The New Yorker Radio Hour · WNYC Studios and The New Yorker
Failed “Finance Bros” Find Success with HBO’s “Industry”
March 1, 2026·16 min·1 clip
Producer Jane Tranter advised focusing on people with no power, transforming Industry into a hit drama.
As heard by us
The creators of "Industry" explain how the show turns finance into a study of power, luck, and meritocracy.
Conrad K. and Mickey Down talk about "Industry" as a workplace drama built around power, luck, and the lie of the level playing field. Their account of Harper is the clearest entry point: an American character in a British finance world, written as someone with less…
Why you'd press play
Conrad K. and Mickey Down explain why Industry's first season was built around a lie every institution tells.
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