Scott Galloway wants to be the most influential thought leader in business history

Scott Galloway wants to be the most influential thought leader in business history. When asked why, he offered the usual self-criticism: mostly narcissism, the need to be relevant, the fear of death, the drive to achieve economic security. “Mostly for selfish reasons,” he summed up. But on further reflection, he says, “I feel like I have something to say about technology and monopoly power and unchecked corporate interests. They always have been, but I think it’s getting worse. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gone through a lot about fatherhood and looking back on how lucky I was to be born, who I was, and some of the struggles I had when I was young. It’s about young men who I think are struggling in our society with time, and I want to make a positive impact on that. It’s a mix of wanting to be an influencer for some good reasons and less good reasons. For Professor G, it’s always about finding ways to improve yourself and helping others on comparable journeys of self-discovery.

Today, Galloway seems to be everywhere: from his podcasts, Pivot and Professor G Pod, to his venture-backed ed-tech company, Part 4, Professor G Media, which not only publishes his podcast, but also a weekly newsletter, YouTube videos and column. b new york Magazine, it is in many ways in your ears or in front of your eyes. Add in his tendency to publish a book every 12 to 18 months or so, and it can feel like he’s all over the place. His latest book has just been released, and it is called Adrift: America in 100 Charts.

Many of the 100 charts paint a bleak picture of the state of the union in the United States. Galloway makes the case between 1945 and 1980, just as America is at a crossroads again. Some of the book’s sections include, “The Idolatry of Inventors,” “Private Disruptive R&D; Personal Growth”, “The Hunger Games”, “From Lopsside to Dystopian”, “The Attention Economy”, “Political Censorship and Fake News” and “House of Cards. At times, Galloway seems to believe there is more wrong with America than right. He admits that being a glass is a half-empty man, but in addition to seeing the existential challenges we face, he forces himself to highlight the silver linings. “When I actually sit down and look at the data, I think there are a lot of wonderful bright spots,” Galloway said. You can be pessimistic, but one in five families with children were food insecure pre-epidemic. It’s in 1 for 11. We’ve reduced child poverty by 50% with the Simple Child Tax Credit. “Now the bad news is we decided at the last minute to pull it out of the infrastructure bill, but the good news is I’m not sure any of us thought we’d cut it 50% in a year,” he said.

Galloway pushes us to look at challenges from a broader perspective. While the current issues may seem insurmountable, they are no greater than the challenges we have given ourselves and faced in the past. “Fifty years ago, we sent three people into space a quarter of a million miles away, and we had to find a way to land them … we didn’t even know what they were going to land on,” Galloway said. “Somehow, we got there and found a way to bring them home alive. As a country, we feel that compared to Mount Everest, which we have climbed before, these are huge challenges and they are… molehills. Taking anyone apart, that will never happen.

Galloway likes to say, “There’s no wrong that can’t be solved by what’s right in America.” He notes that there are remarkable moments of grace at this time, when 54% of Democrats are worried their child will marry a Republican and a third of each party considers members of the other party to be their mortal enemy. “If you look at a sober analysis of how we got here, the talent we have, the capital we have, the creativity, the generosity, the sense of belonging built into the DNA of Americans, there is reason for optimism,” he said. Galloway: “The most amazing chart in the book [highlights] People around the world, on a global scale, are spending a lot of time helping people they can’t meet. Planting trees [creating] A shadow under which they will not sit.”

Among the most passionately discussed solutions is the need for national service. The fact that our representatives in government are less likely to serve in the military than in previous generations means that Democrats and Republicans have no common bond of service. “[In the past, representatives] They saw themselves as Americans before they were Democrats or Republicans,” Galloway said. He believes that following the lead of a country like Israel and making national service a mandatory right of entry would benefit from creating those bonds and creating a new generation of Americans who are just as connected to their country. “I think national service and creating a lot of connective tissue gives kids who are increasingly divided, an opportunity to connect with kids from different ethnicities, different income backgrounds before they develop this crazy polarization around politics,” he said.

Perhaps the most intriguing analysis of four-year universities comes from a professor of marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He emphasized that the path to upward mobility is increasingly through community colleges and vocational schools, and encourages the government to continue to adequately support these options. “I think we need to stop developing the traditional four-year degree from the best universities,” Galloway said. “Every parent and child has this way of focusing, and we all go there. I’m watching with my kids to see if they need to get to MIT or an Ivy League school, then Google or KC, and anything different from that is disappointing. Not only is it untrue, it’s bad for the economy, and it causes unbelievable emotional distress.

A serial entrepreneur, Galloway’s latest platform is Part 4, an ed-tech startup that has made huge strides since its inception when online training options were the best and often the only option for many. During that time, Class 4 enrolled 1,200 people in classes covering topics such as _____. We knew we had wind in our sails, but we didn’t know how much the wind would die when Covid was over. That business is gone, the business was growing 70% a year. This year it’s probably going to be 30% or 40% less because nobody’s in their house looking at a screen and wants to learn right now. That was tough.” Despite its rocky start, traditional higher education is as strong as ever. “Traditional education in top universities has never been strong, and I’d argue that’s why we’ve adopted this LVMH, rejectionist, NIMBY model. “In order to grow or increase faster than inflation, we artificially limit supply by bringing in new departments and managers that don’t disappear all the time.”

UCLA, where he did his undergraduate studies, accepted three out of four applicants, Galloway said. Four years ago, he believes, universities were much better at picking up the amazing stuff. Now, only the already amazing ones get in, and lots of them. they They are rejected. “We decided we were the Hermès bag, and we wanted to identify the 1%, the amazingly wonderful, the kids of the rich, and turn them into billionaires,” Galloway said. “I think we’ve completely lost the script in higher ed. Gary is more corrupt than OPEC…I think we’re promoting the hopes and dreams of the middle class and contributing to this fetish and this stick that if you don’t put your child through a traditional four-year-old degree, you’re failing as a parent. I am trying to do something about it, but at the same time, I will continue to be associated with NYU. When asked how he made this ridiculous position of being the main critic of higher education, especially in elite universities, it was pointed out that he was competing with them in the beginning and had a relationship with one of the elites. “It builds credibility,” Galloway said. “I’ve been at NYU for 20 years and I’d like to be there another 10 or 20 … maybe not because I’ve said some provocative things. I’m not sure they’ll put up with me. I bite the hand that eats me. I’ve gotten all my compensation back over the past decade…they’re incredibly flexible with me and I have great friends there and no contact.

Galloway’s influence grows as he dominates more media. Whether he achieves his goal of becoming the most influential thought leader in business history remains to be seen, but at least he remains a great source of insight.

Peter is senior president. Metis strategy, a business and IT consulting firm. He wrote two best-selling books, and the third. Access to Nimble, recently resolved. He also moderated. Technology He has a podcast series and speaks at conferences around the world. Follow him on Twitter. @Petros.