The Button That Broke the Internet (and Built It Too)

The like button is more than a symbol — it’s a case study in how innovation really happens. Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute and co-author of Like: The Button That Changed the World , unpacks the messy, social, and often surprising process behind major breakthroughs — and what leaders can learn from it as they navigate the AI era. Learn More: Martin Reeves: Like: The Button That Changed the World: What the Like Button Can Teach Us About Innovation: Vote for Georgie Here: Chapters: 00:00-01:18 Introduction 01:19-02:50 The Story of ‘Like’ 02:51-03:42 Was the like button an invention? 03:43-05:00 Why do we like to ‘like’? 05:01-05:31 Is online liking the same as real world liking? 05:32-06:38 What has been the economic impact? 06:39-08:01 How to get innovation right 08:02-08:28 How do you foster an innovative environment? 08:29-09:33 What role does storytelling play? 09:34-12:10 The like button and regulation 12:11-13:21 What lessons can be applied to new tech? 13:22-14:31 The structure of the book 14:32-16:44 Surprises when researching for the book 16:45-17:57 The business of thought leadership 17:58-18:46 What is the future of thought leadership? 18:47-19:34 What is next for innovation? 19:35-20:01 Outro This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac -

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The Button That Broke the Internet (and Built It Too) is an episode from The So What from BCG by Boston Consulting Group BCG.

This episode is 20:02 long.

This episode was published on Oct 8, 2025.

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