All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions
by The Lauder Institute
Latest episode
Ep82 “Should NFL Teams Be More Aggressive on Fourth Down?” With…
Ep82 “Should NFL Teams Be More Aggressive on Fourth Down?” With…
About this podcast
Join Stanford GSB finance professor Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen of The Wharton School in a conversation with prominent business leaders about common flaws in the decision making process and what to do about them. Learn more at AllElseEqualPodcast.com.All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions Podcast is a production of Stanford Graduate School of Business and is produced by University FM.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 112 episodes
- Ep82 “Should NFL Teams Be More Aggressive on Fourth Down?” With David Romer · 37 min · Episode 111A central tenant in economic theory is that in competitive markets, firms should be optimizing. If they aren’t competitive pressures drive them out of business. But what about…
- Ep81 “The New (New) Future of AI” with Michal Kosinski · 49 min · Episode 110The leaps and bounds made in AI in just the last three years have surprised even the experts, so hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen thought it…
- Ep80 Will Climate Change Really Lower Economic Growth? · 24 min · Episode 109Much of the literature on how climate change will impact GDP estimates that the economic will be very large. Moreover, the estimates vary widely, with some studies predicting…
- Ep79 How to Make Your University’s Board of Trustees More Useful · 35 min · Episode 108With mounting pressure on the higher education system in the U.S., how can a university’s board of trustees make a difference in combating some of the issues these institutions…
- Rerun: Ep66 When (and When Not) To Listen to Investment Advice · 27 min · Episode 107All Else Equal is taking a short break over the summer and will be revisiting some of our favorite conversations from last season. The show will be back with new episodes soon…
- Rerun: Ep71 “The Working From Home Revolution” with Nick Bloom · 29 min · Episode 106All Else Equal is taking a short break over the summer and will be revisiting some of our favorite conversations from last season. The show will be back with new episodes soon…
- Rerun: Ep73 “The Dangers of Group Think on Decision Making” with Adi Sunderam · 34 min · Episode 105All Else Equal is taking a short break over the summer and will be revisiting some of our favorite conversations from last season. The show will be back with new episodes soon…
- Rerun: Ep69 “The Science Behind Why We Don’t Just Say What We Mean” with Psychologist Steven Pinker - Part 2 · 24 min · Episode 104All Else Equal is taking a short break over the summer and will be revisiting some of our favorite conversations from last season. The show will be back with new episodes soon…
- Rerun: Ep69 “The Science Behind Why We Don’t Just Say What We Mean” with Psychologist Steven Pinker - Part 1 · 24 min · Episode 103All Else Equal is taking a short break over the summer and will be revisiting some of our favorite conversations from last season. The show will be back with new episodes soon…
- Rerun: Ep68 “Is It Better to Overestimate or Underestimate Your Enemies?” with H.R. McMaster · 34 min · Episode 102All Else Equal is taking a short break over the summer and will be revisiting some of our favorite conversations from last season. The show will be back with new episodes soon…
- Ep78 “What’s Wrong With Taxing Billionaires More?” with Joshua Rauh · 36 minA proposed constitutional amendment on the ballots in California this November will impose a one-time 5% wealth tax on billionaires. Proponents of the amendment say it will bring…
- Rerun: Ep65 "Will Future AI Systems Operate Like The Human Brain? It’s Complicated” with Jeff Hawkins · 33 min · Episode 100This episode originally aired previously and is being re-shared due to its continued relevance. Enjoy this conversation with Jeff Hawkins on intelligence, neuroscience, and the…
- Ep77 The Academic Journal System is Broken, Here’s How to Fix It · 29 min · Episode 99 How should academic discourse take place? Is it time to update the antiquated journal system? In the season finale, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van…
- Rerun: Ep46 "May Contain Lies" with Alex Edmans · 29 min · Episode 98This week, we’re revisiting our ever-timely and fascinating conversation around misinformation with London Business School professor Alex Edmans. All Else Equal will be back with…
- Ep76 “How Should You Deal with Uncertainty in Today's World?” with Nick Bloom · 34 min · Episode 97What do measures of uncertainty tell us about the state of the economy and how should firms and households use those measurements to inform decision-making? Hosts and finance…
- Ep75 The Misleading Truth Behind IRR · 26 min · Episode 96Despite it being widely taught in business schools and practiced in the industry, you should think twice before using the internal rate of return as a criteria for making an…
- Ep74 Is The Financial Sector Good for Society? · 19 min · Episode 95What value does a financial sector add to society? How would society function without a financial sector? In this episode, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules…
- Rerun: Ep29 “How Do You Become CEO?” with Dirk Jenter · 34 min · Episode 94All Else Equal is on Spring Break this week, so we’re revisiting one of our most popular episodes dealing with the question: How does one become a CEO? We’ll be back with new…
- Ep73 “The Dangers of Group Think on Decision Making” with Adi Sunderam · 34 min · Episode 93Whether it be in politics, public health, or corporate finance, why are people more likely to interpret facts or data in a way that fits their preconceived notions about the…
- Ep72 Alternatives vs. Mutual Funds: Where Should You Put Your Money · 32 min · Episode 92In the rapid-moving world of delegated money management, it is important to recognize the differences in how mutual funds and alternative assets operate. When it comes to…
- Ep71 “The Working From Home Revolution” with Nick Bloom · 28 min · Episode 91When the pandemic hit in 2020, working from home skyrocketed. Six years later, many companies have returned to in-person work, but hybrid models are still the dominant structure…
- Ep70 "The Science Behind Why We Don’t Just Say What We Mean" with Psychologist Steven Pinker - Part 2 · 24 min · Episode 90In the final part of this two-part interview, Steven Pinker, an experimental psychologist and Harvard professor, again joins hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules…
- Ep69 "The Science Behind Why We Don’t Just Say What We Mean" with Psychologist Steven Pinker - Part 1 · 23 min · Episode 89Everyday, we participate in seemingly arbitrary but essential choices for society to function. We all agree on what side of the road to drive on, to use paper currency, or to…
- Rerun: Ep63 “What Explains the Growth of Private Equity? A Different Perspective” with Ludovic Phalippou · 36 min · Episode 88This holiday week, All Else Equal is looking back at its episode on the growth of private equity with Ludovic Phalippou. Private markets have taken off in the last couple…
- Ep68 “Is It Better to Overestimate or Underestimate Your Enemies?” with H.R. McMaster · 34 min · Episode 87Historically, the U.S. has had a habit of overestimating the capabilities of its enemies. Why? Is this an intentional security strategy? Or does the U.S. need to change the way…
- Ep67 Real Talk on Rent Control: Its Pros and Cons · 27 min · Episode 86As the 2025 municipal elections approach, the New York City mayoral race has garnered national buzz, with one issue particularly capturing attention: rent control. On this…
- Ep66 When (and When Not) To Listen to Investment Advice · 27 min · Episode 85Solicited or not, advice on where to invest your money seems to be around every corner these days. But determining whether the advice is credible and worth listening to can be…
- Ep65 "Will Future AI Systems Operate Like The Human Brain? It’s Complicated” with Jeff Hawkins · 33 min · Episode 84With growing concerns over whether or not AI will take away jobs and eventually become superior to human intelligence, maybe it’s time to take a closer look at the human brain…
- Ep64 "Why Higher Education Needs a Massive Overhaul: Are the Kids Even Learning Anything?" with Bryan Caplan · 33 min · Episode 83While a higher education may help your career in terms of income, how much of what you’re taught in a classroom actually prepares you for the work you do on the job? Hosts and…
- Rerun: Ep53 “The Truth About Inflation and Price Caps: Learn From Argentina” with Veronica Rappoport · 27 min · Episode 82It’s the final episode of the summer season and with some key mayoral races coming up this fall, we’re revisiting our conversation on inflation with Veronica Rappoport, a former…
- Ep63 “What Explains the Growth of Private Equity? A Different Perspective” with Ludovic Phalippou · 36 min · Episode 81Private markets have taken off in the last couple decades, with more investors opting to invest in private equity and debt instead of public markets. But what caused that shift?…
- Rerun: Ep60 “A Trade Deficit? More Like a Capital Surplus” with John Cochrane · 28 min · Episode 80For the summer season, All Else Equal will be alternating between new episodes and reruns. In this week’s episode, we’re revisiting our conversation with Senior Fellow of the…
- Rerun: Ep59 “Why Tariffs Are Not The Ultimate Trade Weapon” with Dani Rodrik · 33 min · Episode 79For the summer season, All Else Equal will be alternating between new episodes and reruns. In this week’s episode, we’re revisiting our conversation with Ford Foundation…
- Rerun: Ep55 “The Future Of The MBA: From 3 Top Business Schools” with Madhav Rajan · 32 min · Episode 78For the summer season, All Else Equal will be alternating between new episodes and reruns. In this week’s episode, we’re revisiting our conversation with Madhav Rajan of the…
- Rerun: Ep54 “The Rise And Fall of Great Societies: Lessons from History” with Victor Davis Hanson · 30 min · Episode 77For the summer season, All Else Equal will be alternating between new episodes and reruns. On this week’s episode, we’re revisiting our conversation with historian Victor Davis…
- Rerun: Ep47 “Is the US National Debt Sustainable?” with Mohamed El-Erian · 36 min · Episode 76For the summer season, All Else Equal will be alternating between new episodes and re-runs. On this week’s episode, we’re revisiting our conversation with Mohamed El-Erian on the…
- Ep62 “The Cost of Social Compliance: Exploring Preference Falsification" with Timur Kuran · 34 min · Episode 75Is the emperor wearing clothes? Hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van Binsbergen are joined by economist and political scientist Timur Kuran who wrote the…
- Ep61 “Pursuit for Academic Freedom” with Richard Saller · 31 min · Episode 74If universities believe they should be free from government interference and that students and faculty have the right to freely express whatever viewpoints they hold, then the…
- Ep60 “A Trade Deficit? More Like a Capital Surplus” with John Cochrane · 28 min · Episode 73What exactly is a trade deficit? And why are so many policymakers fixated on it? Lately, the trade deficit in the U.S. is taking the bulk of the blame for the economic situation…
- Ep59 “Why Tariffs Are Not The Ultimate Trade Weapon” with Dani Rodrik · 32 min · Episode 72With President Trump’s tariffs on Canada, Mexico, China, and other countries now in full swing, what consequences from an economic standpoint could the U.S. be facing? And what…
- Ep58 How Rich Are The Ivy League Universities, Really? University Endowments Explained · 25 min · Episode 71The recent crackdown on federal spending has universities sweating despite the fact that many of them boast huge billion-dollar endowments. So what gives? Why would less money…
- Rerun: Ep36 “Institutional Neutrality: Open Debate and Moral Stands” with John Etchemendy · 25 min · Episode 70All Else Equal is taking a little spring break so on this episode we’re revisiting a fascinating conversation on what happens when universities step off the sidelines and take a…
- Ep57 “Effective Communication: Trump vs. Reagan” with Peter Robinson · 37 min · Episode 69One key to effective negotiation is to keep your opponent guessing by randomizing your strategy. And right now, there might not be a more prolific example of this kind of…
- Ep56 “When Should We Lie for the Greater Good?” with John Ioannidis · 34 min · Episode 68Is it acceptable for doctors to lie to their patients, or withhold some of the truth, if it’s in the patient’s best interest? In this episode, hosts and finance professors…
- Ep55 “The Future Of The MBA: From 3 Top Business Schools” with Madhav Rajan · 32 min · Episode 67As more and more universities move away from full-time MBA programs, what does the future of business education look like? How should it look? In this episode, hear perspectives…
- Ep54 “The Rise And Fall of Great Societies: Lessons from History” with Victor Davis Hanson · 30 min · Episode 66History shows that as societies rise to greatness, the scales eventually tip back and those societies fall. But what leads to that fall and are we heading toward one? In this…
- Rerun: Ep48 “Why CEOs are Underpaid” with Dirk Jenter · 29 min · Episode 65As we ring in the new year, we’re bringing back one of our favorite episodes! Handpicked by Jules and Jonathan, this previous conversation is perfect for starting your year with…
- Ep53 “The Truth About Inflation and Price Caps: Learn From Argentina” with Veronica Rappoport · 26 min · Episode 64During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, inflation was one of the most talked about issues, and there was one policy idea to get inflation under control that kept coming up…
- Ep52 “Should Legacy Admissions at Universities Be Illegal?” with Patrick Awuah · 27 min · Episode 63Should legacy admissions at colleges and universities be banned? What are the benefits and tradeoffs of admitting students based on their legacy status? In this episode, hosts…
- Ep51 Celebrating 50 Episodes: The Biggest All Else Equal Mistakes · 27 min · Episode 62The All Else Equal: Making Better Decisions podcast has officially done 50 episodes! To commemorate the milestone, hosts and finance professors Jonathan Berk and Jules van…
