Major Opportunities for Young Founders with Jon Levin, Dean of Stanford GSB

The NFX Podcast

In this episode, Pete Flint talks with Jon Levin about the career prospects for the class of 2021, emerging industries, and trends for entrepreneurs. They delve into the evolution of entrepreneurship, the societal impact of business leaders, and the shifting landscape for startup founders. They also discuss capitalism, government roles, and Stanford Business School's new task force. Lastly, they reflect on lessons from Levin's tenure as a Dean and the future of education.

Stanford GSB Dean Jon Levin joins NFX Partner Pete Flint to discuss his perspective on new Founders entering the industry, how Stanford encourages its students to solve real-world problems with technology, macroeconomics, and the overall state of capitalism.

Jon Levin started teaching at Stanford in 2000. Has been Dean of Stanford Graduate School of Business since Sept 2016 and is about to celebrate 5 years in that role. Levin received his BA and BS degrees from Stanford University in 1994, an MPhil in Economics from Oxford in 1996, and his PhD in Economics from MIT in 1999.

Pete got to know Dean Levin from being on the GSB Management Board after graduating in 2005. He has also co-taught a number of cases at the GSB.

(0:00) Introduction to the NFX podcast and guest Jon Levin (7:00) Career prospects and emerging industries for the class of 2021 (10:00) Opportunities and trends for early-stage entrepreneurs in 2021 (14:00) The evolution and diversity in entrepreneurship among students (17:00) Changing expectations on business leaders and their societal impact (18:34) Sponsor: ${name} (19:00) The state of capitalism, role of government and potential future changes (24:00) Shift in corporate objectives and the new task force at Stanford Business School (29:00) The changing landscape for startup founders and teaching disagreement in diverse teams (34:00) Lessons from five years as a Dean and the future of educational institutions (37:00) Closing remarks