Building One with Tomer Cohen

What if you could build breakthrough companies systematically? In this episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Noubar Afeyan, founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, the company-building platform behind more than 100 companies, including Moderna. Noubar has spent nearly four decades building at the edge of science. His approach starts with a deceptively simple question: “What if?” At Flagship, teams explore roughly 100 of these questions each year. The most promising become proto-companies, which are then actively stress-tested — and sometimes killed — before becoming full-fledged companies. It’s a radically different approach to innovation: don’t start with what already exists and incrementally improve it. Move beyond the boundaries of what we know and work backwards from what might be possible. Tomer and Noubar discuss: • How Flagship developed a repeatable system for creating companies from scratch• Why the most interesting opportunities can exist beyond the edge of expertise• Noubar’s philosophy of “paranoid optimism” and “urgency-oriented patience”• Why Flagship prototypes companies, not just products• How a “what if” question eventually led to Moderna• Why platforms can become product-generation engines• How little we still understand about the human body — and why drug development remains so difficult• Why Noubar believes AI could fundamentally transform the process of scientific discovery• His idea of “polyintelligence” — bringing together human, machine, and nature’s intelligence• Why breakthrough innovation is about “taking the fiction out of science fiction” It’s a conversation about science, company building, AI, and what it takes to pursue ideas that initially sound unreasonable. Listen to the full episode of Building One with Noubar Afeyan.

Rebuilding a company is one of the hardest challenges any founder can face. But for Justin McLeod, founder and CEO of Hinge, it was the only way forward. In today’s episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Justin to dive into the journey of rebooting Hinge from a Tinder competitor to the fastest-growing dating app in the U.S., focused on helping people build meaningful, long-term relationships. Justin shares the lessons he learned from tearing down Hinge and starting over, emphasizing intentional product design, clear product principles, and how to avoid chasing engagement for engagement's sake. As the dating app designed to be deleted, Hinge is built around one core goal: getting people into relationships and off the app. Justin's approach to onboarding, user interaction, and product design has created a platform that fosters genuine connections while avoiding the pitfalls of shallow dating apps. In this episode, Justin reveals: Why Hinge intentionally loses 20% of new users during onboarding to ensure better quality matches How limiting user actions can improve the overall user experience and lead to more meaningful interactions The importance of finding good proxies for key metrics, especially when your core goal is difficult to measure (like getting people into relationships) The role of AI as a coach - not a replacement - for human-to-human interactions How product principles can help companies make tough decisions and stay true to their mission Follow Justin McLeod on LinkedIn. Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

In a world where finding information at work is often more of a headache than it should be, Arvind Jain’s innovative solution is transforming the way enterprises manage and access knowledge. In this week’s episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Arvind Jain, CEO and founder of Glean, to discuss how the AI-driven platform is reshaping the future of enterprise search. Prior to founding Glean, Arvind was a Distinguished Engineer at Google, where he honed his deep technical expertise and understanding of search products. Passionate about building products that solve real-world problems, Arvind has been a key advocate for building with scalability in mind from day one. Tomer and Arvind discuss: Why Arvind Jain’s personal frustration with information search in the workplace led to the creation of Glean. Why Glean’s team designed their product with large enterprises in mind from the very beginning. How Glean uses both explicit and implicit data to measure success and improve its platform. The challenges of staying true to your product roadmap while meeting the diverse needs of enterprise customers. Why AI’s greatest potential lies in solving enterprise-level challenges and how Glean is leveraging this technology to improve workplace efficiency. Follow Arvind Jain on LinkedIn. Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

In this week’s episode of Building One, Tomer sits down with Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming and Xbox. With decades of experience, Phil is at the helm of one of the largest gaming platforms on the planet, overseeing iconic franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Candy Crush. As a lifelong gamer, Phil’s passion for gaming runs deep, allowing him to bring a deeply personal approach to leadership. In this conversation, Phil dives into how Xbox has expanded beyond consoles to create an ecosystem where games are accessible across devices, maximizing reach and convenience for players. He also discusses how the emotional connection gamers have with their platform plays a crucial role in Xbox’s success, noting that feedback—no matter how harsh—should always be seen as a gift. Phil highlights the importance of taking risks in game development, explaining how innovation thrives through bold decisions and how Xbox balances established franchises like Call of Duty with new, experimental titles. He also emphasizes that, for Xbox, success isn’t about hardware—it’s about delivering compelling games and creating an environment where developers have the creative freedom to push boundaries while still adhering to the platform’s broader goals. And for anyone looking to break into the gaming industry, Phil offers valuable advice: seek out indie studios, where creativity is abundant and there’s always a need for fresh talent. Listen now to hear more about Phil’s vision for the future of gaming, how Microsoft Gaming is shaping the next generation of interactive entertainment, and what aspiring game developers can do to get started. Follow Phil Spencer on LinkedIn. Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

Since 1985, when the first pair of Air Jordan’s were released to the public, the Jordan brand has stood at the intersection of culture, design excellence, and self-expression. Today, Jason Mayden, Chief Design Officer of the Jordan brand at Nike, is ushering in the next era. Jason, who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, started as an intern at Nike and worked his way up to lead the design of iconic shoes for the Jordan brand. In this episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Jason to discuss the power of emotional connection in product design. Jason shares his philosophy that great design goes beyond product features—it’s about how a product makes people feel about themselves. He explains why emotional resonance, rather than just performance specs, is the key to building lasting brand loyalty and remaining culturally relevant. Jason also opens up about his neurodivergence, explaining how embracing his unique cognitive strengths has helped him innovate and excel in design. He shares how understanding his brain wiring allowed him to think differently and bring fresh perspectives to Nike’s product creation process. Part of Jason’s approach is fostering creativity by involving non-design functions—like HR and legal—early in the process. He believes that bringing in fresh perspectives from across the company can lead to more innovative products and a stronger sense of ownership across teams. Finally, Jason emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset, a principle he learned from Michael Jordan himself. He shares how continuously learning and evolving is crucial for long-term success, both for individuals and brands. Follow Jason Mayden on LinkedIn. Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn

Last week we welcomed Spotify Co-President and CPO Gustav Söderström to the show to discuss his professional journey and the evolution of Spotify. We’re back this week with a few more questions for Gustav to get to know him better. Follow Gustav Söderström on LinkedIn. Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter Building LinkedIn

We’ve talked a lot this season about building various apps, platforms, and software. This week, we’re discussing a different type of product: seeds. Michelin Star chef Dan Barber joins us to talk about his new venture, Row 7 Seed Company, where he’s implementing a seed-to-table approach to optimize produce for flavor while also delivering yield and disease resistance to meet today’s needs. Dan draws upon his experience as the chef behind renowned farm-to-table restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns to help influence plant breeding and pioneer new paths in gastronomy. Dan sits down with Tomer to talk about the process of making his product accessible and sustainable and Row 7’s recent partnership with Whole Foods. He shares his approach to looking at chefs and cooks as tastemakers who can influence demand, as well as his strategies for connecting farmers and cooks at either end of the value chain. Follow Dan Barber on LinkedIn. Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter Building LinkedIn