Summary

In this episode, Marty the Pirate and Nick Rayburn discuss various topics including social selling, embracing one's weirdness, the Band of Brothers mentoring organization, and the power of play. They also share their love for Batman and discuss the importance of being a positive male role model. Nick talks about his upcoming book on the power of play and the benefits of integrating play into our lives. The conversation explores the negative impact of excessive screen time on children and the importance of being present and engaged as parents. They discuss the addictive nature of social media and the need for self-awareness and self-care. They also touch on the role of technology in shaping the younger generation and the potential mental health consequences. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the importance of knowing oneself and embracing one's potential.Keywordssocial selling, embracing weirdness, Band of Brothers, mentoring, power of play, Batman, male role models, screen time, parenting, social media, addiction, self-awareness, self-care, technology, mental health, knowing oneself, potential

Takeaways

• Embrace your weirdness and be fully yourself.
• Being a positive male role model is important for younger generations.
• The Band of Brothers organization mentors at-risk young men and helps them find a better path.
• The power of play is beneficial for adults and can improve relationships and overall well-being.
• Nick is writing a book on the power of play and its integration into daily life. Excessive screen time can have a negative impact on children's development and relationships.
• Being present and engaged as parents is crucial for healthy child development.
• Social media can be addictive and affect mental health.
• Self-awareness and self-care are important for maintaining a healthy relationship with technology.
• Knowing oneself and embracing one's potential is key to personal growth and success.

Chapters

[00:00] - Introduction and Connection

[02:18] - Nick's Work in Social Selling and Embracing Weirdness

[06:19] - Band of Brothers Mentoring Organization

[09:11] - Shared Love for Batman and the Power of Storytelling

[16:15] - Nick's Book on the Power of Play

[23:19] - The Impact of Fatherhood and the Importance of Play

[31:51] - The Negative Impact of Excessive Screen Time

[37:08] - Disconnecting from Screens and Connecting with Nature

[44:28] - The Dark Side of Social Media and Junk Content

[50:30] - Carving Out Space for Self-Care in the Morning

[57:56] - Children are Sponges: Modeling Behavior and Emotional Awareness

[01:00:43] - Embracing Our Potential and Overcoming Fear of Success

🏴‍☠️ Avast ye me hearties, in this here very special episode of your favourite podcast, an old colleague and friend of mine drops by for another one of those lively chats this Captain is known for across the Seven Seas 🏴‍☠️

None other than Tim Brandt joins me in conversation about our checkered past lives and Tim's career trajectory. You see, Tim's story is a true fairytale to begin with. A Hollywood Dream come true.

Tune in as he shares the tall tale of a wee kid from Michigan making it big in LaLa land with nothing else than a computer engineering degree, a tiny suitcase and dreams big enough to fit a proper galleon ⛵️

Gasp in awe as he reaches for the stars, driving around Beverly Hills in a limo packed with A listers and tech venture capitalists, before landing his dream job at none other than the (in)famous Snap 😎

But just like Icarus flying too close to the Sun, he gets burned pretty bad by the gnarly Tech Layoffs of 2023 we've all grown to loath, and the fall down is long and hard...

Fret not, me hearties, for this tall tale has a happy ending after all. Indeed, you'll learn with undivided interest how Tim, like a phoenix raising from its ashes, finds his center again with the help of a headhunter with a heart of gold ❤️

A story for the ages, I tell ye, so what are you waiting for?

Timeline

[00:00] - Introduction and Reunion of 2 old salty dogs

[06:15] - Computer Graphics - a Ticket to Hollywood?

[13:20] - Pivoting into iOS Development on the LA Tech Scene

[16:50] - Building an App in Beverly Hills

[21:00] - Bringing it all together with AR at Neon

[25:58] - Life in the Pressure Cooker that is Snap

[29:30] - The Infamous Tech Layoffs of 2023 rear their ugly heads

[31:56] - A Hero's rebirth with the Help of a Headhunter with his heart in the right place

[36:15] - Parting Words of Wisdom

Links

Walker Smith, a Headhunter with his heart in the right place: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walkertmsmith/

Summary

Join yer favorite Captain in his humble Cabin for a lively chat with his buddy Makson Serpa, product designer at Meta and all-around great guy 😛

Makson and I discuss his journey as a designer and the important lessons he learned along the way. Like how his early passion for doodling in class led him to a full-fledged career in product design, for instance.

Funny stories and anecdotes along the way too, you know how it goes in the Cabin, right? There's one involving unexpected objects he had to work with, you don't want to miss that one.

But fret not my Tech Pirates, there's also a treasure trove of advice to be found, especially for you newcomers to the graphic design trade. Like the importance of finding yourself a mentor early and seeking feedback to improve as a designer, as well as the value of smart networking and building connections in the industry.

And yeah, of course we discuss the elephant in the room, heck, the elephant in EVERY room these days it seems, the ubiquitous AI and its impact on various industries, including art and design.

Enjoy 🏴‍☠️

Episode Timeline & Highlights

[00:00] - Introduction and Podcast

[00:29] - Introducing Makson, the Product Designer

[03:25] - Cabin Gossip: Makson's Journey to Becoming a Designer and Other Graphic Tales from the Trenches

[13:56] - Tips and Advice for Designers Looking for Jobs

[18:15] - Importance of Networking and Mentoring

[25:53] - Craft and Excellence in Design

[30:42] - Building a Portfolio and Pro Bono Work

[34:06] - Reaching Out to Companies and Applying Strategically

[38:46] - Taking Strategic Pay Cuts for Career Growth

[43:23] - Having a Roadmap for Career Growth

[46:27] - Aim High and Dream Big

[47:23] - The Importance of Mindset

[48:16] - The Captain's Rant - The Impact of AI on Art and Design

[01:05:20] - Parting Words of Wisdom

Come and meet Oli Proulx, Co-Founder of ChargeHub, a Montreal Startup whose supercharged platform allows its users to locate and use charging stations for their EV all over North America.

Summary

🏴‍☠️ All hands on deck, Phil Wise is joining your favorite captain this week in the Captain's Cabin and you don't want to miss out on what he has to say, trust me now, you don't. You see, Phil's an experienced technology leader who happens to know a thing or two about security and building 10X teams.

Key Takeaways

• Building high-performance teams requires spotting and attracting A-players.
• Adding more developers to a project does not necessarily speed up its completion.
• Rewriting monolithic code can be challenging and may not always be the best solution.
• The popularity of PHP suggests that it has practical value despite its reputation.
• Empirical research is needed to validate common beliefs and practices in software engineering.
• The benefits and drawbacks of microservices depend on the specific context and needs of the project.
• Uniformity in development can provide advantages in terms of ease of collaboration and maintenance. Building a 10x team requires finding the right combination of talented individuals and creating an environment that fosters collaboration and high performance.

• Incremental improvements in processes and efficiency can have a compounding effect, leading to significant gains in productivity and value delivery.
• Measuring success in sales and software development should focus on outcomes and value delivered, rather than just activities completed.
• The complexity of software development and the evolving threat landscape in cybersecurity require thoughtful system design and a proactive approach to security.
• Learning from small-scale failures and seeking expertise from experienced professionals can help avoid costly mistakes and accelerate learning and growth.
• 
  

Useful Links

Phil Wise LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-wise/

Summary

In this episode of the Captain's Cabin podcast, Marty the Cool Recruiter interviews Jane Serra, VP Marketing at Work and co-host of the Women in B2B Marketing podcast. They discuss the inspiration behind Jane's podcast and the importance of personal branding in the tech industry. They also share personal experiences and insights on hiring and building teams. The conversation covers topics such as reggaeton music, the challenges of personal branding in corporate environments, and the challenges of hiring in the tech industry. Overall, the episode provides valuable insights for both recruiters and job seekers in the tech industry. The conversation covers various topics related to hiring, employer branding, and the changing landscape of work. It emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, remote work, and creating a positive work environment. The discussion also touches on the impact of COVID-19 on career priorities and the need for personal branding. Additionally, the conversation explores the challenges of marketing and the potential consequences of AI-generated content.

Key Takeaways

• Work-life balance, remote work, and a healthy work environment are the most important factors for candidates nowadays.
• COVID-19 has led to a reevaluation of career priorities and a shift towards more flexible work arrangements.
• Employer branding and personal branding can help attract top talent.

All hands on deck 🏴‍☠️

Your Captain has had the distinguished honour of receiving Ryan from Gloss Genius to chat the night away about his experience in management and building resilient systems.

Given Ryan's track record as a kid's sports coach, we've had the chance to debate the differences and similarities between coaching and management and the importance of human-centered management styles.

And for you out there wearing recruiter hats of all shapes and forms, well, we haven't forgotten to wag our tongues on the subject of hiring and recruiting in the tech industry, and all it's intricate challenges, if you savvy 🦑

As a bonus, you'll get privy to Ryan's ideal interview loop and the importance of creating a positive candidate experience whilst also fostering diversity. Feel free to take and use what makes sense for your current hiring needs fellow founders and recruiting managers!

Takeaways

• Coaching and management share similarities, but there are differences. Coaching is focused on short-term performance and winning, while management is about long-term consistency and building a high-performing team.
• Effective management requires a human-centered approach, considering the well-being and development of team members. It is important to view employees as individuals with unique skills, needs, and motivations.
• Building resilient systems involves planning for unknown unknowns and learning from incidents. It requires a combination of technical and human factors, such as understanding the system, providing feedback loops, and fostering a blameless culture.
• When hiring and recruiting, it is important to consider the employer brand and company culture. Candidates should be evaluated not only for their technical skills but also for their problem-solving abilities, values alignment, and compatibility with the team.
• Creating a positive candidate experience is crucial in the hiring process. It is important to be respectful of candidates' time, provide clear communication, and ensure a fair and transparent interview process.
• The ideal interview loop should include a technical assessment to evaluate problem-solving skills, a discussion about past experiences and cultural fit, and an opportunity for candidates to ask questions and learn more about the role and company.
• Effective communication and collaboration are key in the interview process, including being open to suggestions and thinking out loud.
• Fostering diversity in recruiting requires actively seeking out candidates from underrepresented communities and creating a welcoming environment.
• Creating inclusive work environments involves recognizing and accommodating different strengths and needs.
• Expanding recruitment efforts to reach a more diverse pool of candidates requires examining the current pipeline and making necessary changes.
• Playing to people's strengths and using alternative assessment methods can help identify the right fit for different roles.
• Addressing diversity and inclusion requires a commitment to change and creating a company culture that values and supports all employees.
• Finding joy in work is important and individuals should not settle for being unhappy in their jobs.

🏴‍☠️ Wanna know how to hire the best talents in AI? Look no further.

Here's your favorite Captain having a chat with one Jean-Francois Cloutier, CTO at Stamped, about all things AI, especially as they relate to the challenges of using AI in recruitment, and recruiting for AI, if you savvy.

We also get our spyglasses out and peruse the future of AI and its impact on humanity, in the end questioning what it means to be Human.

Our lively conversation highlights the evolution of AI and the use of commodity models, such as OpenAI's Chat GPT, in various industries. 🏴‍☠️

Takeaways

• AI has the potential to automate financial assurance processes in accounting, leading to faster turnarounds and lower costs for businesses.

• AI can be used in recruitment to extract relevant information from resumes and profiles, but human judgment is necessary to assess cultural fit and group dynamics.
• The advancements in AI, particularly the transformer approach, have revolutionized the field and opened up possibilities for building more intelligent and creative AI models.
• The consciousness and experience of AI are complex topics that raise philosophical questions about what it means to be human and the nature of consciousness.
• When hiring for AI, consider whether your organization needs people skilled in using existing models or those who can innovate and think creatively.
• Networking with top leaders in AI and attending conferences can help in finding the best talent.
• Hiring for commodity AI is easier than hiring for research AI.
• Researchers and engineers have different skill sets and mindsets.

Episode Timeline and Highlights

[00:00] - Introduction and Cabin Gossip

[08:39] - Introduction to Stamped and AI in Accounting

[12:53] - The Role of AI in Recruitment

[16:41] - The Potential of AI and the Future of Humanity

[21:20] - The Evolution of AI and the Transformer Approach

[25:37] - The Commodification of AI

[27:40] - The Consciousness and Experience of AI

[32:48] - The Advancements in AI and the Use of Commodity Models

[36:22] - Hiring the Best Talents in AI

[44:06] - Closing Remarks