SPOS #991 – Bob Goodson On The "Like" Button (And How It Changed The World)
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Release Date: 07/06/2025
SPOS #991 – Bob Goodson On The "Like" Button (And How It Changed The World)
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode #991 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. is President and Founder of , an AI-driven company whose models are used by a third of the Fortune 50. Before launching Quid, he was the first employee at , where he witnessed (and helped shape) the birth of the like button. Bob’s academic roots in language theory () and his deep curiosity about patterns of innovation led him to co-author , an illuminating book about how a simple social media feature rewired global communication and commerce. In this episode, we dig into the origin story of the like button and...
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SPOS #990 – Lori Rosenkopf On Creating Value Through Innovation
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode #990 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. is the Simon and Midge Palley Professor at the , and currently serves as the Vice Dean of Entrepreneurship. In that role, she oversees Wharton’s and its West Coast campus, while continuing her long-standing research into social networks, innovation and how knowledge flows between people, companies and technologies. Before her academic career, Lori worked as a systems engineer for and , giving her a rare blend of practical and academic insight into how organizations innovate. She’s also the author of the new...
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SPOS #989 – Andrew Brodsky On The Secrets Of Virtual Communications
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode #989 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. is reshaping how we think about work, not by focusing on tasks or tools, but by interrogating how we communicate. A management professor at the at , Andrew specializes in organizational behavior, with a sharp focus on the friction (and possibility) that emerges when human behavior meets digital platforms. With a PhD from and a BS from , his work explores everything from how to show emotional authenticity on to how organizations can build culture without a physical office. In his new book, , Andrew offers a...
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SPOS #988 – Julian Treasure On Listening, Sounds And Superpowers
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode #988 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. believes the world needs to learn how to listen again. You may know him from his , - one of the most viewed of all time (over 65 million views). But long before going viral, Julian was helping companies and individuals rethink their relationship with sound - as founder of , author of and , and now with his new book . Julian’s work spans science, music, psychology, and design - from biophilic soundscapes in office buildings to sonic branding for global brands. In this conversation, he breaks down why we...
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SPOS #987 - Cindy Anderson On The ROI Of Thought Leadership
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode #987 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. is on a mission to bring clarity, standards, and serious business impact to thought leadership. As Global Lead for Engagement & Eminence at ’s and the , Cindy has spent years leading one of the most ambitious research efforts ever undertaken on this topic. The result is her new book, , co-authored with . In it, Cindy reveals what more than 4000 C-level executives told IBM about how they consume, value, and act on thought leadership, and why some content drives sales while most gets ignored. In this...
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SPOS #986 – Pico Iyer On Silence As A Technology
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode #986 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. lives between worlds - geographically, culturally, and spiritually - and that makes him one of the most attuned chroniclers of what it means to be alive right now. Best known for travel writing that often transcends borders and genres (, , ), Pico is also a deeply reflective thinker about silence, stillness, and solitude. In his latest book, , he returns to a Benedictine monastery in Big Sur - a place he has visited over 100 times - to explore what it means to pause in a world that won’t stop moving. This isn’t...
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SPOS #985 – Kathleen deLaski On A Future Where Degrees Won't Matter
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode #985 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. is one of the most important voices rethinking the purpose, structure, and future of higher education. As founder of the and board chair of , she’s spent the last decade helping over 1,200 colleges, organizations, and regional economies reimagine learning pathways for next-generation students - particularly the new majority learners often left behind by traditional institutions. Her new book, is a provocative and optimistic look at how postsecondary education must evolve, drawing on over a decade of field...
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SPOS #984 – Steve Pratt On Podcasting And Unconventional Marketing
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode #984 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. knows how to earn attention - and not in the algorithm-chasing, trend-hopping way most marketers talk about it. As the co-founder of (the first agency dedicated to branded podcasts), Steve helped pioneer a model for long-form brand storytelling that respected the audience as much as it served the client. Before podcasting was a thing brands took seriously, Steve was guiding companies like , , , , , and into a new kind of media - one built on trust, consistency, and real creative value. That experience forms the...
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SPOS #983 – Matthew Weinzierl On Space And New Economic Frontiers
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode #983 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast. is not just thinking about the future of the economy - he’s thinking about the economy of the final frontier. As a professor at and a Research Associate at the , Matt brings the analytical rigor of economic policy to a space sector that’s shifting from sci-fi to IPO. In our conversation, we unpack the big thesis behind his new book (co-authored with ), which reframes space as something more than spectacle or science - it’s a place where real economic value is being created right now. This isn’t about day...
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SPOS #982 – Ethan Kross On Management For Your Emotions
Six Pixels of Separation Podcast
Welcome to episode . is one of the sharpest minds on the planet when it comes to understanding how our emotions shape our thoughts, decisions, and relationships. As a professor of psychology and business at the and the author of the bestselling books and , Ethan brings together rigorous research and practical insight in ways that are deeply human and immediately useful. In our conversation, we explore what it takes to manage emotions in a world that feels like it’s dialed up to 11 - from doomscrolling and overstimulation to the growing cultural obsession with emotional transparency. Ethan...
info_outlineWelcome to episode #991 of Six Pixels of Separation - The ThinkersOne Podcast.
Bob Goodson is President and Founder of Quid, an AI-driven company whose models are used by a third of the Fortune 50. Before launching Quid, he was the first employee at Yelp, where he witnessed (and helped shape) the birth of the like button. Bob’s academic roots in language theory (Oxford) and his deep curiosity about patterns of innovation led him to co-author Like - The Button That Changed The World, an illuminating book about how a simple social media feature rewired global communication and commerce. In this episode, we dig into the origin story of the like button and its unintended consequences - from how it shaped the social graph into a tool of surveillance capitalism, to the unintended shifts it created in digital identity and culture. Bob shares insights into the “arms race” of social engagement, the design intentions behind digital signals, and the eerie power of such tiny UX decisions to shape massive behavioral patterns. We also discuss TikTok’s model of engagement, the overlooked nuance of the thumbs down, and the responsibility of technologists in shaping society. For marketers, platform builders and cultural observers, this conversation is a deep dive into how the smallest code fragments can shape our biggest societal shifts. Enjoy the conversation…
- Running time: 52:16.
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- Here is my conversation with Bob Goodson.
- Like - The Button That Changed The World.
- Co-Author Martin Reeves.
- Quid.
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Chapters:
(00:00) - The Birth of the Like Button.
(04:02) - Evolution of User Interaction.
(10:05) - The Emergence of Data Graphs.
(14:59) - The Role of Thumbs Up and Down.
(20:13) - Cultural Impact and Manipulation of Engagement.
(27:03) - The Evolution of Social Media Strategies.
(30:12) - The Arms Race for Attention in Social Media.
(36:34) - The Impact of the Like Button on Identity.
(41:43) - Regulation and the Unintended Consequences of Technology.
(50:10) - Long-Term Perspectives on Technology and Society.