Brazil is rolling out Redata—a new program offering tax breaks to lure big tech data centers, but only if they run on renewable energy. On the surface, it’s about jobs and clean power. Beneath it, it’s a strategic play in global trade and climate politics. Who really benefits—Brazil, big tech, or someone else? And what happens when today’s carrots risk becoming tomorrow’s crutches?

In this episode, we follow the incentives shaping Brazil’s bid to become a digital powerhouse—and the tension between smart growth and costly dependence.

Why are solar incentives sparking lawsuits in California while Illinois stays steady? In this episode of Follow the Carrot, we unpack the motives driving the solar power fight—and what it reveals about designing incentives that last.

Big ideas don’t win on brilliance alone—they win when the incentives line up. From ARPA-I’s public projects to Google’s $9B data bet, we unpack how to fund breakthroughs that actually last.

Everyone wants innovation—until the incentives get in the way.
In this episode of Follow the Carrot, we explore how tax codes, procurement rules, and political timelines quietly shape what gets built—and what doesn’t. From pandemic-era vaccine breakthroughs to the bureaucratic slowdowns stifling energy projects, we examine how the public sector often funds innovation, but the rewards—and risks—aren’t always evenly shared.

If you’ve ever wondered why good ideas stall while bad ones scale, this episode is for you.

Why does Congress keep careening toward government shutdowns?
In this episode of Follow the Carrot, we unpack the incentive structures behind America’s recurring budget brinkmanship. From missed deadlines to media showdowns, we explore why threatening a shutdown often pays off more than solving the problem. You’ll hear how outdated rules, partisan fundraising, and committee politics reward gridlock—and what realignment might take to make collaboration more than a campaign slogan.

Tune in to understand why dysfunction isn’t just tolerated—it’s incentivized.

When a single number determines success, even well-meaning people can go off course. In this episode, we examine how flawed metrics warped behavior at Macy’s and Wells Fargo—and explore what smart leaders can do to build systems that reward what really matters. From KPIs to culture, this is a crash course in how to measure what matters without creating collateral damage.

Two major CEOs stepped down in July 2025—but not for the reasons you think. This episode unpacks what’s really driving the shake-ups: investor impatience, cultural mismatch, and a leadership system built on misaligned incentives.

Follow the Carrot goes beyond headlines to make sense of the world today. Everyone follows the money, we follow the motives.