Dubai is often seen as a city built on oil wealth, but its transformation started long before oil arrived in 1966. In the early 1900s, it was a quiet village on the edge of the Arabian Gulf—lacking roads, electricity, and running water. Yet, amidst the harsh desert conditions, the seeds of ambition were already being planted.

This is the first of three episodes exploring Dubai's rise and the strategy behind its transformation. From its Bedouin roots to its early modernization efforts, we examine the calculated decisions that established an iconic global city. Before skyscrapers and luxury, resilience, risk-taking, and a long-term vision would shape Dubai’s future.

Episode Chapters

(02:56) Part 1 - The Desert

(29:12) Part 2 - The Sleepy Village

(39:53) Part 3 - The Collapse

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Episode 6

In 1670, King Charles II granted his cousin a grandiose charter to trade furs in faraway territory of North America. At one point, the charter covered nearly 12% of the earth's land surface and area ten times that of the Holy Roman Empire at its height.

The Hudson's Bay Company would forever change the lives of everyone it touched, especially the hundreds of thousands of Indigenous people. The business model is simple by modern standards. It primarily traded one good, the beaver furs, in exchange for metal goods.

It would become a pawn in the chess game of empire-building and directly influence the formation of Canada and the United States. In episode five, we will explore the creation of one of the oldest commercial enterprises (still in existence today) and its rise to influence.

Episode Chapters:

(03:35) Part 1: A Strategy of Harmony

(01:02:53) Part 2: A Strategy of Chaos

(01:35:34) Part 3: A Strategy of Conquest

(03:35:41) Conclusion

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* Background music is called "Adding the Sun" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Episode 5

In the early 20th century, a new profession was born: management consulting. While it took some time for the field to establish itself, McKinsey & Company quickly rose to the top working with the largest organizations, governments and nonprofits.

How did The Firm become so influential? Episode 4 will try to answer this question by looking at McKinsey in the middle of the 20th century when it was led by the man who molded the organization in his image, Marvin Bower.

Sometimes called the Jesuits of capitalism, McKinsey has shaped the modern world, directly and indirectly, and often behind the scenes. When big decisions have been made, a McKinsey advisor was likely in the room.

Episode Chapters:

(06:12) Part 1 - Birth of a Profession

(43:23) Part 2 - A Law Firm That Doesn’t Practice Law

(01:45:43) Part 3 - The Gospel of the Multidivisional Model

(02:10:26) Part 4 - Jesuits of Capitalism

(02:39:42) Part 5 - Rise of Strategy

(03:17:07) Part 6 - Are They Worth It?

(03:35:41) Conclusion

**

P.S. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes less than 60 seconds and the review helps others discover the podcast.

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Links:

* All episode sources

* Read the full episode transcript

* Bonus content for McKinsey episode

* Get email updates on the next episode, updates from previous ones and bonus content.

* Email me your feedback or questions about the episode

* Background music is called "Adding the Sun" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) / Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

Episode 4