Shows
CRAFTED.Building an AI-native Podcast App to Turn Listening Into Learning | Kevin Smith (Co-founder, Snipd)Kevin Smith is building a totally new kind of podcast app. Snipd is an AI-native podcast app and building it required a few mindset shifts. First, what even is a podcast? The way Kevin sees it, podcasts are knowledge. So where most podcast players are, as Kevin calls them, "repurposed music players", Snipd is designed to help you learn. As people listen to episodes, they, or an AI, can save “snips” or interesting moments that they want to remember or share. And the app will also help you review what y...2025-05-0824 min
CRAFTED.Inspiring the Next Generation to Build Great Money Habits (Whatever Those Are) | Tim Hong (CPO of MoneyLion)What is a good money habit in 2025? And how do you actually help someone build one—without boring them, shaming them, or losing them in the first five seconds?Chief Product Officer Tim Hong shares how MoneyLion designs for emotion and creates content and products that inspire people to take action. MoneyLion is a personal finance platform used by millions of mostly younger Americans who are just getting started with their money, so, as Tim says: “It's actually less about bad habits that we fight. It's about having no habits.”Tim also shares how AI...2025-04-2430 min
CRAFTED.We're Still in AI's “Fart App” Era… And Other Deep Thoughts from SXSW, With Rob KenediOn a rooftop at SXSW, fellow startup advisor and podcaster Rob Kenedi joins me as we discuss why: AI models are becoming commodities…AI companies need to differentiate at the application layer, with brand, and by earning trust…B2B creators are all the ragePodcasts are so intimate and how video changes thingsWe’re in the “fart app” era of AI…Enjoy this uncrafted CRAFTED.!And if you enjoy this more casual format, please share your feedback. DM me on LinkedIn or email me: dan@modernproductminds.comWhere to find...2025-04-1016 min
CRAFTED.Why the "Mary Poppins of Computing" Says We Must Change the Way We Teach Tech | Linda Liukas (Author of "Hello Ruby")Linda Liukas is a programmer, children’s book author, and the creator of Hello Ruby, a whimsical series that teaches computing concepts through stories and play. She’s also the force behind a one-of-a-kind playground in Helsinki—designed to teach kids how computers work without them ever touching a screen.In this episode, Linda shares why, especially with the rise of AI and code-writing copilots, we need to rethink the way we teach tech. Linda, a.k.a. the “Mary Poppins of Computing”, is on a mission to bring more whimsy, creativity, and fearlessness to kids and...2025-04-0329 minCRAFTED.Quantum & Coffee: SXSW 2025 Impressions, With Kwaku AningEducator, innovator, super-connector, and conference champion Kwaku Aning and I have coffee and discuss a few things that struck us at SXSW, including:Why we’re in a “pre-mainframe” moment in quantum computing — and why you should prepare for what comes nextBioengineering: are we headed for a Westworld-style mix of human musculature and AI?Robot choreography, e.g. how to train a self-driving car to drive non-aggressively (but also should they be allowed to speed?) Mind control via inaudible noises and Severance-style brain implantsWhether or not I had enough breakfast tacos in Austin…Where to find Kwaku:LinkedIn...2025-03-2715 min
CRAFTED.How Google Built a Moonshot Factory — And How You Can, Too | Astro Teller (Captain of Moonshots at X, The Moonshot Factory)How do you build a system for turning wild ideas into world-changing innovations? Astro Teller, Captain of Moonshots at X, The Moonshot Factory, has spent over 15 years leading Google’s audacious innovation lab—the birthplace of Waymo, Google Brain, and other breakthrough projects.In this special episode, recorded live in Austin at SXSW, Astro shares the playbook to create a moonshot factory. You’ll Learn:🐵 The “Train the Monkey First” approach to innovation🚀 Why audacity, humility, and intellectual honesty are key to moonshots 💡 How your org can get more 10x (not +10%) outcomes — and how to avoid the “i...2025-03-2030 min
Sourcing Industry LandscapeRoger Blumberg & Dan Linney: "Roadmap for Tackling the 2025 CPO Agenda" – A glimpse into their session at the 2025 Global Executive SummitIn this podcast episode, Dawn Tiura hosts Roger Blumberg and Dan Linney to discuss their upcoming breakout session, Roadmap for Tackling the 2025 CPO Agenda. They explore the challenges procurement leaders will face, including the need for scenario planning and the impact of tariffs. The conversation shifts to the importance of redefining value beyond cost savings and the role of technology, particularly AI, in optimizing procurement processes. They emphasize the need for supplier diversification and building strong relationships to ensure resilience in supply chains. Join them in Nashville for the Global Executive Summit at the Omni Nashville Hotel from 4/2-4/4/25.2025-03-1418 minCRAFTED.AI, Psychedelics, the Gut-Brain Axis, and New Frontiers in BioTech | From SXSW's Next Stage (Re-release)CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg will be at SXSW this year. Will you? If so, please reach out! DM me on LinkedIn or go to crafted.fm where you can email me. Let's get a taco!—Software, hardware, and biotechnology are playing an increasingly transformative role in our mental health and wellness. On this episode of CRAFTED., recorded live on the “Next” stage at SXSW 2024, we discuss what investors look for in these new companies and how they separate what’s real — and what’s near-term — from what’s hype. On stage with host Dan Blu...2025-02-2742 min
Whiskey Web and Whatnot: Web Development, NeatHow to Make a Podcast Worth Listening To with Dan BlumbergThis week, Robbie and Chuck talk with Dan Blumberg about his journey from radio producer to product manager and podcaster. They explore the art of building great software, podcasting essentials, and the changing landscape of podcast platforms. Plus, Dan shares his kayaking adventures and insights on balancing authenticity and growth.
In this episode:
(00:00) - Intro
(02:26) - Whiskey review and rating: Woodinville Straight Bourbon
(08:23) - Apple Podcasts vs Spotify
(10:20) - Spotify video vs YouTube
(12:02) - Podcasting audio vs video
(14:24) - Advice on starting a podcast
(18:24) - Equipment requirements for guests on podcasts
(21:15) - Having a pre-interview interview
(25:06...2025-01-3050 min
Dental Business RXEp. 169: Top Dental Marketing Trends for 2025 with Dan BrownIn this episode, Dan Brown joins Jeff to discuss the exciting dental marketing trends to watch for in 2025. As technology continues to evolve and patient expectations shift, staying ahead of the curve is essential for the success of your practice. Jeff and Dan will explore how these trends can help you attract and retain patients more effectively. Tune in as we discuss emerging strategies, the role of social media and video, the power of data analytics, and what your practice can do to stand out in an increasingly competitive landscape. Dan Brown – dan@blumbergdigital.com...2024-12-0945 minCRAFTED.Crafting Puzzle, Challenging QuickBooks, and Helping Startups Grok Their Financial Health | Sasha Orloff (Co-founder & CEO of Puzzle)Accounting may not be the sexiest part of running a business, but according to Sasha Orloff, it’s the key to understanding your company’s financial health—and ultimately, its success. At his previous two startups, Sasha was frustrated that he didn’t have a real-time view into his company’s financial health. And he realized the problem wasn’t accounting – but accounting software. So, Sasha founded Puzzle, because “it's hard to set yourself up for success if you don't know when you're about to run out of money.” Sasha is on a mission to make accounting intuitive, real-ti...2024-11-2628 min
"Tech Finance" with Sasha Orloff: B2B Fintech | AI | Finance TechGrowth Levers: A PayPal Veteran's Guide to Startup Success | Matt Lerner on the CRAFTED. PodcastToday, we’re sharing a special episode from our friends at the Webby Awards-honored CRAFTED. podcast. In this conversation, Dan Blumberg interviews growth expert, SYSTM founder, and former PayPal leader Matt Lerner about his book 'Growth Levers,' offering actionable strategies for startups to identify the 10% of efforts that drive 90% of growth. They discuss common startup pitfalls, the mindset shift to customer-centric thinking, JTBD-style interviewing, and the importance of rapid experimentation. For full show notes, visit: https://highlightai.com/share/af10e152-f30a-403e-805f-d234eb40109a—🙏 Help shape our show by taking our quick li...2024-11-2637 minCRAFTED.Design for Emotion. Leverage AI. Be Curious. | Design Better’s Co-founders on Building Great ProductsAI democratizes things. It's enabling designers to be developers, and developers to be designers… And in this episode, Aaron Walter and Eli Woolery explain how AI “changes the game” for designers. As co-founders of Design Better, Aaron and Eli advise companies on how to incorporate AI into their design process. We’ll explore how AI can help designers explore a problem more thoroughly, as well as some pitfalls to watch out for. (Hint: speed is not always a good thing.)Aaron and Eli are also hosts of the popular Design Be...2024-11-1230 minCRAFTED.Vote! for CRAFTED. and for country (not in that order)Vote! A quick plea for you to vote today. Both for President (if you're in the US) and for the change you'd like to see on CRAFTED. Please take a few minutes to take the short survey at crafted.fm CRAFTED. is two years old! And I want to make this year the best yet. Back next week with a brand new episode!Please go to crafted.fm to take that short survey -- some lucky respondents will win prizes!2024-11-0500 min
Beyond The Prompt - How to use AI in your companySpecial Episode: Paige Costello on AI in Product Management – a Co-Production from Crafted.FM and Beyond the PromptIn this special episode, we start with an insightful interview from Crafted, where Dan Blumberg and Paige Costello, Head of AI at Asana, dive into how AI-driven tools like status reports and bug triaging are transforming work by removing tedious tasks and sparking creativity. They also explore how AI is reshaping team structures and the evolving role of product managers. Afterward, Jeremy and Henrik continue with Paige to take a closer look at the hands-on development of AI, discussing the unpredictable nature of user interactions and why clear evaluation processes are essential. Paige offers behind-the-scenes insights on user t...2024-10-3152 minCRAFTED.Personalized Learning Is the Future. Here's How Outschool Is Building It | Amir Nathoo (Founder & CEO)Amir Nathoo is reimagining the future of education by building products that put students at the center of their learning experience. As the Founder and CEO of Outschool, Amir has created a marketplace for remote, personalized, interest-based learning that’s challenging traditional K-12. In this episode of CRAFTED., we explore how Amir founded and grew Outschool, including the 15x spike in usage during the pandemic. Post-pandemic, alternative education and homeschooling continues to rise. As Amir says: “The idea that a single institution could fulfill all of your kids' needs or all of all kids' needs is com...2024-10-2935 min
Rocketship.fmProduct Discovery in the Real World: Lessons from The New York Times, Citi, and LinkedInIn this episode, Mike Belsito sits down with Dan Blumberg, founder of Modern Product Minds and former product leader at The New York Times, LinkedIn, and Citi, to explore how product discovery works in traditional enterprises. While we often hear stories from cutting-edge tech startups, most product managers work at "normal" companies dealing with legacy systems, regulatory constraints, and established brand expectations. Dan shares practical insights on running effective discovery programs in these environments, including how to test ideas without risking brand reputation, why real commitment beats hypothetical feedback, and how to bring stakeholders along on the journey. Whether...2024-10-2442 minCRAFTED.AI, Creativity, and Soul: How Hilary Mason Chooses Her Own Adventure (Co-Founder & CEO of Hidden Door)Hilary Mason is a world-builder. She’s a serial entrepreneur, machine learning expert, and now, as the founder and CEO of Hidden Door, she’s creating immersive experiences where fans can interact with their favorite characters from books and movies. The choose-your-own-adventures style games are an amazing blend of AI and human creativity — and Hilary is passionate about both: “If I write a manifesto, this is what it'll be: I don't think the power of generative AI is to create the next amazing novel. I don't think it's gonna create the next amazing movie. I t...2024-10-2235 minCRAFTED.AI: Is Bigger Better? The Environmental and Social Cost of Large Models | Karen Hao (AI Journalist)As AI models grow larger and more powerful, they promise incredible capabilities — but at what cost? Karen Hao is a journalist and former engineer who writes about the impact of artificial intelligence on society for The Atlantic and other top publications. On this episode of CRAFTED., we discuss whether the largest AI models are worth their hefty footprint: They consume massive amounts of electricity and water and Karen argues that smaller models better balance cost vs. benefit. Karen will also provide a view of AI from outside — far outside — Silicon Valley. S...2024-10-1535 minCRAFTED.How to 3x your output with AI by building a "GPTeam" (From Beyond the Prompt)Russ Somers has tripled his productivity by building a “GPTeam” of AI “employees.” In this episode, from Beyond the Prompt, the head of marketing for Quantified reveals how he’s done it, and how you can build your own virtual team to be more productive and creative. Russ’s virtual team helps with tasks ranging from webinar content creation to specialized knowledge acquisition. Through personal anecdotes and exploratory conversations, the episode delves into the process of building AI team members, the importance of play in learning and innovation, and strategies for incorporating AI into personal and...2024-10-0848 min
CRAFTED.AI and the Future of Medicine | Kira Radinsky (CEO of Diagnostic Robotics and Co-founder of Mana.bio)Kira Radinsky is the CEO of Diagnostic Robotics, which uses AI to make predictions that help patients get better healthcare. She’s also the co-founder of Mana.bio which is using AI to automate drug discovery. On this episode of CRAFTED., Kira will share more on why she believes that, of all the industries that AI will change, it’s those involving chemistry and biology that will change the most. Plus, why she says: “I just want AI to replace me as a scientist.” Kira shares:How Mana.bio is usi...2024-10-0135 min
CRAFTED.Lending + AI: How Branch Lends to People Banks Won’t Touch | Matt Flannery (Founder and CEO of Branch; Founder of Kiva)Matt Flannery and Branch have done something the banks have not: learned how to profitably lend to people who have little to no credit history. Matt is the founder and CEO of Branch, which issues small loans to millions of people in India, Nigeria, Kenya, and Tanzania. He's also the founder of Kiva, a microfinance pioneer that skyrocketed from a small project into a worldwide nonprofit that Oprah and President Clinton loved talking about. On this episode of CRAFTED., we learn how Branch uses data from people's phones to co...2024-09-2432 min
CRAFTED.Open Source Must Evolve for AI and the Next Generation | Nithya Ruff (Head of AWS Open Source Program Office and Chair of the Linux Foundation)Nithya Ruff is an expert on open source. As the head of AWS’s Open Source Program Office and the Chair of the Linux Foundation, she has a wide view on all things open source. On this episode of CRAFTED., we discuss:Why Open Source AI is so tricky, but also so essential, to defineHow open source needs to evolve for the next generation of developersWhat an Open Source Program Office is — and why companies like AWS have themThe questions, benefits, and risks that arise when a company is considering using open source techn...2024-09-1733 min
CRAFTED.One Billion Developers! GitHub’s Head of Product Says AI Democratizes How We Build the FutureMario Rodriguez is GitHub's Chief Product Officer. And he believes that Copilot and other AI advances will unleash a wave of creativity and enable a billion people to be software developers.Mario says the definition of “software developer” will have to change as non-professionals discover that they can make apps, too. And the way they do so will look very different: “It's gonna feel a lot more like how kids play. It's like you create something you play with and you're like, Nope. Then you instruct it again… It’s going to be real time developme...2024-09-1041 min
CRAFTED.Using AI to Launch Thousands of Startups a Year | Henrik Werdelin (Founder of BARK, prehype, Audos)Henrik Werdelin is on an AI-fueled mission to launch thousands of startups a year. He is the founder of BARK, which went public, and prehype, a studio that has incubated several unicorns. With Audos, Henrik is building AI agents that can coach founders how he would — if he had infinite time to do so. And Audos is not just for the cliche founder looking to launch a unicorn… It’s for entrepreneurs of all stripes. With AI making things easier, Henrik expects to see lots more “DonkeyCorns,” i.e. highly profitable businesses operated by just one or two p...2024-09-0340 min
CRAFTED.Sports + AI: It’s Getting Personal | Behshad Behzadi (CTO & Chief AI Officer, Sportradar)Sports, and the way we experience them, is changing. And AI, 5G, 3D, and all the other buzzy acronyms are why. Behshad Behzadi is the CTO and Chief AI Officer of Sportradar and on this episode of CRAFTED., we explore ways sports and technology are intersecting in novel, weird, and amazing ways. Sportradar creates immersive experiences and data products for sports fans, players, leagues, and bettors. Behshad joined after 17 years at Google where he co-founded Google Assistant, Google Lens and more. He's been building with AI and voice for wa...2024-08-2723 min
Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / ShowProf. Dr. Dan Blumberg Ph.D. - Vice-President for Regional and Industrial Development - Ben-Gurion University of the Negev - Chair, Israel Space Agency - Planetary Science Innovation For All HumanitySend us a textProfessor Dr. Dan Blumberg, Ph.D. is the Vice-President for Regional and Industrial Development at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev ( BGU - https://www.blumberg.bgu.ac.il/ ), an elected Member of the International Academy of Astronautics, and Chair of the Israel Space Agency ( https://www.space.gov.il/en ), a position he was appointed to by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology ( https://www.gov.il/en/departments/ministry_of_science_and_technology/govil-landing-page ) in 2022.Prior to these positions, Prof. Blumberg completed five years as Vice President and Dean...2024-08-211h 04
CRAFTED.The Integration Is the Innovation | Jeff Birkeland (SVP of Product at Included Health)Jeff Birkeland is the SVP of Product and Platform at Included Health, a company that aims to be the app on your phone that you first think of when you have a healthcare need.On this episode of CRAFTED., we explore why “the integration itself is the innovation.” Included Health has more than 2,000 employees across both technology and clinical care, and its services are used by many top companies and their employees. The goal: create an integrated experience that brings it all together… from insurance to diet to doctors to drug...2024-08-2023 min
CRAFTED.Is It Cake or a Muffin? How to Position Your Product and Drive More Sales | April Dunford (bestselling author and advisor)April Dunford is an expert at product positioning. She’s advised hundreds of B2B companies on how they can make their products Obviously Awesome — that’s also the title of her bestselling book on positioning. On this episode of CRAFTED., April shares tips on how you can make your product standout and how you can drive more sales — that’s the focus of her latest book, Sales Pitch.April says great positioning starts when you truly understand the answer to this question: “If you didn't exist, what would a customer do?” And the answer may s...2024-08-1334 min
CRAFTED.How Media Is Made Today: AI and a Modern CMS | Matt Monahan, President, Arc XP, The Washington PostMaking media is hard. Distributing it to the right audience even more so. GenAI can help. Matt Monahan is the president of Arc XP at the Washington Post. On this episode, we're digging into the core technology of any media company: the content management system (CMS), why they’re so hard to build right and how new GenAI tools can reduce the toil required for journalists to get their stories to the right audience. Arc XP is not only the CMS used by the Washington Post, but it’s also used by man...2024-08-0626 min
CRAFTED.My AI Teacher: Khan Academy and the Future of Education | Dr. Kristen Dicerbo (Chief Learning Officer)Dr. Kristen DiCerbo is Khan Academy’s Chief Learning Officer, where she sets the company's product, teaching, and learning strategy — with AI at the forefront. Khanmigo is amazing. It’s the GenAI-powered product from Khan Academy that helps students learn and teachers teach — and could revolutionize education. Khan Academy is used by 12 million students a month! And they’ve been an early adopter of GenAI. Khanmigo coaches students in math and English, helps teachers prepare lesson plans, enables parents to get help as they help their ch...2024-07-3031 min
CRAFTED.Great Software & Storytelling Is Emotional | Kelsey Hightower (Legendary Developer, Kubernetes Pioneer, Former Distinguished Engineer at Google)Kelsey Hightower is a legend. He regularly gives live software demos in front of tens of thousands of people, improvising them like it’s jazz. He’s a master storyteller and a master craftsman. He helped evangelize and establish Kubernetes and recently retired (at 42!) from Google where he was a distinguished engineer. Kelsey loves to level people up and in this conversation we discuss the power of innovation that happens after going from Zero to One. Or, as Kelsey puts it, “From Hello, World to Hello, Revenue” — and why those boring innovations show true grit and cr...2024-07-2351 min
CRAFTED.Driving Product-led Growth (PLG) With Customer.io Founder and CEO Colin NederkroonColin Nederkoorn is the founder and CEO of Customer.io, a top customer engagement platform that enables companies to send the right message to the right user at the right time on the right channel. The platform is used by Notion and lots of other top SaaS companies to personalize user onboarding and more. When Customer.io was founded in 2011, there were analytics platforms and there were things you could do with that data, but as the mobile era was taking off – and user onboarding became even more critical – Colin recognized a need for companies to immediately send...2024-07-1627 min
CRAFTED.Powering the World’s Hackathons | Brandon Kessler (Founder & CEO, DevPost)DevPost powers most of the world’s hackathons. And, according to founder and CEO Brandon Kessler, lately there is one overarching directive: “Executives from the top down are saying: `We need to do hackathons to uncover the value of ai.`” Nearly every one of the 1,200 hackathons DevPost powered last year was AI-centric. On this episode of CRAFTED., we explore why hackathons are still such a powerful tool, both as public competitions and as internal initiatives. And we hear the founding story of DevPost and why they pivoted from hosting public competitions of all kinds (cooking challenges with Michell...2024-07-0927 min
CRAFTED.Solving Dinner & Building Wonder | Rich Przekop (VP, Product at Wonder)Wonder aims to be a “super app for mealtime”, with people turning to it for everything from delivery to groceries to meal kits and more... It’s a very ambitious food-tech startup founded by Marc Lore, the legendary founder who previously built, scaled, and sold Diapers.com and Jet.com (to Amazon and Walmart, respectively). Wonder is rapidly opening stores across the East Coast that, as they put it, feature 30 restaurants in one location. The theory is that that one location can be 30x as profitable as a similarly-sized operation. Serving and delivering that many types of...2024-07-0229 min
CRAFTED.Listen to Developers! | Justin Cormack (CTO, Docker)When Docker restructured, the company went back to its roots: super-serving developers. CTO Justin Cormack says that’s why the company is developer-obsessed, not customer-obsessed: “We really wanted to focus on the fact that it's the developer who loves Docker. It's the developer who is going to be using Docker every day…” Over the past decade, Docker exploded in popularity as companies moved to cloud and adopted software containers as they did... but the company struggled as a business and, five years ago, made massive changes: “When we restructured people were like, `Well, I kind of hope this works...2024-06-2532 min
CRAFTED.New Frontiers of Health: AI, Psychedelics, the Gut-Brain Axis, and More! | Live from SXSWSoftware, hardware, and biotechnology are playing an increasingly transformative role in our mental health and wellness. On this episode of CRAFTED., recorded live on the “Next” stage at SXSW, we discuss what investors look for in these new companies and how they separate what’s real — and what’s near-term — from what’s hype. On stage with host Dan Blumberg are:Amy Kruse, General Partner & Chief Investment Officer at Satori Neuro, and a trained neuroscientistMatias Serebrinsky, Co-founder and General Partner at PsyMed Ventures, and the host of Business Trip, which is a great podcast if you...2024-06-1843 min
CRAFTED.How BetterUp Leverages AI + Human Coaches to Help People and Companies Flourish | Gabriella Rosen Kellerman (Chief Product and Innovation Officer)Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman is the Chief Product and Innovation Officer at BetterUp, a multi-billion dollar startup that helps people and companies level up. Through a combination of human coaching and AI, BetterUp is able to offer the kind of executive coaching that used to be reserved for... executives. On this episode of CRAFTED. we dig into how BetterUp ships new products, proves they work, and what's next… Key Moments:[2:23 - 7:27] How BetterUp helps companies and employees level up[7:27 - 11:15] How BetterUp build products — and why they have more than the typical...2024-06-1123 min
CRAFTED.Making Music With AI – And Doing So Ethically | Diaa El All, Founder & CEO of SoundfulDiaa El All is the founder and CEO of Soundful, which enables anyone to create brand new music in just a few seconds with AI. And on this episode of CRAFTED., we are literally making music.We’re also talking about the ethics of using AI to make music. Diaa has been very outspoken about what he sees as the misguided practices of other AI+music companies that train their models by just scraping the web. At Soundful, they’ve taken a different approach: they are painstakingly building their own proprietary data by recording musi...2024-06-0428 min
CRAFTED.Asana’s Head of AI on the Profound Ways Work Is Changing | Paige Costello (Head of AI & Co-Head of Product Management at Asana)Paige Costello is the the head of AI and co-head of product at Asana and on this episode of CRAFTED. we're exploring what it means to ship products with AI, how AI will change the way work gets done, and how to organize your teams for success in this brave new world.We explore:How the future of work – and communicating about work – is changingWhy Asana chose to create an “AI org” instead of a less centralized innovation approachHow Asana ships — and measures the success of — AI-powered features, e.g. SmartStatus, that aim to take the...2024-05-2831 min
Space MidrashShmooze with WeSpace & Guests: Artful Risks and Lunar LegaciesJoin Jacob Sager on "Space Midrash" with guests Yifat Feffer, Dr. Kathy Laurini, Professor Dan Blumberg, and Yigal Harel as they discuss WeSpace Technologies' lunar hoppers, the evolving space economy, and the future of lunar missions. This episode explores the intersection of art and space, the potential of cislunar economies, and the ethical implications of space exploration. Tune in for insights on international collaboration and the visionary projects shaping the future of space exploration.2024-05-2051 min
Business TripInvesting in New Frontiers of Mental Health (Live at SXSW)Software, hardware, and biotechnology are playing an increasingly transformative role in our mental health and wellness. Join us as we discuss what investors look for in these new companies and how they separate what’s real — and what’s near-term — from what’s hype. We’ll explore AI-powered tools for mental health, the new area of “enerceuticals” (energy replacing the “pharma”), psychedelics, and why what’s in your gut is so important to your mental state. Hear from investors who have a wide view of this growing startup landscape and better understand which new ventures are likely to succeed.This is a liv...2024-05-0750 min
CRAFTED.How to Grow Your Startup. Featuring “Growth Levers and How to Find Them” Author and Startup Advisor Matt Lerner (Founder & CEO, SYSTM)“So if you take any great startup and look backwards, you'll see that 90 percent of their growth came from like 10 percent of the stuff that they tried. So how do you find that 10 percent as quickly as possible?”Matt Lerner has advised hundreds of startups on how to grow. Now, the CEO of SYSTM has written a book called Growth Levers and How to Find Them where he shares his approach. This episode of CRAFTED. is full of actionable advice on how you can grow your products and companies. Matt will tell us about the...2024-04-1633 min
CRAFTED.How AI Changes Product Management. And the April Fool's Gag That Came True | Janna Bastow (Founder & CEO of ProdPad & Founder, Mind The Product)On April 1st, 2013, ProdPad promised something revolutionary: “We now take your backlog of ideas, and with highly advanced big data crunching algorithm technology, automagically render a complete and accurate product roadmap. [...] The Auto-Roadmap Tool not only builds itself, but also covers for the hardest part of the Product Manager’s job: Getting complete buy-in from your team.”Amazing! And product managers wrote in with unbridled excitement itching to get their hands on this incredible tool.Except… this was obviously an April Fool’s joke, right!? Well, fast forward to...2024-04-0125 min
CRAFTED.Live from SXSW! The Impromptu Rooftop EpisodeEnjoy this bonus, happy hour edition of CRAFTED., recorded live during SXSW. It’s a very unCRAFTED. CRAFTED. Featuring four innovators on a rooftop in Austin talking about what struck them at this year’s SXSW. Kick back and unwind with Christie Nicholson (Founder of the Studio for Communicating Complexity), Kwaku Aning (Director, Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurial Thinking (CIET) at San Diego Jewish Academy and Founder, Retro Futurism Consulting), James Burdine (Founder and Principal at Bishop Linville Consulting), and CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg.Topics and tangents include: the use of AI in education and government, the...2024-03-2825 min
CRAFTED.How to Navigate the Whitewater World of Work | Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman (Chief Product & Innovation Officer at BetterUp and Author of Tomorrowmind)Career trajectories used to be like steamships: full steam ahead. And then they became more like sailboats: lots of tacking. But now… we’re swirling in whitewater. And, as the Chief Product and Innovation Officer at BetterUp, Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman helps people build the skill they need to flourish:“When you're kayaking in the whitewater. It's hard to get a sense of what could be around the bend, but if you know if what's coming up is a sudden cascade or versus another, you know, set of gentle bumps, or maybe it's a calmer space in the ri...2024-03-1928 min
CRAFTED.“You Have to Invest Into Change.” Startup Lessons from Fintech OG and VC Daniel Kimerling, Founder of Deciens Capital and Standard Treasury“You have to invest into change. You cannot invest into stasis.Daniel Kimerling has a keen eye for the trends, technologies, and cultural shifts that are going to be big. A decade ago, he took an insight – that developers needed powerful tool so they could embed banking services into their apps – and launched Standard Treasury, the very first banking-as-a-service (BaaS) startup. Today BaaS and "embedded finance" are huge. Now, as a VC and the founder of Deciens Capital, Dan is again looking for change:“From an ego perspective, I love being right. From a financial perspecti...2024-03-0529 min
STICK TALK PODCASTNathan Blumberg on Working with Tom Brady & Being an NFL VideographerIn this video, Nathan Blumberg shares his experience working with Tom Brady and being an NFL videographer. From capturing game footage to producing creative content, Nathan has a unique perspective on the behind-the-scenes world of the NFL. Get insights from one of the industry's top videographers and see what it takes to work with one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
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Nathan Blumberg is a sports videographer who started his career working for MLB at the age of 20. Later...2024-02-291h 18CRAFTED.Crafted Highlights from 2023 (Our New Trailer)A highlight reel that will will help you find great episodes in the Crafted show archive, featuring some of the incredible founders and product builders we featured in 2023. You'll hear voices belonging to the founders of Gusto, Lattice, Monte Carlo, Moov, Wevr, PS, as well as from senior leaders at AWS, Redesign Health, Betterment, Flatiron Health, Predibase, and Bauplan, and more! And we want to hear from you! We're planning big things this year and want to learn more about what you want to hear. Please take two minutes to take this short survey: https://www.tinyurl.c...2024-02-2108 minCRAFTED.Using AI to Reduce Carbon Emissions on the High Seas | Todd Sundsted, Former CTO of Nautilus LabsWe're not building a set of blogs or something like that where the domain is well understood. We're really pushing the forefront of what people are doing with vessels and optimization."The effect of global shipping on the climate is hard to overstate," reports The New York Times. "Cargo shipping is responsible for nearly 3 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions — producing roughly as much carbon each year as the aviation industry does." So... Nautilus Labs uses AI to make maritime vessels more efficient by helping giant cargo ships optimize their routes across the oceans and suggesting when th...2024-02-0616 minCRAFTED.Microgravity Is Special: Computer Chips and Cancer Treatments May Soon Be Made There. | Jana Stoudemire (Director of In-Space Manufacturing, Axiom Space)** Please take this three-minute survey to help us create more great Crafted episodes. http://tinyurl.com/craftedsurvey **Last week, on Thursday January 18th at 4:49pm Eastern, a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on its way to the International Space Station. On board are 4 astronauts from Axiom Space, a private company that’s building a brand new space station. To celebrate the successful launch of AX-3, we’re bringing you one of...2024-01-2325 minCRAFTED.Why “The Right Mindset” Is Key to Shipping Great Software | Edward Kim, Co-founder & CTO of Gusto“I was a pretty bad people manager and so there was a moment where I decided that this is not going to work and I really need to decide which path I'm gonna go. Am I gonna stay hands on keyboard or am I going to really help build the engineering team and scale the organization?”Edward Kim is the CTO and co-founder of Gusto, a multi-billion dollar company that helps businesses with payroll, benefits, and human resources. In this episode, we’re talking about scaling up and why Gusto’s focus on quality code and...2023-12-1222 min
CRAFTED.Taking GenAI From Prototype to Production. A Special NYC Tech Week Live Event. Featuring Leaders from AWS, Flatiron Health, Predibase, and Bauplan“The last nine months, no matter what we want to talk about, our customers want to talk about one thing, which is Gen AI.”One year ago, ChatGPT woke the entire world up to the possibilities of Generative AI. Since then, the conversation around AI has not ceased, with constant questions being raised about its safety, accuracy, and potential implications for the tech world.In this episode, Dan hosts a panel at NYC Tech Week 2023, discussing the evolution and potential of Generative AI with Jacopo Tagliabue of Bauplan, Cat Miller of Flatiron Heal...2023-11-2843 min
CRAFTED.How to Go Fast and Not Break Things: Why Great Brakes Help You Accelerate and Innovate. Featuring John Mileham, CTO of Betterment“Nobody's going to drive as fast on the straightaway if they don't have good brakes because if that's not available, then you can't go fast confidently.” John Mileham is the CTO of Betterment, and he’s also a race car driving instructor. Though they seem like vastly different roles, he has the same focus in both: going fast but doing so safely. Betterment is a digital financial advisor that builds software that can automate your finances… so safety is key. In this episode, John describes how he empowers teams and creates conditions that foster creativity, speed, and security. 2023-11-1424 minCRAFTED.Don’t Throw Spaghetti at the Wall: How to Build an MVP at a Big Enterprise. Featuring Neil Caron, Product and Design Leader at Gartner“The lean startup and MVP model is absolutely the right mindset to have, but that doesn't mean that you have to throw spaghetti at the wall.” Neil Caron, Product and Design Leader at Gartner, is doing something hard: helping a big company to innovate. Gartner is the company many technology buyers turn to for advice when they’re looking to buy mission-critical products. Traditionally, that’s meant reading reports and talking to analysts, but with the new BuySmart software-as-a-service product, they can now collaborate more seamlessly with each other as they go through their checklists and make a decision. ...2023-10-3124 min
CRAFTED.Enough Putting Lipstick on the Pig: Why Moov Is Rebuilding Payment Infrastructure from the Ground Up. Featuring CEO Wade Arnold“Being a part of financial services for the last 15 or 20 years, it seemed like we were always putting lipstick on the pig”. Wade Arnold was tired of putting a nice UI on creaky infrastructure and he saw how insufficient payment systems are for today’s internet-based businesses. So Wade founded Moov, a fintech that's building systems for the way money moves today – and they’re starting at the very bottom of the stack and building their way up. On this episode, Wade shares how Moov emerged from an open source project, how its embrace of developer...2023-10-1726 min
CRAFTED.Putting People First: How Jack Altman Built Lattice Into an Employee Performance Powerhouse“We just experienced these pains of people feeling unsatisfied, they didn't necessarily feel like there were easy opportunities to be listened to by the company.” CEO Jack Altman is determined to help make work meaningful, and founding Lattice is a big part of that goal. Lattice is an employee performance and engagement software company that wants to put people first. The product was inspired by an experience Jack had with another company when he saw that staff feedback was collecting dust, and employees were disengaged.On this episode, Jack explains how he started Lattice with...2023-10-0325 minCRAFTED.Microgravity, FTW! Why Advanced Computer Chips and Cancer Treatments May Soon Be Made…IN SPACE. Featuring Jana Stoudemire, Director of In-Space Manufacturing, Axiom Space“When we talk about future cities in space, it seems like they're really far away. The truth is, it's happening right now. We're building those.” That’s the mind-blowing reality that Jana Stoudemire works in everyday at Axiom Space, a leading space infrastructure developer based in Texas. Axiom is building a successor to the International Space Station and developing commercial opportunities in orbit that go way beyond satellites. Central to all this is the unique environment of microgravity, which allows you to do things that just can’t be done on Earth.On this episode...2023-09-1923 minCRAFTED.Building Better Data Networks for the People – and Machines! – of Tomorrow. Featuring Ali Shaikh, Chief Product Officer of Graphiant"People using this isn't the thing I'm thinking about. Human beings can tolerate high latency and delays to a certain level. Machines cannot. AI cannot, IoT cannot." As Chief Product Officer of Graphiant, Ali Shaikh is building data networks that are flexible, secure, and ready to meet the demands of the next generation of people – and devices. And just as the move to the cloud enabled founders to launch their startups more quickly – because they didn’t have to worry about servers and rackspace – Graphiant’s “as-a-service” network has the same potential: to free founders up to focus on...2023-09-0528 minCRAFTED.How Monte Carlo Prevents Data Downtime, Featuring Founder & CEO, Barr Moses“This problem was so painful and so meaningful to people that I just couldn't believe a world where a solution to this didn't exist.” When Barr Moses identified the very costly problem of what she coined “data downtime”, she knew she needed to solve it. Barr is the Founder and CEO of Monte Carlo, a data observability platform that’s on a mission to eliminate data downtime, a problem that can cost companies millions of dollars each time there’s an outage and the numbers — and the systems that rely on them — go haywire. And with the growth of AI, data problem...2023-08-2224 minCRAFTED.How Data Teams Can Run An Offensive Playbook, Featuring Sol Rashidi, Former Chief Analytics Officer at Estée Lauder“It's not columns and rows, but it's the fact that you could fundamentally increase consumer retention, consumer attention, consumer experience, and that's the fun stuff.” That’s how Sol Rashidi pitched a data and analytics mindset to the world’s biggest companies, back before data was King (and AI became Queen). Sol is the former Chief Analytics Officer at Estée Lauder but she got started in the business of data insights long before it was cool, taking companies from merely collecting and cleaning data to leveraging it in powerful ways. On this episode, Sol takes us through he...2023-08-0924 minCRAFTED.How Egnyte Found – And Keeps Finding – Its Niche. Featuring VP of Product Greg Neustaetter“You attract security conscious customers. They push you and ask for more security focused features. You build those, you attract more of those companies.” That’s how Greg Neustaetter helped Egnyte find its niche, providing industrial-grade cloud file storage for compliance-focused clients. Greg has spent 11 years at Egnyte and as VP of Product, he’s helped define and refine their offerings in the face of giant competitors like Google and Microsoft. On this episode, Greg explains how Egnyte identified and went all-in on developing their product for two key industries. And hear about how Egnyte fe...2023-07-2525 min
CRAFTED.Fighting Cancer With Data | Cat Miller (CTO, Flatiron Health)“Anyone who knows anything about drug development would say it is a slow and painful process”. Cat Miller is CTO at Flatiron Health, a software company that uses technology to “clean up all the gunk in the trials industry”. Flatiron helps researchers develop new cancer treatments by making clinical trials run smarter and faster. They also identify trial data that lead to new treatments, and help doctors manage and improve patient care.On this episode, Cat breaks down how Flatiron takes piles of data from “hot garbage” to deep insights that lead to innovative cancer treatm...2023-07-1123 minCRAFTED.Digital Makeover: Upgrading the Barbershop, Featuring Kush Patel, Founder and CTO of theCut“Barbershops have historically been a very cash-dominated business. And shaking that mentality is probably the biggest challenge.” Kush Patel knew that the iconic but old-school world of barbering needed a digital upgrade, so he founded theCut, a barber booking app that helps clients find a barber and then book and pay for their cut. It also helps barbers attract and manage their clients, and the app is positioned to help them grow their services beyond the chair.On this episode, Kush tells us what inspired him to build theCut with his co-founder Obi Omile, and...2023-06-2723 minCRAFTED.Exercise 2.0: Building Tech to Electrify Your Workout and Stimulate Better Results, Featuring Bjoern Woltermann, Founder and CEO of Katalyst “We haven’t invented a new way to work out since the ancient Greeks. With electro muscular stimulation, we're breaking that.” Invention is a big part of everything Bjoern Woltermann did at Katalyst to bring electro muscular stimulation, or EMS, to the US market – and to US homes. EMS workouts have been around for decades, but typically only in a physical therapy context. With Katalyst, you wear a suit that triggers your muscles while you work out, promising the equivalent of a 2-hour workout in only 20 minutes, and with less injury risk than a traditional workout. But to make this suit...2023-06-1327 min
CRAFTED.3D and XR and AI, Oh My! How Wevr Is Enabling Creators to Be More…Creative. Featuring CEO Nev SpiteriWorking with the likes of Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, and Jon Favreau, Nev Spiteri has created some of film and gaming’s most incredible visual sequences. Now the CEO of Wevr has gone all in on building software to enable others to create their own virtual worlds — and to do so seamlessly via the cloud. The goal is to help creators spend more time creating, and less time configuring, updating, and debugging. On this episode, we dig into the unique needs that 3D world creators have, why version control is so critical to them, and h...2023-05-3024 min
AI and the Future of Work: Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace, Business, Ethics, HR, and IT for AI Enthusiasts, Leaders and AcademicsDaniel Davila, CEO of Divisadero Pictures and tech strategist for Disney, Microsoft, and Comcast, discusses AI and the entertainment industryThe current Hollywood writers strike is the highest profile example of shifting dynamics in the entertainment industry. Studios are spending less to produce more content. Fees paid to writers have plummeted. Generative AI is only accelerating the trend. This has profound implications for the future of storytelling.Today’s guest is an expert in the entertainment industry having founded Divisadero Pictures in 2011 to advise entertainment companies from Disney to Comcast to Microsoft on strategy and finance topics. Daniel Davila received his MFA from USC and his MBA from Stanford. For historical perspective, today is only the...2023-05-2937 min