo’s transformation reveals about business-model innovation and risk management in today’s rapidly evolving private markets ecosystem, and what it means to be a modern investment firm.
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    29 mins
  • Inside India’s Energy Transition: Tata Power’s Net Zero Strategy

    Inside India’s Energy Transition: Tata Power’s Net Zero Strategy
    Oct 28 2025
    Tata Power stood at the forefront of India’s energy transition. The firm’s long history was deeply intertwined with the country's development. As Mumbai’s power needs increased, Tata Power built out thermal assets across India, and while thermal power generation remained Tata Power’s mainstay, the firm slowly started diversifying. In 2020, Tata Power boldly announced a commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050, concurrent with a complete phase-down of thermal capacity. It later brought this commitment forward to 2045. To prepare for declining revenues from thermal power generation, Tata Power was actively expanding its renewable business, but stakeholders had concerns about the company’s ambitions. Was the firm’s decision to sacrifice potentially high returns in thermal power generation financially imprudent, or did it position the firm well as India inevitably accelerated its energy transition? In this episode, host Brian Kenny welcomes Harvard Business School Professor Vikram Gandhi and Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha to discuss the case Tata Power and India’s Energy Transition, and how India’s largest private power producer is reimagining its future.
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    36 mins
  • Tim Ferriss at a Career Crossroads: How Should He Shape His Next Chapter?

    Tim Ferriss at a Career Crossroads: How Should He Shape His Next Chapter?
    Oct 14 2025
    In April 2024, writer, podcaster, and entrepreneur Tim Ferriss—known for his hugely popular podcast “The Tim Ferriss Show” and NYT-bestselling books like The 4-Hour Workweek—found himself at a crossroads. Although his podcast was generating millions annually, he questioned the sustainability of podcasting and his own competitive advantage given the increasingly saturated market and the advent of AI tools and video-centric formats. He faced a difficult choice: innovate from within his proven format, pivot to entirely new ventures—possibly in film, premium consumer products, or venture capital—or risk a slow decline by maintaining the status quo. Complicating matters further was Ferriss’s desire to start a family, a goal he prioritized above all business ventures. Every month of indecision narrowed his window for successfully transitioning. Senior Lecturer Reza Satchu and Tim Ferriss joined Cold Call host Brian Kenny to discuss the case, “Tim Ferriss: What Might This Look Like If It Were Easy?”
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    50 mins
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