CRAFTED.

AI coding assistants promise to write your code, speed up your sprint, and maybe even make engineers obsolete. But what if the people building with them every day see something very different?In this special Halloween edition of CRAFTED. — which also marks the show’s third anniversary! — a masked CTO shares what he can’t say publicly: that these tools are powerful, but insidious. In his view, coding assistants are great for auto-complete, but they can’t do what a human engineer does. He says they’re terrible at starting from scratch and will often suggest code that “works in vacuum”, but not in context. And because AI can write so much code, so quickly, it’s hard to catch errors. In short, he sees an increase in short term velocity, at the expense of increased defects and an increasing dependency on systems that are untrustworthy. I want to emphasize that this episode features the experience of one very experienced person. There are obviously others who disagree, who say AI coding agents are incredible, so long as they’re managed well. However, there are also an increasing number of people questioning the sustainability of coding agents — they're incredibly expensive to run — and also how good they are in the first place.For example Andrej Karpathy, the guy who literally coined the phrase "vibe coding" and was early at OpenAI and Tesla, just said publicly on Dwarkesh Podcast that the path to AI agents is going to be a lot slower than people in the industry think it will be. He said coding agents are "not that good at writing code that's never been written before" and that there is too much hype right now about where AI really is, with people in the industry, quote "trying to pretend like this is amazing, when it's not." And he said: "My Claude Code or Codex still feels like this elementary-grade student." Today's guest agrees with Karpathy on a lot of this. Our guest has worked at startups, scale-ups, and big tech companies you've definitely heard of and today he's at a very AI-forward company and using AI coding tools every day. Enjoy this special episode of CRAFTED.! ---And pretty please...!Share with a friend! Word of mouth is how podcasts grow!Subscribe to the newsletter at https://www.crafted.fmShare your feedback! I’m experimenting with new episode formats and would love your feedback on this and other episodes. DM me on LinkedIn or contact me email, via https://www.crafted.fmSponsor the show? I’m actively speaking to potential sponsors for 2026 episodes. Let’s talk!Get psyched!… There are some big updates to the show in 2026!---Key Quotes03:16 The myth of AI replacement: “The idea that AI can actually supplant a software engineer in their current role is basically nonsense.”06:29 Why AI struggles without human input: “If you remove the human engineer from the equation, there’s no place to start from. The AI does not do well when you’re starting from scratch because it doesn’t have the real-world context or the continuous learning required to make that system better.”12:21: The illusion of speed: “Coding assistants help you generate code very quickly. There’s an illusion that your velocity increases. What actually happens is you’re just shipping more bugs to production.”13:30 More code than humans can review: “AI generates so much code that no human can keep that context in their head and review it in a meaningful way. At some point you just have to trust — but who are you trusting? You’re trusting the AI, and the AI cannot be trusted.”14:02 AI & Junior Engineer Hiring: “The narrative that hiring trends have anything to do with AI is absurd. It’s not that AI is replacing junior engineers — it’s that companies are running lean and don’t have the bandwidth to train them.”15:42: Where the AI Bulls and Bears Differ: “Whereas we see flawed systems that aren't ready for primetime [...] they view this as ‘oh, that's, that's insignificant. They will get better almost immediately. It's not a big deal.’ But we've been repeating this cycle for years at this point.”19:50 Where AI Excels: “Where review and revise are part of the process already, that's a really good place for generative AI because you already have a human in the loop.”21:02: What builders need to unlearn “To the extent that people think these things are thinking or reasoning or on any path to AGI at all — they should discard that. These models don’t think. They’re very sophisticated pattern-matching machines, and that’s really it.”

Here’s a jaunty debrief from PopTech, a notoriously hard conference to describe, that always features obscenely talented entrepreneurs and changemakers.In this episode, Kwaku Aning, Sarah Rose Siskind, and I share some of the great stories and great vibes from this year's conference, including:FetusGPT, Sarah’s madcap experiment to train an AI on everything her soon-to-be-born baby is hearing from inside the wombWhy Colossal Biosciences is de-extincting the dire wolf and other “charismatic animals” (dodos and woolly mammoths are in the works) — and why de-extinction is an important goal that will help us solve lots of other problems along the way“Shade-as-a-Service”, a new idea from climate champion, farmer, and entrepreneur Eben Bayer, the founder of MyForest Foods (maker of MyBacon, the top-selling non-meat bacon). The idea is to launch giant parasols into the atmosphere to cool the Earth below.Why Tibet and Taiwan are so key to the tech industry (not to mention global stability); Tibetan PM-in-Exile Lobsang Sangay was a speaker.How to make progress on what matters most to you, featuring a prioritization exercise from Deep Future inventor and investor Pablos HolmanFeatured Voices:Sarah Rose Siskind, science and comedy writer and the founder of Hello SciCom, a STEM communications agencyKwaku Aning, professional connector, founder/principal of RetroFuturism ConsultingDan Blumberg (me!), host of CRAFTED. and the founder of Modern Product Minds. HMU if you want to build something great. I love building from zero to one.And Pretty Please... Share with a friend! Word of mouth is how podcasts grow!Subscribe to the newsletter at crafted.fmShare your feedback! I’m experimenting with new episode formats and would love your feedback on this and other episodes. Email me: dan@modernproductminds.com or DM me on LinkedInSponsor the show? I’m actively speaking to potential sponsors for 2026 episodes. Let's talk! Get psyched!… There are some big updates to the show in 2026!

A quick debrief from Climate Week / UN General Assembly week, including: How seemingly normal everything felt, in spite of [...you know...] everythingAI will destroy the climate?AI will solve climate change? AI will kill us all? (If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies)A call for AI Red LinesThe UN takes action on AIA plea to “stay in the game” (even though it's hard)Joining me from New York are: Kwaku Aning, creates strategic partnerships that drive meaningful changeLendy Krantz, collaboration strategist, helps companies reimagine their operations in physical and virtual environmentsAnd you can join all three of us (hi, I’m your host Dan Blumberg!) from October 7-9th at PopTech in Washington DC. It’s a great conference and I’ll be interviewing many of the technologists and futurists who will be on stage for future episodes of the podcast. If you’d like a discount code, DM me on LinkedIn or email me: dan@modernproductminds.com 

What’s up with “the MIT study” that claims 95% of all AI pilots fail? Did anyone actually read it beyond the headline? (Dan did—and he has thoughts.)Also: the good, the bad, and the quietly dystopian side of putting AI in kids’ classrooms.And… are robots really the thing Melania should be worrying about? That’s just some of what Kwaku Aning, return guest and founder of Retrofuturism, and I get into on this very lively, very bubbly, and very uncrafted edition of CRAFTED.More new episodes—and a major update to the show—are coming soon. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app and get the newsletter at crafted.fm---Come hang with us at PopTechCome hang with us and see live recordings of CRAFTED., at PopTech! PopTech is a “curator of what’s next” and this will be my third time at the conference. I keep going back because I get new ideas, new inspiration, and really get to know the attendees and speakers. This year’s talk’s include “A possibilist’s guide to the future”, “AI: In service to human(ity),” “Vibe coding for human rights” and more. To see the full list of talks and speakers, see PopTech.org and if you’ve never been before and would like a discount, DM me on LinkedIn or email me: dan@modernproductminds.com ---Referenced in this episode:MIT study on AI profits rattles tech investors (Axios)Full 26-page MIT study (Scribd)AI Is a Money Trap (Ed Zitron)The Fever Dream of Imminent Superintelligence Is Finally Breaking (Gary Marcus in the NYTimes)How Chatbots and AI Are Already Transforming Kids’ Classrooms (Bloomberg)Alpha School – the “AI-Powered Private School”Melania Trump Has a Warning for Humanity: ‘The Robots Are Here’ (NYTimes)---Like this episode?You’ll also like my conversation with Khan Academy’s Chief Product & Learning Officer on what happens when AI becomes your tutor—and what it means for the future of learning.

 Software is eating the world, right? We've all heard this phrase by now, but inventor and investor Pablos Holman has something important to add: “The world can't eat software.”That’s why Pablos focuses on “deep tech”, i.e. how to invent new solutions to real world problems like energy, water, waste, construction, and sanitation. Pablos says we’re still mostly using version 1.0 technology for these fundamental systems, but recent advances, including AI and the ability to prototype and test in software, are enabling incredible innovation in hardware.Pablos has worked with Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and more. He's kind of a mad scientist and in this episode we’ll discuss things that sound like science fiction, but that Pablos says are coming soon, such as solar panels in outer space that can beam clean energy down to earth, autonomous cargo ships blown by the wind across the ocean, and tiny nuclear reactors buried a mile underground that power the world above. At Deep Future, Pablos is on a mission to solve the world's biggest problems, and he's hoping more people will make the jump that he did from software to hardware and into deep tech, because, as he says, “ all the people who've been building software their entire career, those are the ones who are going to save the world.”—Chapters02:25 Deep tech and why it’s so important05:56 How Pablos became an inventor07:44 Getting Blue Origin off the ground11:35 Running an invention lab at Intellectual Ventures13:40 Why solar panels in space will soon power Earth16:46 Why all problems are energy problems21:33 Better nuclear reactors are coming28:25 How rapid iteration in software enables better hardware31:35 An appeal to software people to get into deep tech — and save the world—Links:Deep Future book, podcast, and firm: deepfuture.techPopTech conference: poptech.org (if you're new to PopTech and would like a discount, email me or DM me on LinkedIn)Sign up for the CRAFTED. newsletter: crafted.fmLearn more about how Modern Product Minds can help you build the future: modernproductminds.comEmail me: dan@modernproductminds.com

As AI models grow larger and more powerful, they promise incredible capabilities — but at what cost? Karen Hao is an AI journalist and her new book, Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI, is a New York Times bestseller. 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, who has reported for The Atlantic, MIT Technology Review, and the Wall Street Journal, will also provide a view of AI from outside — far outside — Silicon Valley. She’s reported on AI from across the Global South and says many there feel that AI is a new form of colonialism.We’ll hear about the fight over data centers in Chile, how New Zealand’s Maori people are using AI to preserve their indigenous language, and why it’s a problem that AI can speak any language, but can only really be policed in a few.(Our interview was first broadcast in October, while Karen was still writing the book, so we do not discuss her deeply sourced reporting from inside OpenAI.)—CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fm

AI-generated voices aren’t just realistic — they’re changing how brands, creators, and agencies bring ideas to life. In this episode, Wondercraft co-founder Oskar Serrander demonstrates how their “Canva for audio” is unlocking rapid prototyping for high-quality audio ads, content, and storytelling.You’ll learn:How Wondercraft enables you to go from concept to creative in secondsWhy when AI makes execution easy, ideas and taste matter mostHow brands can test creative faster (and smarter)Why audio is still such an under-leveraged mediumThe surprising future of synthetic voice and what it means for storytellingOskar also shares his take on where generative AI is heading, why sameness is the enemy of brand, and what this all means for the next generation of creators.—Subscribe to the CRAFTED. newsletter 👉 crafted.fm See how Dan can help you discover, prototype, and launch better products 👉 modernproductminds.com 

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 you've heard, so it reinforces what you've learned.A second mindset shift is how Kevin had to retrain his engineering brain to build with generative AI. He no longer thinks in if-then-else statements. Rather, he asks himself: How would an intern do it? And not just one intern, but infinite interns…I learned a ton from the way Kevin thinks and builds, and you will too. Plus, we discuss the future of podcasting, which looks pretty… weird. You'll talk back to your podcasts, hosts may be synthetic, and shows may not even be designed (at least initially) for human ears.Chapters:(01:30) - Introducing Snipd (03:50) - What led Kevin to found Snipd (06:10) - How AI changes what's possible with podcasts (08:45) - Building with Gen AI requires a mindset shift (11:40) - How would an intern solve this? (12:35) - How podcast listening and podcasting will change with AI (17:35) - Why apps will become your "best friends" (22:00) - Why you may talk back to your podcasts —CRAFTED. listeners can try Snipd, and get a free month of the premium version, here.—Subscribe to the CRAFTED. newsletter 👉 crafted.fm See how Dan and Modern Product Minds can help you build better products and level up your product teams.

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 could create a truly personalized (1 of 1) financial advisor, why most financial apps are “like going to the DMV”, and how things like open banking and embedded finance can change that…—Chapters:(01:30) - Tim has literally measured how short our attentions spans are at a brainwave startup (03:49) - What MoneyLion does and why content and storytelling are so important (08:30) - What even are good money habits today? (12:00) - How MoneyLion uses AI to create personalized content (13:40) - "Talking to your money" with AI (16:30) - How building with GenAI is different (20:30) - Building with non-deterministic systems (24:30) - "Self-driving money": Tim's not so sure people want to fully give up control (29:30) - Why so many financial apps feel like "going to the DMV" — and how that's changing with open banking and embedded finance —Looking for your next episode? Here’s another fintech one you might enjoy:“You Have to Invest Into Change.” Startup Lessons from Fintech OG and VC Daniel Kimerling, Founder of Deciens Capital and Standard Treasury —For all CRAFTED. episodes and to subscribe to the CRAFTED. newsletter 👉 crafted.fm —Oh, and see how Dan and Modern Product Minds can help you build better products. 

Fun news! The Webby Awards have honored CRAFTED. for the third year in a row as a top tech podcast. Thank you — yes, you! — for listening!This episode features the highlight reel we gave the Webbys. It features great moments from 2024 episodes, including (listed in the order mentioned): Powering the World’s Hackathons | Brandon Kessler (Founder & CEO, DevPost)Asana’s Head of AI on the Profound Ways Work Is Changing | Paige Costello (Head of AI & Co-Head of Product Management at Asana)AI, Creativity, and Soul: How Hilary Mason Chooses Her Own Adventure (Co-Founder & CEO of Hidden Door)“You Have to Invest Into Change.” Startup Lessons from Fintech OG and VC Daniel Kimerling, Founder of Deciens Capital and Standard TreasuryOpen Source Must Evolve for AI and the Next Generation | Nithya Ruff (Head of AWS Open Source Program Office and Chair of the Linux Foundation)Great Software & Storytelling Is Emotional | Kelsey Hightower (Legendary Developer, Kubernetes Pioneer, Former Distinguished Engineer at Google)One Billion Developers! GitHub’s Head of Product Says AI Democratizes How We Build the Future | Mario Rodriguez (CPO, Github)Design for Emotion. Leverage AI. Be Curious. | Design Better’s Co-founders on Building Great ProductsUsing AI to Launch Thousands of Startups a Year | Henrik Werdelin (Founder of BARK, prehype, Audos)AI and the Future of Medicine | Kira Radinsky (CEO of Diagnostic Robotics and Co-founder of Mana.bio)New Frontiers of Health: AI, Psychedelics, the Gut-Brain Axis, and More! | Live from SXSWMy AI Teacher: Khan Academy and the Future of Education | Dr. Kristen Dicerbo (Chief Learning Officer)Making Music With AI – And Doing So Ethically | Diaa El All, Founder & CEO of SoundfulThe full show archive is at crafted.fm, where I hope you'll also subscribe to the CRAFTED. newsletter. And please share CRAFTED. with a friend. Just one. Text them right now!Thanks... and onward!

On 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 Rob:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rkenedi/Decelerator podcast: https://decelerator.media/More CRAFTED.:Subscribe to the CRAFTED. newsletter: https://www.crafted.fmLearn how Dan and Modern Product Minds can help you discover, build, and test new products: https://www.modernproductminds.com 

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 grown-ups alike. Enjoy this very fun episode!You’ll learn:Why physical play helps us grasp abstract computing conceptsHow software makers can benefit from thinking like educatorsWhat “unplugged computing” looks like—and why it worksHow to cultivate creativity, curiosity, and fearlessness in tech teamsWhy learning through play isn’t just for kidsWhat Linda’s AI experiments with tiny personal datasets reveal about the future of learningChapters(00:00) - Introduction (01:42) - What it means to be the “Mary Poppins of Computing” (02:18) - Designing the Computer Playground (05:43) - Why play is an ideal way to teach programming (09:26) - Why software organizations should embrace play (13:19) - AI and play (14:47) - Learn to code vs. learn to program; how to become future-proof (21:20) - Hello Ruby: how Linda accidentally became a children’s book author (25:35) - Building more playgrounds and more fun ideas on teaching through play Links & ResourcesLinda’s websiteLinda’s NewsletterHello Ruby – Linda’s book series and learning platformThe Computer Playground in HelsinkiMore on Dan and CRAFTED.Subscribe to the CRAFTED. newsletterFollow Dan on LinkedinLearn how Dan and Modern Product Minds can help you build great products

Educator, 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: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kwaku-aning/Clickpoint podcast: https://clickpoint.transistor.fm/Where to find Dan and get more CRAFTED.:Sign up for the CRAFTED. newsletter: https://www.crafted.fm LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dblums/ Learn how Dan and Modern Product Minds can help you discover, build, and test new products: https://www.modernproductminds.com 

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 “innovator’s dilemma”  🔴 Why you should “greenlight everything” and then redlight most projects quickly, following kill criteria you’ve agreed to in advance 🌍 Where X is placing bets today, including climate-tech, modernizing the electric grid and bioengineering(00:00) - Introduction (02:12) - "Greenlight everything!" (03:22) - Redlighting is the real work: how to do so quickly and effectively (06:21) - "Train the monkey" — start with the hardest problem (11:00) - Diverse teams are more creative (13:45) - The "factory" — and why that metaphor matters (15:17) - I try to hire Astro to build a moonshot factory for my 200yr old company (19:25) - Avoiding the innovator's dilemma (22:00) - Where X is investing today: bioengineering, modernizing the electric grid, and more (24:00) - Why biology and engineering are merging (27:00) - "AI will be in everything, but it's not the solution to everything" (28:00) - Solving the climate crisis: Astro's optimistic take Links: X, The Moonshot Factory: https://x.company/ The Moonshot Podcast: https://x.company/moonshotpodcast/ Support CRAFTED.Sign up for the CRAFTED. newsletter: https://www.crafted.fm Learn how Dan and Modern Product Minds can help you discover, build, and test 10x products: https://www.modernproductminds.com 

What if we could deliver supplies anywhere, no roads or runways needed?Elroy Air has built a really big drone. One that can carry 300 pounds of stuff 300 miles or more. And it takes off like a helicopter, but flies like a plane, meaning it can get in and out of all sorts of hard to reach places. In this episode, we sit down with David Merrill, co-founder, executive chairman, and former CEO of Elroy Air, to explore how these hybrid-electric, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft are set to transform express delivery, humanitarian aid, and military logistics.David shares the lean prototyping and rapid iteration strategies that helped bring Elroy Air’s vision to life, the biggest technical challenges they’ve tackled, and what the future of autonomous aerial logistics could look like. Plus, we dive into the Jetsons-inspired origins of Elroy Air and whether flying taxis are still on the horizon.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:🚀 How Elroy Air’s Chaparral drone could redefine logistics🔋 Why hybrid-electric propulsion is key to making cargo drones viable🛠️ The power of physical prototypes and rapid iteration in hardware development🌍 How autonomous air delivery could impact e-commerce, disaster relief, and defense💡 What it takes to push the envelope—literally—in aviation innovationEpisode Highlights:00:00 – Introduction01:25 – The game-changing potential of autonomous cargo drones04:30 – How David went from building digital games to big drones07:30 – From concept to takeoff: Prototyping Elroy Air’s Chaparral13:40 – Why hybrid-electric systems beat battery-powered drones for long-haul delivery15:30 – Rapid prototyping of sub-systems19:30 – Why David loves the intersection of hardware and software20:44 – Flying cars, when!?📩 Subscribe to the CRAFTED. newsletter! crafted.fmIf you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend who loves innovation! 🚁✨

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 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 want to go even deeper on these topics. Listen at businesstrip.fm Christie Nicholson, Founder of Studio Lumina, and the co-host for this panelWe’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 investment experts who have a wide view of this growing startup landscape and better understand which new ventures are likely to succeed.— Key Moments:01:38] Recent advances in biotech and why advances in data and AI are helping biology become a more “mature” science[04:00] Why AI is overhyped, but also where it’s not[07:37] Why psychedelics are overhyped, but also where they’re not[10:04] What’s real and amazing: brain-computer interfaces, e.g. humans controlling robotic arms with the minds[11:25] What’s real and amazing: precision psychiatry and neuroscience[14:12] The emerging field of “enerceuticals” -- using energy instead of drugs, e.g. low intensity focused ultrasound[16:17] Neuroplasticity: our brains can change![21:31] Mental health, the gut-brain axis, and food as medicine[32:38] The business models of bio tech startups and how to know when a company is making progress on a years-long effort—CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where my team and I can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 CRAFTED.fm—Check out Tech Now, the free "podcast mixtape" that host Dan Blumberg curates on Hark. Each week, Dan selects and introduces great moments from other podcasts that speak to the latest on artificial intelligence and its implications, new product innovations, the relationship between the Trump administration and Big Tech, and much more. 

Software is eating the world, right? We've all heard this phrase by now, but inventor and investor Pablos Holman has something important to add: “The world can't eat software.”That’s why Pablos focuses on “deep tech”, i.e. how to invent new solutions to real world problems like energy, water, waste, construction, and sanitation. Pablos says we’re still mostly using version 1.0 technology for these fundamental systems, but recent advances, including AI and the ability to prototype and test in software, are enabling incredible innovation in hardware.Pablos has worked with Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, and more. He's kind of a mad scientist and in this episode we’ll discuss things that sound like science fiction, but that Pablos says are coming soon, such as solar panels in outer space that can beam clean energy down to earth, autonomous cargo ships blown by the wind across the ocean, and tiny nuclear reactors buried a mile underground that power the world above.At Deep Future, Pablos is on a mission to solve the world's biggest problems, and he's hoping more people will make the jump that he did from software to hardware and into deep tech, because, as he says, “ all the people who've been building software their entire career, those are the ones who are going to save the world.”—More on Pablos: Deep Future: https://deepfuture.tech/Deep Future podcast: https://deepfuture.tech/podcast-index/ —Support CRAFTED.:Sign up for the CRAFTED. newsletter: https://www.crafted.fmSubscribe to CRAFTED. on your favorite podcast platformShare this episode with a friend or colleague!

Deepfakes are getting easier and easier to make. So, how will we be able to believe that what we see and what we hear is real? And what can software makers do to help?Sam Gregory is an expert on deepfakes, AI, and trust. He advises governments and tech companies on how they can protect human rights and how we can preserve our shared reality. Sam is the executive director of WITNESS, an organization that helps citizens use video to foster social change. WITNESS has trained and supported citizen-journalists since the days of the camcorder through the smartphone era and now into the world of AI. We discuss:How deepfakes are being used to spread disinformation and erode trust in media.How to detect that a piece of media was manipulated and to what degreeWhy audio deepfakes are so perniciousHow deepfakes mostly did not affect the 2024 US Presidential Election, while cheapfakes were very commonThe surprising ways AI is both helping and harming human rights defenders and journalistsWhy “Prepare, Don’t Panic” is WITNESS’s mantra for addressing AI threats.Practical steps software makers can take to design tools that prioritize transparency and ethical use, such as including transparency features in AI-generated content, red teaming to simulate misuse scenarios, thinking beyond Western contexts, and more…Chapters:(00:55) - Deepfakes and the threat they pose human rights and journalism (03:16) - The 2024 US election and how deepfakes, cheapfakes, and audio clones were used (07:35) - Why WITNESS. says “Prepare, Don’t Panic” about AI (11:16) - Recommendation for software builders to prevent — and detect — misuse (13:45) - How to identify that a piece of media was manipulated by AI (17:31) - Red Teaming: The scary questions builders should ask as they deploy new products (22:20) - WITNESS.’s work beyond AI (26:00) - Good news: we’ve preparing for AI and deepfakes for a long time and governments and technologists are working together —Links:Learn more about WITNESS: witness.orgVisit WITNESS’s resources on generative AI: gen-ai.witness.orgLearn more about deepfakes and AI detection: C2PA Coalition—Support CRAFTED.:Subscribe to CRAFTED. on your favorite podcast platformShare this episode with a friend or colleague.Sign up for the CRAFTED. newsletter: crafted.fm

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-time, and accessible for founders and finance teams alike. In this episode of CRAFTED., we explore how Sasha is crafting Puzzle, how AI makes this the right moment to challenge QuickBooks, and why he was so confident that the market needed Puzzle that he was undaunted by the five years he estimated it would take to build an MVP. "We’re not just rethinking accounting software—we’re rethinking how founders and CEOs can make data-driven decisions to build enduring companies." Sasha shares:How the frustration he felt at his previous startups led him to Puzzle Why “accounting gets a bad rap”, but it crucial for founders: it’s your financial healthWhy second-time founders are ideal customersWhy it took five years to build an MVP – and why he wasn’t daunted by this expectationWhy the problem was never accounting, but accounting software and the distorted realities it’s built to createWhy AI and modern API’s made now the right time to build PuzzleWhy Puzzle is “poking the bear” and putting highway billboards up near QuickBooks HQ(01:04) - Sasha’s finance frustrations at previous startups (02:15) - Traditional accounting software isn’t made for founders (02:15) - The problem with traditional accounting software (05:01) - What Puzzle does differently: Real-time financial health (07:52) - AI’s role in revolutionizing accounting (10:22) - Why second-time founders are Puzzle’s ideal users (12:48) - Building a five-year MVP: Challenges and conviction (16:41) - Tackling QuickBooks: Bold marketing moves and billboards (19:15) - Understanding edge cases and complexity in accounting (23:07) - The future of Puzzle: Helping startups thrive (27:01) - Hosting the Turpentine Finance podcast Links:Learn more about Puzzle: Puzzle.ioFollow Sasha Orloff on LinkedIn: Sasha OrloffTurpentine Finance Podcast: Turpentine FinanceCRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg and team can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fm

AI 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 Better podcast, where they’ve interviewed some of the world’s most creative people. Featuring software designers, as well as famous musicians, artists, architects, and more, the duo explore the creative process. And there are some striking similarities across disciplines.For more on Aaron and Eli and to subscribe to the Design Better podcast and newsletter, see DesignBetterPodcast.com ***CRAFTED. is produced by Modern Product Minds, where CRAFTED. host Dan Blumberg can help you take a new product from zero to one... and beyond. We specialize in early stage product discovery, growth, and experimentation. Learn more at modernproductminds.com Subscribe to CRAFTED., follow the show, and sign up for the newsletter 👉 crafted.fm