As the last decade’s big social media platforms crumble, Paul and Rich reflect on the (false) promise of the “global town square,” and the suggestion that putting millions of people in a giant room together could be productive in any way. If the era of building software to facilitate networked connections is truly on the way out, does AI promise a return to an earlier, utility-based era of technology?
When Paul suggests recording a podcast about public figures they admire, Rich has a counter-offer—why not talk about people they hate instead? But this particular exercise has a catch: They can only discuss things they admire or feel they can learn from said figures, a very tricky exercise with certain politicians! A countdown of five business and political leaders that some large number of people hate—plus listen to the very end to hear exactly how Paul compares himself to Taylor Swift.
When Paul injures himself and is advised by his wife, Rich, and ChatGPT (seriously) to seek emergency medical attention, he goes to the urgent care and marvels at their utterly Byzantine technological set-up, from parallel, disconnected patient portals to being handed a literal CD-ROM with his X-rays. What can we learn from systems built for the captive user—and how does that apply to enterprise software more broadly?
What makes a person pay $120 for a tote bag—or fall in love with your software? Paul and Rich use a recent article about a TikTok influencer’s pricey (and popular!) tote bag to discuss our relationships with the things we buy, from unboxing videos (“commerce translated into emotional satisfaction”) to technologists’ largely incorrect assumption that adding one more feature will fundamentally change the way users feel about their product.
Paul tries to talk about his current obsession—synthesizers—on a hardware and software level, but Rich turns the tables to talk about Paul’s obsession itself. After Rich repeatedly asks Paul, “What are you doing?” they discuss the appeal of minimally online hobbies (and, by extension, software) in an extremely online world.
Men will literally record a podcast about their anxiety rather than go to therapy. How do you run a business when the world is on fire in so many ways? Paul and Rich talk about the state of things—including whether their perceptions of said things are even accurate—and how they should work, what to consider as they grow their company, and when to turn off. Gotta keep going.
Our friends find themselves in a new, corporate co-working space, determining that this, finally, is the thing that will push their digital product over the edge. Then, in a typically wide-reaching (cough) conversation, Rich and Paul discuss the current status of free speech discourse, in the context of the drama around Substack, and—well, as Rich puts it—“Who the hell asked technologists to be the arbiters of free speech?” Paul confesses that he dislikes mess, which would deeply shock anyone wh...
Rich and Paul ring in 2024 assessing the biggest technological development of last year, this year, and possibly many future years to come: Generative AI. Why did AI truly find a mainstream foothold in 2023—and how is the space going to evolve in the coming months? Plus: They engage in some (corporate) roleplay, and get really into character.
Rich and Paul talk about their willingness to be humiliated in a corporate context. It sounds just a little like they crave it. Especially Paul. Which is weird but whatever. Then they talk about how you can't automate relationships—how you can't remove interaction from the loop. They discuss what they learned this year, and what they hope to learn next year.
Our friend Jim Nielsen cataloged all the podcasts we didn't record, so Paul and Rich doubled down and recorded five new podcasts in a hurry. The end result is exactly what you would expect. YouTube edition features extra-ridiculous stock imagery.
Now longer than three minutes! (Sorry, tech glitch.) Rich and Paul talk about that most evergreen and thrilling of subjects—the marketing funnel! How it starts, where it goes, what makes it better or worse, and the great and deep importance of onboarding in this world.
Paul and Rich explore the web as a platform for everyone's data, leading to a shocking number of digressions into the class structure inherent in Android and iOS, how Google manages data, and old naked nudes. As noted at the beginning of the video, this one doesn't feature their little heads. They're going back to basics. This one does include so, so much AI and stock imagery though. It's hallucinatory. Enjoy!
With Sam Altman fired from OpenAI, there was so much drama in tech that it was impossible not to discuss it. With no secret insight but remarkable aplomb, Paul and Rich dive deep on the passionate subject of corporate governance, and try to understand just what the hell is going on.
Has Angular gone the way of the automat? Paul and Rich discuss how hard it is to give up on a programming language that's fallen out of fashion—especially when it's as much a part of your identity as your day-to-day work. Plus: An ode to bananas, nature's perfect creation.
Paul gives Rich an overview of where AI is these days, from Biden's regulations to Chinese lovelorn bot mistresses. It's an interesting, messy moment as global legislation starts to take shape, new features drop daily, and the world is left to figure it all out. Meanwhile, the podcast's slow journey towards AV quality continues.
Paul and Rich take on an evergreen: How not to get sued! NOT LEGAL ADVICE. But what are the obvious steps that you can take when you start a business in order to avoid getting sued? Includes a massive bait-and-switch, plus some really fun insurance thoughts. NOT LEGAL ADVICE.
Rich and Paul struggle with video technology as they seek to jam the podcast into YouTube, but limp across the line with a whole podcast. Briefly digressing and explaining themselves, they proceed to discuss AI, namely sexy robots (they're against), using a complicated metaphor involving WordPerfect 5.1—definitely something Gen Z will connect with—and what's good about ChatGPT. Rich closes it by predicting an almost inevitable nightmare scenario where giant AI platform companies will use their a...
Join our journey as our sponsor swallows us whole! This podcast has now morphed into the Aboard Podcast. Rich and Paul will uphold the same spirit and will be entering the YouTube realm – catch the hosts' faces and join the adventure! Sign up, reach out, and get on mobile to be part of Aboard .
Rich and Paul checkin on AI! They discuss the sweet spot where AI excels in streamlining tasks but falls short in capturing the intention and meaning woven into human expression. This podcast is sponsored by Aboard , it uses amazing AI technology to tame the web’s wildest data, clean up your tabs, and help you get things done fast—solo or with others.
In this episode Rich and Paul unravel the legal battles around Amazon's market dominance. Discover how its built in tactics affect small sellers, reshape prices, and redefine the game, leaving us all pondering who truly controls the online marketplace. This podcast episode is sponsored by Aboard .
Join our latest episode where Rich and Paul uncover the secrets of remarkable company turnarounds! Discover how visionary leadership and unwavering brand commitment transformed struggling businesses into industry titans. Speaking of pivots... check out our sponsor for this podcast - Aboard .
In this episode Rich and Paul delve into the importance of onboarding to learn the skills of the app, and turn the users to regular users. This podcast episode is sponsored by Aboard .
In this episode Rich and Paul solve it - they solved websites! They discuss whether or not your business needs a website, and offer advice on what platforms to use. This podcast episode is sponsored by Aboard .
In this episode Rich and Paul discuss the importance of having a physical space for startups. As it enhances your representation in front of big companies and also helps foster stronger relationships and collaborative learning. This podcast episode is sponsored by Aboard .
In this episode Rich and Paul explore how dominant platforms maintain their edge. Uncovering the ecosystem strategies and the ongoing battles to stay competitive in a fast-paced world. This podcast episode is sponsored by Aboard .
In this episode Rich and Paul delve into the different aspects of a software company- and yes it is more than a code! They discuss how a lot of sales and marketing has gone into growing well established softwares that we see today. This podcast episode is sponsored by Aboard .
Rich and Paul discuss how everyone wants to build their own thing, but then the time comes where they have to let their personal brand die. Building a personal brand is a one lane business, making it hard to scale without creating a business entity. This podcast is sponsored by Aboard .
Once you launch you lose control. So, you spent your days trying to get everything right, and then when you launch you figure out that no one cares - which is why launch is very anticlimactic. Our advice? Lean into the ambiguity, lean into growth, listen to the feedback and be flexible-- only then would you figure out what business you're truly in. This podcast is sponsored by Aboard .
Rich and Paul have launched their product! - quietly though... In this episode Rich and Paul discuss, the meaning of launch and the fact that it's just the beginning-- that there is no finality to it. Check out the launch of Aboard .
Rich and Paul discuss how softwares usually promise to be a solution, some sort of pain relief. However, that isn't realistic the promise of being a solution is too good to be true. Which is why we built Aboard, and it is not a solution, however it is malleable enough to be a solution. This podcast is sponsored by Aboard .
