The Next Big Idea Daily

Protein is everywhere — in our shakes, our snack bars, our cultural obsession with optimization — but the story of how it became nutrition's golden child has more to do with marketing than science. Today, we unpack the hype machine behind our favorite macronutrient and the hidden bodily process that might matter far more for our health. Big ideas from Gavin Weedon and Samantha King alongside gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella.

This episode originally aired on March 30, 2026

🎁 Save 20% on a Next Big Idea Club membership when you used code PODCAST at ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠

✉️ Get big ideas in your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe at ⁠bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com⁠

Sponsored By:

Homeserve — Go to homeserve.com to find the plan that’s right for you

Quince — Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com/nbid for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠

Why do we fear the wrong things? We worry about plane crashes but not car rides, strangers but not algorithms, sharks but not sugar. In The Fear Knot: How Science, History, and Culture Shape Our Fears – and How to Get Unstuck, journalism professor Ruth DeFoster and neuroscientist Natashia Swalve explore why our brains evolved to fear what once kept us alive — but now often misleads us. The result is a timely, eye-opening look at how to separate fact from fear in a world that profits from keeping us anxious. In the second half of the show, we hear from Ellen Vora, author of the 2022 book The Anatomy of Anxiety.

This episode originally aired November 12, 2025

🎁 Save 20% on a Next Big Idea Club membership when you use code PODCAST at ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠

✉️ Get big ideas in your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe at ⁠bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com⁠

Sponsored By:

Homeserve — Go to homeserve.com to find the plan that’s right for you

Quince — Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to quince.com/nbid for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠

Most business advice sounds great on a poster but falls apart in practice — so Square co-founder Jim McKelvey shares how stacking one crazy idea on top of another helped him build something competitors couldn't copy. Then Jamer Hunt explores how small changes can cascade into massive, unthinkable transformations — and why scale is the secret force shaping everything we build.

🎁 Save 20% on a Next Big Idea Club membership when you used code PODCAST at⁠ ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠⁠

✉️ Get big ideas in your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe at⁠ ⁠bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com⁠⁠

Homeserve — Go to ⁠homeserve.com⁠ to find the plan that’s right for you

Quince — Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to ⁠quince.com/nbid⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at⁠ ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠

Most companies are bolting AI onto old systems and calling it transformation—but Melissa M. Reeve argues that truly AI-native organizations require a fundamental rewiring from the inside out. Then, Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter make the case in More Human that the leaders who thrive in an AI-saturated world won't be the most technical—they'll be the most deeply, deliberately human.

🎁 Save 20% on a Next Big Idea Club membership when you used code PODCAST at⁠ ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠⁠

✉️ Get big ideas in your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe at⁠ ⁠bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com⁠⁠

Homeserve — Go to ⁠homeserve.com⁠ to find the plan that’s right for you

Quince — Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to ⁠quince.com/nbid⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at⁠ ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠

Most of us treat fun like a reward we have to earn — but what if play is actually the missing ingredient holding everything else together? First, ⁠Piera Gelardi⁠, creative entrepreneur and co-founder of Refinery29, shares how weaving playfulness into everyday moments can unlock creativity and connection. Then, organizational psychologist ⁠Mike Rucker⁠ makes the case that fun isn't frivolous — it's a habit, and building it into your life can genuinely change everything.

🎁 Save 20% on a Next Big Idea Club membership when you used code PODCAST at⁠ ⁠nextbigideaclub.com⁠⁠

✉️ Get big ideas in your inbox with our daily newsletter. Subscribe at⁠ ⁠bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com⁠⁠

Homeserve — Go to ⁠homeserve.com⁠ to find the plan that’s right for you

Quince — Refresh your everyday with luxury you'll actually use. Head to ⁠quince.com/nbid⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns.

Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at⁠ ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠