Glue Guys

Alex, Shane, and Ravi are coming together to cut across the worlds of sports and business and dissect the subtle art of making others better. Glue Guys explores the qualities that make individuals become better leaders, teammates, and humans alongside a trio with those same ambitions. In each episode, you’ll hear candid conversations on themes and life lessons drawn from their own high-stakes experiences. From strategies for effective teamwork to personal stories of success, the podcast covers a broad range of topics relevant to anyone looking to make an impact in their respective fields.

Alex Smith, Ravi Gupta, and Shane Battier Hosts Alex Smith, Ravi Gupta, and Shane Battier

Alex is a three-time NFL Pro Bowler. Shane is a two NBA champion with the Miami Heat. Ravi Gupta is a partner at Sequoia Capital and former CFO and COO at Instacart.

Glue Guys

Ep.27

Why Great Teams Never Stay Satisfied

Shane Battier, Alex Smith, and Ravi Gupta are the hosts of Glue Guys. We cover how great leaders adapt their styles to different personalities, the importance of team culture, and why sports provide a compressed version of life's drama.

02.27.2025

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Glue Guys

Ep.26

The Dark Side of Athletic Competition

Who are you competing against? Diving into personal stories and insights, Alex, Shane, and Ravi examine the evolution from external to internal motivation across different phases of life and careers. Their competitive drives are on full display, from Shane’s fear of an unknown competitor to Alex tracking his Elite 11 peers in high school. The conversation takes an introspective turn as they discuss parenting, the challenges of transitioning from pro sports to business careers, and the importance of defining what game you're really playing. The Glue Guys give an honest look into how top performers think about finding purpose beyond competition and the value of being intentional about your goals.

02.20.2025

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Glue Guys

Ep.25

What Makes the Perfect Team

Join Alex, Shane, and Ravi as they dive deep into what makes great teams tick. The hosts share personal stories from their sports and business careers, discussing key elements like earned inclusion, trust, and celebrating the work. From QB rooms to startup culture, they explore how the best teams balance fun and achievement while maintaining strong bonds. The conversation touches on both championship-winning moments and underappreciated experiences, offering insights on how to build and appreciate meaningful team dynamics at any scale.

02.13.2025

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Glue Guys

Ep.24

The Champion’s Comeback

Patriots legend Tedy Bruschi joins the Glue Guys to share how he went from wearing tennis shoes to football tryouts to becoming one of the most feared defenders in NFL history. Tedy learned different kinds of strength from three Hall of Fame coaches—Bill Parcell, Pete Carroll, and Bill Belichick. But when a stroke threatened his life at the peak of his career, this three-time Super Bowl champion discovered a power no coach had taught him: the strength that comes from the team around you. Join Alex, Shane, and Ravi as Tedy reveals how this lesson transformed not just his recovery but his understanding of what it truly means to be unbeatable.

02.06.2025

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Glue Guys

Ep.23

Fatherhood

The guys dive deep into the complexities and joys of modern fatherhood. Alex, Shane, and Ravi share personal stories about their experiences - how they approach discipline differently than their own fathers did, their strategies for developing resilience in their children, and their wrestle with today’s parenting challenges like screen time and academic pressure. Through conversation about both their successes and struggles, they reveal how fatherhood has shaped them and their hopes for raising resilient, independent kids in today's world while maintaining their own identities and careers.

01.30.2025

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Glue Guys

Ep.22

Arenas of American Ambition

How do you turn overlooked data into bestselling stories that change industries? Michael Lewis reveals his process for finding and telling groundbreaking narratives, from Moneyball to Flash Boys to The Big Short. He also explains how he came across Shane’s unique impact on basketball, and how Kobe Bryant secretly studied his profile “The No-Stats All-Star” to counter Shane’s tactics. Jump inside the mind of one of our favorite authors and leave with a clear (and surprisingly simple) sense of how to find extraordinary stories.

01.23.2025

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Glue Guys

Ep.21

2025: Got Goals?

What does it mean to face a new year with purpose? The guys talk resolutions and the methods to their madness. From Shane's 'Jar of Awesome' to Alex's Hall of Fame induction, and Ravi sharing the art of saying ‘no,’ there is a lot to unpack headed into 2025. Learn practical methods for reflection and relationship-building and hear their takes on giving honest feedback and building trust. Whether you're managing a team, building a company, or just turning a page, getting consistently uncomfortable can be an unlock for all.

01.16.2025

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Glue Guys

Ep.20

Coach K: Get On The Right Bus

Mike "Coach K" Krzyzewski coached Duke University's basketball team for 42 years, and led the US men's team to three Olympic gold medals. We cover his ability to get the most out of anyone who played for him, the importance of adapting your leadership style to the team in front of you, and the idea that being worthy of winning is more important than any one result when defining success.

01.09.2025

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Glue Guys

Ep.19

Fidji Simo: Harnessing Inner Power

From a family of fishermen in southern France to CEO of Instacart – Fidji Simo's path breaks every convention. After becoming her family's first high school graduate and attending France's leading university, she rose to lead the Facebook app before taking the helm at Instacart. Her leadership philosophy of "strong opinions, weakly held" has helped her navigate complex decisions throughout her career. Beyond business, Fidji opens up about living with a rare genetic disease, and how it led her to embrace vulnerability. This discussion is full of strategies for ambitious leaders who want to drive change while staying true to themselves.

01.02.2025

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Glue Guys

Ep.18

The Confidence Myth

Is confidence something you're born with or something you build? Alex, Shane, and Ravi challenge the stereotype of the naturally confident leader through raw stories of their own moments of self-doubt. This conversation speaks to the surprising truth that many top athletes and business leaders experience profound insecurity, but what sets them apart is their ability to grow confidence through deliberate practice. Learn how elite performers actually build unshakeable confidence, not from some innate superpower, but through specific actions that anyone can learn.

12.26.2024

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