Against the Tyranny of Winners: On beautiful business in the AI age, the rise of “Supercuration”, and the end of efficiency with Tim Leberecht Artwork

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Poets & Thinkers explores the humanistic future of business leadership through deep, unscripted conversations with visionary minds – from best-selling authors and inspiring artists to leading academic experts and seasoned executives.

Hosted by tech executive, advisor, and Princeton entrepreneurship & design fellow Ben Lehnert, this podcast challenges conventional MBA wisdom, blending creative leadership, liberal arts, and innovation to reimagine what it means to lead in the AI era.

If you believe leadership is both an art and a responsibility, this is your space to listen, reflect, and evolve.

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Against the Tyranny of Winners: On beautiful business in the AI age, the rise of “Supercuration”, and the end of efficiency with Tim Leberecht

January 13, 2026 • Benedikt Lehnert • Season 2 • Episode 16

What if the future of business isn’t human at all—and maybe that’s exactly what will liberate us to become more humane?

In this first episode of season 2, Ben sits down with Tim Leberecht, co-founder and CEO of the House of Beautiful Business, and author of The Business Romantic. Speaking from Istanbul, Tim doesn’t mince words: business is fundamentally broken, caught in an unholy alliance of technocracy, late-stage capitalism, and rising authoritarianism. Yet in this darkness, he sees the seeds of something radically different.

Key Ideas:

Business is hitting rock bottom—the perfect moment to imagine something radically different
The false gods of modern management: optimization, efficiency, and winning
Why the future of business may not be human, but must remain humanist
From economy of efficiency to economy of care and wonder
Supercuration: the art of benevolent exclusion and caring for ideas
The death of agency and the birth of new forms of dignity
Why the only dignified work is the work we do for ourselves as artists
Love, care, and world-building as essential leadership qualities

Resources & References

House of Beautiful Business – Global community humanizing business

The Business Romantic – Tim’s manifesto against optimization

Against the Tyranny of the Winners (published in German)

Supercuration – Forthcoming book on the art of curation

The Poly Opportunity – Series examining intersecting positive trends

Douglas Rushkoff on attention and human connection

Hartmut Rosa’s Resonance – Sociology of vibration and attunement

Gianpiero Petriglieri on love and leadership

Shoukei Matsumoto’s Work Like a Monk

Connect with Tim Leberecht:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tleberecht/

Website: https://timleberecht.com/

Company: https://houseofbeautifulbusiness.com/

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