Sourabh Marathe

Steven Rattner

I-House had the pleasure of hosting Steven Rattner as part of its distinguished series of speakers a few nights ago. The talk provided excellent insight into what a highly creative, impactful and agency-oriented career looks like, especially considering that Steven’s career occurred at a time when the economy was much less flexible.

Takeaways from Steven

  1. Yes, times are tough now, but there are incredible opportunities out there and it is a great time to be an American. There is a systemic shortage of talent right now, and it is up to individuals to be creative to make the most of that fact.
  2. In general, the economy is becoming more flexible over time. Depsite the labor shortage, people are able to change career tracks now more than ever before.
  3. AI will not reduce the role of bankers and white-collar workers. Instead, it will amplify their productivity and make their services more prominent. For example, services that were previously high-touch and required highly skilled bankers will now be extended to smaller firms in the market. If anything, we may see a proliferation in the number of bankers out there.
  4. On Gamestop: retail investors need to learn their lesson. We should not regulate craziness out of markets.
  5. Skills that translated well out of journalism: writing skill, asking good questions (and having a BS detector), and building trust with strangers quickly.

Overall, Steven had a very fascinating, wide-ranging career and it was great to hear his perspective on global markets and America.