The William Blair Thinking Podcast

Hosted by William Blair

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Episodes

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

The William Blair Thinking Podcast aims to provide in-depth expertise on today's financial and economic landscape. William Blair Thinking Podcast features two series: -William Blair Thinking Presents, a new podcast series that dives deep into conversation with our award-winning equity research and capital advisory experts. -Biotech Breakthroughs, a new podcast series from our equity research group that explores the news and trends shaping the biotech industry. For more, go to https://www.williamblair.com/Thinking Copyright 2026 William Blair & Company. L.L.C. “William Blair” and R Docs are registered trademarks of William Blair & Company, L.L.C. As used on this podcast, William Blair refers to William Blair & Company LLC, William Blair Investment Management, LLC and affiliates. For more information about William Blair, go to www.williamblair.com. This content is for informational and educational purposes only and not intended as investment advice or recommendation to buy or sell any security. Investment advice and recommendations can be provided only after careful consideration of an investor’s objectives, guidelines and restrictions. The views and opinions expressed are those of the speakers, and are subject to change over time as market and other factors evolve.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 2, 2026Episode 8621 min

AI in Information Services: Why Trusted Data Matters More Than Ever

William Blair global services analyst Andrew Nicholas examines whether artificial intelligence threatens information services companies or could ultimately make their data assets even more valuable. He discusses the growing demand for trusted, decision-grade data, the rise of AI agents and model context protocols, and why improving fundamentals may create opportunity despite lingering investor skepticism.

August 25, 2026Episode 8520 min

The State of the Consumer: Resilient, Selective, and Still Spending

In the latest episode of William Blair Thinking Presents, group head of consumer research Sharon Zackfia and consumer analyst Dylan Carden discuss the key findings from their State of the Consumer: The 2026 Edition report, examining why consumer spending has remained resilient despite inflation, higher energy costs, and economic uncertainty. They also explore the growing divide between income groups, shifting definitions of value, emerging margin pressures, and the consumer trends investors should watch as 2026 unfolds.

August 6, 2026Episode 8428 min

Monthly Macro: China's Open-Weight Challenge and the Future of AI Economics

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal and group head of technology, media, and communications Arjun Bhatia examine how low-cost, open-weight AI models, many of them emerging from China, are reshaping competition across the AI ecosystem and challenging assumptions about the future economics of artificial intelligence. They discuss the implications for model providers, hyperscalers, software companies, and enterprise adoption, exploring how falling inference costs could accelerate AI adoption while forcing investors to rethink where long-term value will be created.

July 20, 2026Episode 8339 min

Monthly Macro: The Work AI Cannot Reach

Spanish economist and former Member of the European Parliament, Luis Garicano, Ph.D., joins William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal to discuss why AI is more likely to reshape jobs than replace them outright, arguing that the most valuable work combines cognitive, relational, and physical tasks that remain difficult to automate. He also discusses the implications for productivity, investing, education, and economic growth in an AI-driven economy.

July 10, 2026Episode 8229 min

Inside the AI Economy: Competition, Compute, and the Next Phase of Enterprise Adoption

William Blair's Arjun Bhatia and Jonathan Ho discuss the latest developments shaping the AI landscape, from intensifying model competition and pricing pressure to data center expansion, cybersecurity risks, and the pace of enterprise adoption. They explore what these trends could mean for investors as the AI economy continues to evolve.

July 2, 2026Episode 8126 min

Monthly Macro: AI Booms, Inflation Bites, Fed Shifts

William Blair macro analyst Richard de Chazal discusses how the Iran conflict, AI-driven investment themes from William Blair’s 46th Growth Stock Conference, persistent inflation pressures, and Kevin Warsh’s early approach as Fed chair are shaping the macro outlook for the second half of 2026.

June 16, 2026Episode 8011 min

The Humanoid Hypothesis: A New Frontier in Productivity

William Blair industrials analyst Ross Sparenblek discusses how humanoid robotics could mark a structural shift in productivity by extending AI’s capabilities from digital tasks into real-world physical labor. He outlines the key forces accelerating adoption, from demographic pressures to supply chain dynamics, while highlighting both the long-term opportunity and the technical and scaling challenges still ahead.

June 1, 2026Episode 7922 min

Monthly Macro: Resilient Equities, Rising Yields, and a Shifting Playbook

As geopolitical tensions persist and inflation concerns resurface, equity markets remain resilient while bond markets signal a more cautious outlook. Richard de Chazal unpacks what’s driving this divergence, the durability of the U.S. consumer, and why quality may be coming back into focus.

May 18, 202622 min

Shifting Sites of Care: Why Healthcare Delivery Is Moving Beyond the Hospital

Ryan Daniels, William Blair's group head of healthcare technology and services research , discusses how policy reform, reimbursement changes, technology innovation, and consumer preferences are accelerating a shift in care delivery toward outpatient, virtual, and home based settings. He outlines why this trend is reaching an inflection point in 2026 and what it could mean for providers, payers, employers, and healthcare investors.

May 11, 202627 min

From Code to Clinic: How AI Is (and Isn’t) Rewriting the Life of a Drug

AI is transforming drug discovery, but not by replacing the lab. In this episode of William Blair Thinking Presents, Matt Larew, partner and equity research analyst covering life science tools and diagnostics, explains where AI is accelerating early discovery, why wet lab validation still matters, and what real progress looks like as adoption moves from hype to practice.