Malcolm Gladwell released a new episode of Revisionist History titled "The BlackBerry Problem" on May 18, 2026, featuring an interview with former Research in Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie regarding the company's strategic failures.
While Malcolm Gladwell dominates headlines with his latest deep dive, the podcast community continues to parse his earlier work. On We Study Billionaires, host William Green revisited the "10,000-hour rule" and how it interacts with the broader discourse on grit and quitting, noting, "it reminds me sort of more... of a broader point that Annie Duke brought up."
Author David Epstein offered a more personal take, acknowledging his history of calling out the author's work while maintaining a close friendship. Epstein clarified his position on Gladwell as a thinker, stating, "I've critiqued Gladwell quite publicly. I critiqued some of the, at least some of the extrapolations of Angela Duckworth's grit research. Those two people became friends and two of my favorite people in the world to talk to."
Whether through his recent political commentary or his tech-focused historical investigations, the consensus remains that Gladwell succeeds by provoking debate rather than settling it, a trend likely to continue as he explores more corporate failures in the current season of his show.
