The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway

Is Scott Friends with Tech CEOs?, Who Should Run in 2028, and Overcoming Rejection

February 23, 2026

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  • Scott Galloway intentionally avoids deep personal relationships with tech CEOs because he believes their charm is a tool used to co-opt critics and prevent them from speaking their minds. 
  • Galloway's personal superpower for professional success is his ability to 'mourn and move on' quickly after public failures, a resilience he counterbalances by actively fighting a personal weakness for self-pity using a perspective-resetting ritual involving a photograph of Otto Frank. 
  • Regarding the 2028 presidential race, Galloway favors a competitive primary process over a coronation, expresses support for a strong Democratic bench (naming Shapiro, Newsom, Buttigieg, Whitmer, and Moore), and suggests that while he finds Governor DeSantis reasonable, he hopes for a return to a 'reasonable middle' represented by figures like Ambassador Haley. 

Segments

Pushback from Tech Executives
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(00:01:45)
  • Key Takeaway: Tech executives respond to criticism with polite invitations to meet, which Galloway avoids to maintain critical distance.
  • Summary: Galloway discusses receiving pushback for his views. He notes that big tech executives are usually respectful, inviting him to lunch, which he declines because he fears being co-opted by their charm. He contrasts this with aggressive pushback received from academics regarding higher education critiques.
Unexpected Sources of Criticism
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(00:02:45)
  • Key Takeaway: The most aggressive legal pushback came from universities after he criticized the state of higher education.
  • Summary: Galloway details receiving cease and desist letters from universities after writing a blog post about the financial instability of many institutions, noting it was ironic that academics were the most aggressive critics.
VCs and Elon Musk Pushback
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(00:04:20)
  • Key Takeaway: VCs criticize him for calling out overvalued companies in their portfolios, while Musk’s online call-outs are seen as a positive sign.
  • Summary: He mentions receiving pushback from VCs whose portfolios he deems poor. He also notes receiving online criticism from Elon Musk, which he takes as a positive indicator.
Who Should Run in 2028
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(00:05:59)
  • Key Takeaway: Galloway favors a competitive primary process and names several strong Democratic candidates, while expressing reservations about VP Harris running again.
  • Summary: Responding to a question about 2028 candidates, Galloway lists several Democrats he admires (Shapiro, Newsom, Budij, Whitmer, Moore). He strongly opposes VP Harris running again. He also mentions Nikki Haley and Glenn Youngkin as reasonable Republicans he’d like to see run.
Value of Primary Competition
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(00:08:25)
  • Key Takeaway: The primary process is essential because it tests and matures candidates for the challenges of the general election.
  • Summary: Galloway argues that President Biden’s mistake was avoiding a primary competition. He believes the electoral process is an outstanding means of maturing a candidate for the moment, citing historical examples of frontrunners who ultimately lost nominations.
Superpower: Overcoming Failure
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(00:14:37)
  • Key Takeaway: His greatest strength is the ability to ‘mourn and move on’ after public failure, having experienced numerous business and personal rejections.
  • Summary: Galloway identifies his superpower as not being afraid of public failure, citing losses in elections and failed businesses. He emphasizes his ability to heal quickly and try again, like Wolverine.
Addressing Self-Pity
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(00:15:49)
  • Key Takeaway: He combats his weakness of self-pity by intentionally viewing a photo of Otto Frank in his attic to gain perspective.
  • Summary: Galloway discusses his Achilles heel: feeling sorry for himself. He counters this by looking at a photo of Otto Frank (Anne Frank’s father) in the attic, which reminds him that his inconveniences are not true problems compared to historical suffering.