Episode #1
The Ethics of Understanding People with Thomas Kennon
Thomas Kennon is a professor at New York University, longtime strategist, and author with his latest book The Bigger Leap: An Ethics of NextCapitalism . He has spent decades studying audiences, strategy, and what makes people actually do what they do. But the deeper his work went, the bigger the question became. What if the problem in business isn’t that we lack insight, but that we keep using better insight to optimize for the same old outcomes? In this conversation, Thom and Chris explore the ethics behind how businesses understand and influence people. They move through the difference between growth and thriving, fairness and kindness, community and extraction, and trust and fear. They talk about whether love belongs in business, why sophisticated research still requires human interpretation, and what happens as AI becomes increasingly capable of finding patterns in human behavior. The question running underneath it all is simple, even if the answer isn’t. If we understand people better than ever, what responsibility comes with that understanding? And when the models get smarter, what still belongs to us? The special humans making this possible Chris Marine, Host Thomas Kennon, Guest Pip Kolmar, Producer Caili Elwell (Just a Girl Productions), Producer Cover Art Illustrated by Naretiv Song, “Under The Night Sky” by Kevin Matley The Responsibly Different™ Podcast was inspired by the original producer/host Benn Marine of The Rising Kind. And to David Gogel, Kelly Gadsby, Aidan Clark, Shea Hendricks, and the entire team at Campfire, along with the clients who trust us with their work, thank you. Your partnership makes it possible for us to tell stories like these, and to help tell yours too. Enjoying this content? Text us your thoughts! (if you want a response please include an email address in your text) Learn more about Campfire Consulting Visit the Responsibly Different™ Shop where profits go back to nonprofit organizations. Wear your spark on your sleeve.
