The Profile: The CEO of a $61-billion AI startup & the founder who wants to make you love dating apps again

This edition of The Profile features Dario Amodei, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Scarlett Johansson, and more.

Good morning, friends.

This week, I read the book, The Craft of Interviewing by John Brady. In one section, Brady emphasizes the point of actually listening when your subject is talking. He writes, “No talking reporter ever held a decent interview.”

Problems occur, he says, when the interviewer isn’t listening with intent but rather just thinking of their next question.

This applies to more than just interviews. It applies to anyone you ever have a conversation with — partners, friends, kids, colleagues.

But here’s the thing: Listening closely isn’t enough. When I’m interviewing someone, I’m paying attention to what’s beyond the words they say. What are they repeating? What point do they really want to get across? What do they want to sweep under the rug?

Hans Zimmer, the legendary film composer, puts it perfectly: He says that you must listen to the “subtext” of what someone is saying, not just the words they are saying.

Once Zimmer sits down with a movie director, he asks him to tell him the story. “I listen to his words, and I listen to the story, but I try to listen beyond it as well,” he says. “You’re trying to listen to the subtext. You’re forever listening into the heart of the thing.”

Listening with intent is what allows you to capture someone’s essence, accurately tell their story, and most importantly, convey emotion to the reader, listener, or viewer. Listening allows you to absorb the underlying meaning of what they cannot express with words. As Zimmer says, “I try to listen beyond the words. I’m trying to hear the tune.”

If you’re only listening to the words, you’re missing the story.

— Polina

PROFILES.

— The CEO of a $61-billion AI startup [**HIGHLY RECOMMEND**]
— The founder who wants to make you love dating apps again
— The professor who gifted her students her life savings
— The star taking creative control of her career
— The irreverent animation factory left for dead

PEOPLE TO KNOW.

The CEO of a $61-billion AI startup: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei halted the release of a powerful new AI model after his team raised alarms that it might help users create bioweapons—proving that speed isn’t always the priority in Silicon Valley’s AI arms race. The delay cost precious time in a billion-dollar battle with rivals like OpenAI, but Amodei insists safety must come before scale. A former biophysics researcher who once dissected salamanders, Amodei now leads one of the industry’s most principled AI labs, one that’s growing fast, making billions, and preparing for models that could replace coders entirely. His vision? A future where AI cures cancer and threatens jobs. (Bloomberg; alternate link)

“For whatever Dario lacks in business experience, the algorithm in his brain moves really fast.”

The founder who wants to make you love dating apps again: Whitney Wolfe Herd has returned to Bumble to revive the brand she built and to reimagine dating tech for a generation disillusioned with swiping. After stepping down amid burnout and criticism, she’s back with a bold plan: use A.I. to create smarter matches, help users understand themselves, and move connections from screens to the real world. It's not just a business comeback, it's a personal one, too. (The New York Times; alternate link)

“We were chasing growth. When you chase growth, you get it, but then you lose it.”

The professor who gifted her students her life savings: When art history professor Cris Hassold passed away at 89, dozens of her former students received an unexpected gift: a share of her $2.8 million estate. Known for her tough love, hoarding habits, and fiercely personal teaching style, Hassold left behind more than memories—she left life-changing checks ranging from $26,000 to $560,000. Her students, whom she considered her true family, now see the inheritance as a final act of devotion from a woman who quietly shaped—and funded—their futures. As one put it: “She adopted us, and we adopted her.” (The New York Times; alternate link)

“She didn’t have a family, but we were her family. She adopted us, and we adopted her.”

The star taking creative control of her career: Scarlett Johansson discusses the tension of living with constant unease, from political anxiety to navigating Hollywood’s evolving power structures. She reflects on directing her first feature, Eleanor the Great, while also taking on a lead role in the upcoming Jurassic World film. The profile traces her path from child stardom to creative control, highlighting her push for fair treatment in the industry and concerns about AI and streaming’s impact. (Vanity Fair)

“Making decisions on your own—like, adult decisions as a kid—it’s a dangerous thing, right?”

COMPANIES TO WATCH.

The irreverent animation factory left for dead: Once the wild, creator-driven heart of cable animation, Cartoon Network is now a shadow of its former self — its beloved Burbank studio shuttered, its originals erased, and its brand sidelined by Warner Bros.’ corporate cost-cutting under CEO David Zaslav. As nostalgic fans mourn the decline, animators are staging guerrilla protests and the hashtag #RIPCartoonNetwork has gone viral. Yet hope lingers in Adult Swim, the network’s rebellious late-night sibling, which continues to nurture new talent and crank out buzzy hits like Common Side Effects. The question remains: Can the network that once dared to be weird survive in a world obsessed with reboots and IP? (Bloomberg; alternate link)

“Primarily children watch cartoons, but adults watch cartoons too.”

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