Podcasts about hackathons

Amazon limiting written reviews for customers to read, Helium 10 MCP hackathon contest with big prizes, and new Helium 10 ChatGPT plugin. We're back with another episode of the Weekly Buzz with Helium 10's Manager of Education and Strategy, Carrie Miller. Every week, we cover the latest breaking news in the Amazon, TikTok Shop, Walmart, and E-commerce space, talk about Helium 10's newest features, and provide a training tip for the week for serious sellers of any level.   Amazon Limits How Many Reviews Shoppers Can Read https://www.ecommercebytes.com/2026/08/16/amazon-limits-how-many-reviews-shoppers-can-read/ Helium 10 Hackathon Helium 10 is launching an MCP and Prompt Hackathon where sellers can submit their best Claude skill, prompt, or both for a chance to win prizes worth up to $4,500. Submissions should demonstrate creative ways to use Helium 10 data to save time or money, improve efficiency, increase sales, or accomplish things that weren't possible before MCP. Finalists may present their creations during a live webinar on September 3 at 8 a.m. Pacific, giving sellers a chance to learn from each other and discover new ways to use MCP. Prizes include up to a full year of Helium 10 Diamond plus Amazon gift cards. **Submit your skill or prompt by the September 1 deadline at http://h10.me/hackathon.** Trade Court Upholds the End of De Minimis: What the “Detroit Axle” Ruling Means for Ecommerce https://www.ecomm-alliance.org/blog/trade-court-upholds-the-end-of-de-minimis/ New Helium 10 ChatGPT Plugin Helium 10 has launched its new ChatGPT plugin, giving Diamond plan members and above direct access to the full Helium 10 MCP experience inside ChatGPT. Once installed and connected, users can tap into 70 different tools covering keyword and product research, competitor analysis, listing optimization, historical rank, search volume, pricing, sales velocity, P&L, advertising, inventory, and more—without downloading and uploading reports. By pulling directly from actual Helium 10 and Amazon data, the integration also helps reduce AI hallucinations and makes analyzing seller data faster and easier. Usage counts toward the same combined 1,000 MCP call limit per billing cycle. Amazon Solution Provider Services: New Seller Central Authorisation Process Starting 8/10/2026 https://ecomranker.com/amazon-seller-central-authorisation-process-2026/ Harvest SQP Keywords with AI Bradley introduces the new Search Query Performance Outperformer Skill for the Helium 10 MCP, designed to uncover high-opportunity keywords by analyzing a full year of SQP data and identifying terms where your product converts better than the market. The skill cross-checks Keyword Tracker, Cerebro, and Helium 10 Ads to find outperforming keywords you aren't tracking, keywords with weak organic or sponsored visibility, and advertising opportunities where you should add a target or increase your bid. What could take an hour of manually downloading and comparing reports can be completed in about a minute, and with the new Helium 10 Ads write capabilities available to Elite members and coming soon to Diamond, the MCP can even implement keyword and bid changes for you. To get the skill, comment “I need the SQP Outperformer Skill” below and we'll send you the download link. New AI Agent For Amazon Keyword Research Helium 10 has launched Helium, its new built-in AI agent, in beta for Diamond members and above. Think of it as having an AI assistant like ChatGPT or Claude directly inside Helium 10, without needing an outside subscription or using external AI tokens. Because Helium connects directly to Helium 10 data, it can quickly run analyses across tools like Cerebro, Search Query Performance, Keyword Tracker, and Helium 10 Ads, helping identify keyword gaps, analyze sales and conversion performance, compare listings with competitors, audit advertising, and more. Helium is also being built with Helium 10-specific knowledge, allowing it to proactively surface insights and opportunities beyond what you explicitly ask. Future capabilities are expected to include custom dashboards, scheduled tasks, and more advanced workflows. Diamond and Elite members can find “Ask Helium” inside Helium 10 and start testing the beta now. Amazon Prime Air drone delivery is expanding to nearly 500 US cities and towns this year https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/transportation/amazon-prime-air-drone-delivery-expansion That's a wrap for this week's Weekly Buzz! We hope you found these updates helpful and are ready to put them into action. Be sure to check back next week for the latest Amazon, e-commerce, and Helium 10 news. Until then, we'll see you next week to find out what's buzzing! In episode 547 of the AM/PM Podcast and Weekly Buzz, Carrie talks about: 00:00 - Introduction 00:44 - Amazon Limiting Reviews? 02:31 - Helium 10 Hackathon 05:45 - Trade Court Upholds De Minimis Ruling 07:31 - New ChatGPT Amazon Plugin 09:54 - New Authorization Process for Service Providers 10:58 - Harvest SQP Keywords with AI 14:56 - New AI Agent For Amazon Keyword Research 20:27 - Amazon's Prime Air Drone Delivery

Espresso in hand at Black Hat USA 2026, Monzy Merza, Co-Founder and CEO of Crogl, gave Marco Ciappelli the read from a week that started Monday. The free download the company announced the week before had drawn a strong community reaction, and a hackathon was running alongside the conversation with people downloading Crogl, hacking on it, and competing in challenges. Merza credits the openness of the approach as much as the product. What do security teams want from AI right now? Sovereignty. Merza describes a movement in which organizations have concluded that any work with AI has to cover privacy and security of the product and of the AI workload itself. Crogl was built as an on-prem product from the very beginning to serve mission critical organizations and critical infrastructure operators with hard requirements, and a larger community is now arriving at the same principles and asking what should be governed. The second shift is operational. The question moved from whether to look at AI to how work stays consistent and repeatable when one model is swapped for another, prompted by outages across model providers and in-house AI services going up and down. Merza describes the arc as a pendulum, from avoiding AI, to human in the loop, to a stretch where autonomy dominated. Crogl customers now run it both interactively and fully autonomously, with the line drawn at the tasks where a human has little reason to sit in the loop. This is a Brand Briefing. A Brand Briefing is an on-location conversation recorded on site at Black Hat USA 2026, putting a spotlight on the guest and their company and pairing it with the editorial reach of ITSPmagazine. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/performance/#briefing GUEST Monzy Merza, Co-Founder and CEO at Crogl On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monzymerza/ RESOURCES Black Hat USA 2026 event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/black-hat-usa-2026-cybersecurity-event-coverage-in-las-vegas Learn more about Crogl: https://www.crogl.com Download Crogl: https://www.crogl.com/download Crogl newsroom: https://www.crogl.com/newsroom Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight ▶︎ Get your own Brand Briefing at an upcoming event: https://www.studioc60.com/buy-brand-briefings KEYWORDS monzy merza, crogl, marco ciappelli, brand briefing, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, black hat usa 2026, sovereign ai, on prem ai, ai governance, security operations, model choice, ai workload security, critical infrastructure, autonomous investigation, human in the loop, free download, hackathon, security community

Send us Fan MailMeta and NVIDIA are turning up the heat in the open-weight AI race, while Anthropic is taking a very different approach by watermarking Claude-generated content. Amith Nagarajan and Mallory Mejias unpack what these moves mean for associations, from choosing models and inference providers to avoiding lock-in at the agent harness layer. They also explore why AI models are becoming increasingly commoditized, where proprietary models may still have an edge, and why Claude's new watermarking strategy probably isn't a foolproof solution for detecting AI-generated work. Plus, Amith shares lessons from Blue Cypress's latest AI hackathon, including how associations can use focused offsites to accelerate adoption and generate new ideas, and the hosts discuss a more productive approach to AI-generated submissions: using AI to evaluate quality, relevance, and originality rather than trying to ban it outright. 

What does AI actually look like on a construction jobsite in 2026 — not the hype, the reality? In this episode of Voices of CFMA, host Sal Marino talks with Cindy Ly, founder of ToolBox Consulting, about her unconventional path from industrial construction cost control to yoga teaching in Europe to leading AI strategy for hundreds of construction companies. Cindy shares what she's seen across the industry in the last six months, where AI adoption is accelerating, where it's stalling, and why data standardization matters more than the tools themselves. In this episode:- Cindy's path from $500M industrial mega-projects to yoga teacher training in Europe and back to construction- Why she believes AI is a catalyst, not the solution, and data is the real work- The gap between field operations and financial control, and how AI is starting to close it- Common mistakes leadership teams make when rolling out AI tools- Her advice for CFOs and controllers navigating AI adoption right nowChapters: 00:00 Intro & welcome Cindy Ly 00:35 What Cindy does now 01:11 Growing up near Chicago, drawn to construction 02:06 From pharmacy major to construction management at Purdue 02:36 Industrial construction: blast furnaces and coke batteries 03:04 Burnout, and becoming a yoga teacher in Europe 05:26 The pivot into construction technology 06:36 Hiding her career changes from her parents 07:35 How yoga reshaped her approach to work 09:30 Reconnecting with the industry 10:10 The data problem before AI was a buzzword 12:49 What pulled her toward AI specifically 15:38 Her first AI project: Groundbreak 2025 and Procore 18:01 Why she started ToolBox Consulting 20:50 Hard lessons and the value of a slow burn 23:33 Where AI adoption is accelerating and stalling 25:27 Field operations vs. financial control 27:33 Hackathons and vibe coding, explained 30:27 Common mistakes in AI rollouts 32:07 Her #1 piece of advice for CFOs and controllers 32:59 Life outside work: DJing 34:06 Final advice: keep an open mindConnect with Cindy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ly-cindyt/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ToolboxTechTalkAbout Voices of CFMA: Voices of CFMA brings you conversations with construction financial professionals and industry leaders on the trends, tools, and ideas shaping construction finance. Learn more at cfma.org. #ConstructionAI #ConstructionTechnology #CFMA #ConstructionFinance

Dale Hassigner, 2025 Hackathon winner comes on the show to discuss what's happening for 2026, for AI learning to AI building, it should be a great Hackathon this year. With over 100 people signed up, we expect a record attendance.

– OOFAH – Microsoft, Apple and Amazon earnings and stock moves. – Hackathon disguised. – KOSPI wild ride wrecks portfolios. – Oil moved up on War – now no War again… PLUS we are now on Spotify and Amazon Music/Podcasts! Click HERE for Show Notes and Links DHUnplugged is now streaming live - with listener chat. Click on link on the right sidebar. Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? PayPal.Donation.Button({ env:'production', hosted_button_id:'JJJHP2GDEJC7J', image: { src:'https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif', alt:'Donate with PayPal button', title:'PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!', } }).render('#donate-button'); Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter Warm-Up - Some bad days and some good days - AH is walking - and driving - We have to talk about Free Cash Flow changes NO Agenda / DHUnplugged Meet-Up (Saturday - 8-8-2026 @ 3:33PM) - Location to be determined - SIGN UP HERE Meet-Up Invite Markets - OOFAH - Microsoft, Apple and Amazon earnings and stock moves. - META too - KOSPI wild ride wrecks portfolios - Oil moved up on War - now no War again DO WE TALK ABOUT MORE AI HACKING - Latest stories of even more AI breach of containment - Is this really just a plan to gain regulation (to limit competition?) GOOGLE WANTS YOUR SELFIE - Google will allow account sign-ins using selfie video. - The feature adds another way to verify identity. - It could reduce dependence on passwords and recovery codes. - The tradeoff is greater use of facial data. - Privacy, storage and security questions will follow. SPACEX SHORT SELLERS CASH IN - Short sellers reportedly earned $15.5 billion as SpaceX shares fell. - The move rewarded investors betting against the company's valuation. - It shows how quickly enthusiasm can reverse at extreme prices. - SpaceX still has strong growth stories in launches and satellites. - The debate is whether too much future success was already priced in. --- Price hit $108 today before bouncing - major rug pull CATHIE WOOD DOUBLES DOWN ON SPACEX - Cathie Wood called SpaceX potentially the most important company in history. -  Her comment came after a sharp decline in the shares and it seems is more of talking her book. - Her case rests on launch, satellite and communications growth. - The problem is that losses are expected for the foreseeable future. TSMC ADDS ANOTHER $100 BILLION - TSMC plans another $100 billion investment in Arizona. - Second-quarter profit surged 77%. - AI-chip demand continues to drive the expansion and the idea is that the project strengthens U.S. semiconductor production. - It also adds labor, construction and execution risk. - The spending shows the scale of the AI infrastructure race. --- So far many of these promises have been a bit hallow BOND YIELDS FEEL THE OIL SHOCK - The 10-year Treasury yield reached its highest level since January 2025. (4.7%) - Surging oil prices brought inflation fears back into the market. - Higher energy costs could delay Federal Reserve rate cuts. - Rising yields pressure stocks, housing and other rate-sensitive assets. - Oil is again influencing the entire interest-rate outlook. - 30-year is zooming higher and higher CANADA GETS A 50% TARIFF - Trump imposed 50% tariffs on some Canadian goods. - The administration cited discrimination against U.S. companies. - The move could raise costs for manufacturers using Canadian inputs. - Canada could respond with tariffs of its own. - The fight adds more uncertainty to North American trade. WILDFIRE SMOKE BECOMES A TARIFF ISSUE - Trump criticized Canada as wildfire smoke spread into the U.S. - He said pollution costs could be added to tariffs. - The idea links environmental damage directly to trade policy. - Canadian goods could face another unpredictable cost. - Companies may struggle to price a pollution-based tariff. MIAMI TURNS INTO A BUYER'S MARKET - Miami reportedly has 140% more home sellers than buyers. - Buyers now have more leverage on price, inspections and concessions. - The reversal follows one of the country's strongest pandemic housing booms. - High prices, insurance and carrying costs may be pushing demand lower. - Starting to see some pricing erosiokn and sellers pulling homes UNITEDHEALTH TURNS THE CORNER - UnitedHealth beat earnings estimates and raised its outlook. --- Co-Pick for JCD and AH - Cost controls helped drive the improvement. DELTA SAYS HIGHER FARES ARE STICKING - Delta expects higher airfares to continue. - Strong pricing could help it reach its 2026 profit goal. - Higher fares provide protection against fuel and labor costs. - Travelers may see fewer discounted tickets. - Capacity growth remains the key variable. --- Say it enough and its true? THE GREAT EGG RECALL - Nearly 1.6 million dozen eggs were recalled over possible salmonella. - The FDA announced the recall after identifying contamination concerns. --- Now what will be the political angle? - Supply disruption could also add pressure to egg prices. HUMAN SKIN ENTERS K-BEAUTY -Injectable skin boosters derived from donated cadaver skin to regenerate aging skin tissue - Human skin is becoming part of some K-beauty treatments. - Demand is tied to premium anti-aging products. - South Korean biotech firm L&C Bio manufactures the treatment, producing roughly 80,000 vials per month as demand outpaces supply. -- They are nuts in Korea EARNINGS AMAZON - Q2 results released Thursday evening. - AWS revenue was $42.2 billion, up 37% year over year. - The stock gained about 15% Friday. - The key investor takeaway was that AI-related cloud demand accelerated enough to outweigh concern about higher capital spending. - Amazon rose about 5% Monday to a record and crossed a $3 trillion market value after last week's results showed the strongest AWS growth in more than four years and management raised its capital-spending outlook. The move reinforced the market's view that AI infrastructure demand remains robust and helped lift other hyperscalers, including Microsoft, Alphabet and Oracle. Apple - Fiscal Q3 revenue was $109.4 billion and EPS was $2.02. - iPhone revenue reached $54.25 billion. S - September-quarter revenue growth guidance of 9%–11% disappointed. - Apple warned that unusually high memory-chip costs could pressure margins - Stock FELL about 7% Friday. Microsoft - Fiscal Q4 revenue was $90.0 billion and adjusted EPS was $4.74. - Azure growth was 43% - Microsoft Cloud revenue was $59.3 billion, - Fiscal Q1 revenue guidance was approximately $90.4 billion. - Shares rallied strongly - - up 15% and best since October 2008 REDDIT - Reddit shares plunged roughly 20% following its second-quarter earnings report due to a warning about choppy search traffic, slowing domestic user growth, and a lack of new AI licensing announcements - Despite beating Wall Street's revenue and profit expectations - Revenue: Reached $805 million, marking a 61% increase year-over-year and beating the estimated $730 million. - Earnings: Reported net income of $253 million, or $1.25 per share, easily topping the forecasted 95 cents per share. - Guidance: Projected third-quarter revenue between $860 million and $870 million, which also surpassed consensus expectations. Meta Earnings: Strong Sales, Expensive Problems - Q2 revenue jumped 28% to $60.8 billion, slightly beating estimates, as advertising and user engagement remained strong. - Earnings were only $6.18 per share versus roughly $7.19 expected, hurt by $2.4 billion in legal costs and $1.18 billion in severance charges. - Free cash flow collapsed 91% to just $784 million as Meta poured money into chips, servers, power, data centers and AI hiring. - Meta raised 2026 capital-spending guidance to $130-$145 billion; it began the year expecting only $115-$135 billion. - Reality Labs lost another $4.6 billion, while management gave investors limited detail on when its AI and metaverse spending will generate meaningful returns. - The stock fell roughly 9%-10% because strong ad growth was overwhelmed by the earnings miss, shrinking margins, weak cash flow and another increase in AI spending.DHUnplugged Story Build - August 2, 2026 Korea's Market Meltdown - The KOSPI fell about 40% in one month, wiping out roughly $2 trillion in market value. - Leveraged retail investors were hit hardest as margin calls accelerated the selloff. - Anger turned toward President Lee after officials had encouraged broader stock ownership. - Regulators are now restricting leveraged products, but only after the damage was done. The AI Agents Got Out - OpenAI found more cases of autonomous AI agents escaping intended containment. - One agent reportedly operated for days and compromised Hugging Face infrastructure. - Anthropic also disclosed model breaches during cybersecurity testing. - The incidents raise serious questions about monitoring and shutdown controls. Amazon's $600 Million Refund - Amazon received about $600 million in tariff refunds after courts invalidated the duties. - The company had reduced exposure by buying and importing inventory early. - Only customers tied to a traceable tariff charge will receive automatic refunds. - Most of the money will remain with Amazon and support lower prices. Microsoft's $450 Billion Day - Microsoft gained nearly $450 billion in market value in one session. - Shares jumped more than 15%, pushing its valuation near $3.35 trillion. - Azure growth guidance of 45% easily topped expectations. - Microsoft still plans about $175 billion in 2026 capital spending. Meta's Metaverse Money Pit - Reality Labs lost more than $4.6 billion in the quarter. - The division remains tiny compared with Meta's advertising business. - Meta is funding heavy spending on both AI and metaverse products. - Management continues to warn that Reality Labs losses will remain large. Dow Drops 1,100 Points - The Dow fell about 1,100 points, its worst day since April 2025. - The 30-year Treasury yield climbed near 5.24%, a 19-year high. - Investors feared the Fed was falling behind persistent inflation. - Higher yields hit technology stocks and other expensive assets. Tariffs Return Under New Authority - New tariffs of 10% to 12.5% cover imports from 60 trading partners. - The administration shifted to Section 301 after losing its emergency-powers case. - Major partners affected include China, Europe, India, Japan, Canada, and Mexico. - New lawsuits argue the administration is again stretching trade law too far. - 25 States are suing on this .... Warsh Lets the Bond Market Do the Talking - The Fed held rates at 3.50%-3.75%, but three officials dissented and wanted an increase. - Warsh gave little guidance, saying markets should follow the data rather than Fed speeches. - He suggested rising market rates could tighten conditions without an immediate Fed hike. - The 30-year Treasury yield jumped above 5.20%, its highest level since 2007. - Warsh said he welcomed markets moving independently; investors read the move as doubt about the Fed's inflation commitment. Inflation Cools - But Not Enough - Headline PCE inflation eased to 3.7% in June from 4.1% in May. - Core PCE slipped to 3.3% from 3.4%, still well above the Fed's 2% target. - Consumer spending rose 0.3%, while personal income increased 0.2%. - The softer report reduced immediate pressure, but did not eliminate the possibility of a September hike. Oil's Wild Week - On Monday, July 27, oil plunged nearly 9% after Trump paused U.S. strikes against Iran. - On Tuesday, July 28, Brent fell another 4.8% to $84.09 as traders hoped the pause could lead to peace talks. - On Wednesday, July 29, oil reversed and jumped about 7% as airstrikes escalated and supply fears returned. - Trump's repeated pauses, threats, and renewed attacks produced violent daily reversals in crude. - Brent still finished July up nearly 24% as the Strait of Hormuz remained a major supply risk - Large oil companies benefited from stronger crude, fuel and trading margins during the quarter. The Long-Bond Warning - The 10-year Treasury yield ended July near 4.74%, up about 32 basis points for the month. - The 30-year yield climbed roughly 37 basis points to about 5.27%, a 19-year high. - The move raises financing costs for mortgages, corporations and the federal government even without a Fed hike. AI Earnings Expectations Get Extreme - Analysts expect second-quarter S&P 500 earnings to rise about 48% from a year earlier. - AI-related companies account for much of the expected growth. - Microsoft and Amazon delivered record market-value gains after strong cloud results. - Apple, Meta Reality Labs and weaker chip stocks showed the market is becoming less forgiving of disappointing AI returns. Free Cash Flow Changes - Year Over Year ------FCF shows how much real cash remains after operating costs and capital spending. Analysts use it to judge earnings quality and a company's ability to fund buybacks, dividends, debt repayment, or growth. - Apple: up about $7.5 billion, or 31%. - Microsoft: down about $6.0 billion, or 23%. - Meta: down about $7.8 billion, or 91%. - Amazon: deteriorated about $25.8 billion, from positive $18.2 billion to negative $7.6 billion. - Alphabet: down $11.2 billion, swinging from positive $5.3 billion to negative $5.9 billion. - Tesla: down $1.24 billion, swinging from positive $146 million to negative $1.09 billion. - Intel: adjusted free cash flow worsened by $7.37 billion, from negative $1.05 billion to negative $8.42 billion. - Nvidia: up $22.4 billion, or 86%, from $26.1 billion to $48.6 billion.   Love the Show? Then how about a Donation? PayPal.Donation.Button({ env: 'production', hosted_button_id: 'JJJHP2GDEJC7J', image: { src: 'https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif', alt: 'Donate with PayPal button', title: 'PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!' } }).render('#donate-button-2'); THE CLOSEST TO THE PIN for SpaceX (SPCX) Winners will be getting great stuff like the new "OFFICIAL" DHUnplugged Shirt!   FED AND CRYPTO LIMERICKS   See this week's stock picks HERE Follow John C. Dvorak on Twitter Follow Andrew Horowitz on Twitter

Do you have a question? Send it hereIn this special episode of BLA Connections: A Clear Voice, host Natalie Watson is joined by BLA President Nicholas Gibbins and President-Elect Chadwan Al Yaghchi to look ahead to Cutting Edge Laryngology 2026, the BLA's biggest and most ambitious meeting yet.Nick and Chad explore how Cutting Edge Laryngology has evolved since 2011 and why it offers something traditional conferences and published papers cannot: honest, practical insight into what leading clinicians are doing right now. They also discuss the power of multidisciplinary collaboration, opportunities for emerging researchers and the ideas that can change clinical practice on Monday morning.Why should you attend Cutting Edge?As you listen, Nick and Chad explain why they believe Cutting Edge is an unmissable meeting and here are a few of their thoughts:Hear what leading clinicians and researchers are doing now—not only what has already reached publicationTake home practical insights that could change your clinical practice on Monday morningLearn from more than 70 speakers from the UK and around the worldExplore robotics, AI, laryngeal pacing and emerging treatments for vocal fold scarringDiscover new research through over 60 posters, oral presentations and three free-paper sessionsLearn alongside surgeons, speech and language therapists, trainees, researchers and industry partnersMake valuable connections and become part of a growing multidisciplinary communityExperience the inaugural Hackathon and practical ergonomics workshopContact InformationVisit www.britishlaryngological.org and our podcast library.Cutting Edge Laryngology 2026 registration is now open: Register hereEmail: enquiries@britishlaryngological.org for any questions or topic suggestions you may have for future episodes.This show is brought to you by the BLA; you can follow us on  X, Linkedin and Instagram hosted by Natalie Watson @surgeonsinger, produced  and directed by Heather Pownall of Heather's Media Hub Ltd and award-winning producer. The opinions of our host and guests are their own; The BLA does not endorse any individual viewpoints, given products or companies. If you enjoyed this podcast, please rate, review and subscribe with the podcast provider of your choice.

The Kanz initiative (ka.nz/hack) was far more than a hackathon. It was a bold, free global program to democratize AI by enabling everyone, from complete beginners to experts, to build and publish real AI applications in one week. Fully sponsored and aligned with Saudi Vision 2030, it combined daily structured training, hands-on building, community energy, and a successful Guinness World Record attempt.Standout innovations:No coding required, AI-first approach: "Build first, learn by creating." Participants used cutting-edge tools (Claude, NotebookLM, Replit, HeyGen, Suno, Gamma, etc.) to create apps, agents, images/videos, avatars, music, presentations, and automations—emphasizing practical results over theory. 7-day tangible curriculum: Daily sessions (evenings KSA time) produced immediate outputs. Everyone published a working app on Day 1 and left with a portfolio, verified certificate (Saudi HRSD + Lebanese American University), and real skills.Strong incentives: MacBooks, Kindles, watches, job opportunities, and employer spotlights. Projects were AI-graded then judged, with top entries showcased.Radical inclusivity: Targeted teachers, marketers, business owners, job seekers, designers, and absolute beginners—not just coders.~51,700 registrations.24,800+ live participants from 150+ countries.~197,000 training hours.Guinness World Record (July 15, 2026): 14,075 learners in one AI video lesson — officially adjudicated. ka.nz3,500+ AI projects built, including practical tools like real-time fact-checkers and automation systems.Massive scale and success:Success drivers: zero cost, instant results, vibrant global community, modern tools, and partnerships. It proved AI creation can be accessible to everyone, not just engineers, potentially sparking countless innovations and careers. Deep Dive: Roy BaladiRoy Baladi, CEO of Kanz, is the visionary behind it. With a dual degree in Computer Science & Finance from Virginia Tech (Math minor) and 15+ years in tech/finance, he has built marketplaces and inclusive hiring platforms. Background: Wall Street derivatives experience (Citi), product roles at LearnVest and SmartRecruiters, Chief Marketplace Officer at PerkSpot. He founded/led Jobs for Lebanon (Board President): 5,000+ employers, 25,000+ seekers, 750+ hires. Through Kanz and Jobs for Humanity, he has reached over 1M people with AI tools and training, placing thousands (including underrepresented talent and Saudi women via Saudiaat).Philosophy: Roy views AI as a practical empowerment tool for employment, agency, and lifelong learning. He focuses on removing barriers, teaching by building, and using technology to restore humanity to hiring. Prior programs trained 2,000+ in agentic AI. The hackathon scaled this mission globally. Why It Matters: Digital literacy now means building with AI. Kanz didn't just teach chatbots-it empowered tens of thousands to create. If even a fraction of projects become tools or businesses, the impact will far outlast the record. Roy Baladi's work shows large-scale AI education is not only possible-it's transformative.

Clayton Callander is the founder of FTL (Field Technologies), a diagnostic platform built to give commercial buildings something like a check-engine light, closing the service gap for the roughly 95% of properties that enterprise vendors like Honeywell and Siemens can't economically reach. Before founding FTL, Clayton spent seven years maintaining nuclear systems aboard a US Navy submarine, worked at SpaceX, and earned his MBA from Harvard Business School. He built FTL for the people fixing America's commercial buildings because he used to be one of them, and the tool he needed didn't exist yet. Clayton is based in San Francisco, CA.(00:00) - Intro: Why Six Million Commercial Buildings Have No Real-Time Data (01:10) - Meet Clayton Callander, Founder of Field Technologies(02:40) - The Telephone Game: What Happens When an HVAC Unit Breaks (05:50) - Zach's Take: Preventative Maintenance's 20-Year Elusive Goal (07:10) - It's an Access Problem, Not a Technology Problem (09:40) - Why Building Controls Stay Complicated and Expensive (13:10) - What FTL Does (16:50) - Pricing FTL at a Fraction of Traditional Controls (20:20) - Why It's Called Facilities Triage (22:20) - Which Asset Classes Are Ready for FTL (25:00) - What 60 Site Deployments Taught FTL (26:30) - Unlocking the Other Six Million Buildings (29:30) - LoRaWAN Explained: Why Not Wi-Fi (32:30) - Proprietary vs. Open Systems: A VC's View (36:00) - Collaboration Superpower: Immanuel Kant (Wikipedia) and Ding Huan (Wikipedia)

Marc Ohrendorf und Sven Störmann analysieren den Rechtsmarkt: Vom Gehaltsvergleich zwischen Justiz und Großkanzlei über die vertagte Ausbildungsreform bis hin zu digitalen Fallbüchern. Zudem beleuchten sie, wie Kanzleien durch Cooley GO Lab zu Produktanbietern werden und warum Hackathons die juristische Arbeitswelt bereichern.

Justin Segal is President of Boxer Property, where he oversees operations, leasing, technology, and marketing across a national portfolio of office, retail, and hotel assets. He co-founded Brava Systems, an AI-enabled platform originally built for Boxer's own operations and now deployed across the commercial real estate industry, and Relay Human Cloud, a global staffing and team augmentation company. Justin is based in Houston.(02:50) - Building the Data Foundation for AI (05:10) - The Data You Have vs. What You're Missing (06:30) - Why Data Cleanup Isn't a Massive IT Project (09:00) - Why Most CRE Companies Aren't Data-Ready (11:10) - The Chief Innovation Officer's Mixed Track Record (14:10) - Avoiding Agent Sprawl and Vendor Lock-In (17:20) - Vibe Coding: Great for Interfaces, Dangerous for Logic (20:20) - Rethinking How We Measure AI ROI (22:40) - What Boxer Actually Spends on Tokens and Compute (24:30) - Putting a Number on AI-Driven Deal Flow (27:30) - Balancing Employee Access to AI Tools With Governance (29:00) - Treating Tokens and Compute as a Trackable Line Item (31:50) - Where AI Adoption Creates the Need for More Humans (34:20) - Freeing People From Being "Professional Rememberers" (36:30) - Collaboration Superpower: Thomas Davenport (Wikipedia)

JDK 27 entered Ramp-Down-Phase 1 in early June, so we can go over its features. Valhalla's first JDK Enhancement Proposal (401) will likely be part of JDK 28. Show off your Java ideas in the "Modern Java in the Wild" hackathon. There are two interesting articles for those who want to dive deeper into AOT with agents or into using GPU tensor cores from Java. Links: JDK 27 JEP list: https://openjdk.org/projects/jdk/27/ Valhalla mail: https://mail.openjdk.org/archives/list/jdk-dev@openjdk.org/threadAIA3O3LHFZ6T7TIPH7KZT4WS4B6U72U5/ JEP 401 PR: https://github.com/openjdk/jdk/pull/31120 "Java in the Wild" hackathon: https://www.hackster.io/contests/modern-java-in-the-wild AOT vs agents: https://bugs.openjdk.org/browse/JDK-8387190 AOT and JVMTI agents: https://bugs.openjdk.org/browse/JDK-8387194 "Exploiting GPU Tensor Cores": https://openjdk.org/projects/babylon/articles/hat-tensors/hat-tensors  

VOV1 - Từ hôm nay đến ngày 19/7, vòng chung kết Chương trình Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge 2026 (VAIC 2026) chính thức diễn ra tại Hà Nội.Đây là cuộc thi Hackathon phát triển các ứng dụng trí tuệ nhân tạo quy mô lớn, kéo dài liên tục 48 giờ, nằm trong khuôn khổ Chương trình Thách thức Đổi mới sáng tạo Việt Nam 2026 do Trung tâm Đổi mới sáng tạo Quốc gia (NIC), Tập đoàn Meta, Tổ chức AI for Vietnam, Tập đoàn FPT và Đại học Duy Tân phối hợp tổ chức. Đặt trong bối cảnh Việt Nam đang đẩy mạnh phát triển khoa học, công nghệ, đổi mới sáng tạo và chuyển đổi số theo Nghị quyết 57 của Bộ Chính trị, Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge (VAIC 2026) hướng tới xây dựng nguồn nhân lực AI chất lượng cao, đồng thời tạo môi trường để các nhà phát triển trẻ rèn luyện năng lực xây dựng sản phẩm AI gắn với nhu cầu thực tiễn.Cũng trong khuôn khổ sự kiện, Trung tâm Đổi mới sáng tạo Quốc gia cũng phối hợp với UNESCO và các đối tác chính thức phát động Olympic Trí tuệ nhân tạo Quốc tế 2027. Đây là lần đầu tiên Việt Nam đăng cai một kỳ thi Olympic quốc tế chuyên sâu về trí tuệ nhân tạo, dành cho học sinh trung học phổ thông, sinh viên và cộng đồng AI toàn cầu, góp phần phát hiện, bồi dưỡng tài năng và thúc đẩy hợp tác quốc tế trong lĩnh vực AI.Bà Trần Tố Uyên, Giám đốc quốc gia Tổ chức AI for Vietnam cho biết: "Thời gian vừa qua, trên toàn cầu cũng như ở khu vực thì AI đã được thúc đẩy mạnh mẽ. Tại Việt Nam, chúng ta có Nghị quyết 57 và AI cũng đã được xác định là một trong những công nghệ chiến lược của quốc gia. Chúng ta cũng sở hữu những lợi thế như nguồn nhân lực, thị trường và có sự hậu thuẫn của chính sách vô cùng thuận lợi. Lần đầu tiên, với AI, chúng ta có cơ hội đi cùng với các nước trên thế giới trong làn sóng này. Trước đây, các cuộc cách mạng khác như cuộc cách mạng về công nghiệp, về hơi nước hay internet thì chúng ta thường đi sau các nước trên thế giới, nhưng với AI, chúng ta có lợi thế cạnh tranh vô cùng lớn để đi cùng các nước trên thế giới."

Neste episódio do Cabeça de Lab, vamos falar sobre hackathons e o impacto das comunidades femininas na construção de uma tecnologia mais diversa e colaborativa.Vamos entender como funciona a WoHackers, uma comunidade criada para incentivar mulheres a participarem de desafios de tecnologia, desenvolverem novas habilidades, criarem conexões e ganharem visibilidade no mercado.___Nos siga no Twitter e no Instagram: @luizalabs e @cabecadelabDúvidas, cabeçadas ou sugestões? Mande um e-mail para cabecadelab@luizalabs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ___Participantes:ANA CAROLINA BARRETO | https://www.linkedin.com/in/anacarolinafonsecabarreto/BEATRIZ BRONOSKI | https://www.linkedin.com/in/beatriz-bronoski/YUKI TANAKA | https://www.linkedin.com/in/yt-yukitanaka/Conheça a WoHackers no LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wohackers/

Dan Mosher is the CEO of DealGround, an AI-native platform helping commercial real estate brokers and investors find deals faster by organizing property data, identifying opportunities, and connecting directly with property owners. A veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur, operator, and investor, Dan previously built and led the Merchant team at Postmates through its acquisition by Uber, served as President of Presto, and helped scale BrightRoll tenfold before its acquisition by Yahoo. Live from ICSC+Proptech in Las Vegas.(01:09) AI Survey with FirstAmerican (03:07) How DealGround Helps Brokers Find More Deals (06:08) Why AI Adoption Outpaces Trust (10:14) MCPs, Integrations & Fitting Into Broker Workflows

Where do the ideas for picture books come from? For my guest, Molly Arbuthnott, they started from the imagined adventures of her family cat who was lost on a ferry trip.In this interview, I talk with Molly about how she started writing picture books, how she is trying to market them for adults as well as children, and some encouragement for those just starting out on the writing adventure.About MollyMolly Arbuthnott is a teacher, author, editor, and academic from Scotland. She is passionate about the promotion of children's literature and has published eighteen award winning picture books. Molly, a former teacher, transitioned her career to children's literature in 2019 completing a Master's in Children's Literature at Glasgow University. Molly crafts narratives based on people that have been important in her life and that are simultaneously honest and gentle, teaching children about empathy, teamwork and moral courage. Each book collaborates with a charity which is associated with the theme of the book in some way. Her writing has received acclaim during book tours worldwide and won national awards; they have been shortlisted for the People's Book Prize, won the Wishing Shelf Book awards and the Firebird Book Awards. She's shared academic papers with IRSCL Congress. She has been published in the ‘Once Upon Another Time' anthology by the Book Whisperers and she has received the Emily Dickinson Award. She has a contract with Celene Press in Greece and Select Books in USA. Beyond writing, Molly has also demonstrated her proficiency in production, having written a program and trailer for BBC Alba's adaption of her book Oscar the Ferry Cat. She also successfully created a VR program for Glasgow University's Hackathon and hosts the popular podcast, “My Favourite Books.” She has amassed a loyal fan base of over 115K followers. Her foray into the auditory realm is also noteworthy, with her stories now available on Audible. Her current endeavour is to animate Oscar the Ferry Cat, with the goal of enchanting children through her compelling storytelling.Molly's website: https://mollyarbuthnott.com/Her books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B077S1H5HNAmy's Resources:Start here email coursePen PointsThe Purposeful Pen is a weekly podcast for Christian writers designed to help you build a writing life with eternal impact. Each week you'll hear practical tips and Biblical truth on topics such as improving your writing, honing your message, and managing your time. I always respond to listener emails and I'd love to hear from you! Amysimon@amylynnsimon.comDisclaimer: I believe in and approach life (and writing) from a distinctly evangelical Christian perspective, but some of my guests may not. When I interview a guest on a specifically spiritual topic, I do my best to know in advance that I can support their theological stances on the topics that relate to our interview. When the topic is not particularly spiritual, our theological views may differ. My interviewing of guests and providing links to their work does not necessarily indicate a complete theological endorsement of all their written work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amylynnsimon.substack.com

What does it actually take to move an entire company from handwriting PRDs to shipping features with agents in two years?In this episode of Supra Insider, Marc Baselga and Ben Erez sit down with Alex Meyers, Principal Product Manager at Gusto, to trace how the company became AI-native from the inside. Alex shares how his own quiet tool use turned into a C-suite demo, why that demo made clear that you cannot simply mandate “be AI native,” and how PM AI hackathons became the ritual that moved the org forward.They explore why dedicated, uninterrupted build time beats an hour here and there, why the ritual has to recur as the tools keep changing, how roughly three-quarters of the PM org now merges pull requests, and where Alex thinks the work is heading as loops and goals let PMs spend more time on customers and taste.If you're a product leader trying to raise your team's AI fluency, a founder deciding how much structure to put around learning, or an operator wondering what the PM role becomes when agents handle the busywork, this episode is for you.All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox

Mi-juin, Abidjan a accueilli un hackathon organisé par CFI autour de la fracture numérique. Douze participants, des aînés et de jeunes talents du numérique, ont planché sur cette question : "Comment créer des ponts numériques pour renforcer la cohésion sociale en Côte d'Ivoire ?" Pour L'atelier des médias, Raphaëlle Constant a suivi cet événement. Pendant trois jours, du 16 au 18 juin 2026, l'Orange Digital Center d'Abidjan s'est transformé en un laboratoire de créativité intergénérationnelle. À l'initiative de CFI et piloté par Istorias Media, le hackathon du projet Kouman (parler, en langues bambara et nouchi) a réuni des équipes mixtes composées d'aînés, de créateurs de contenu et d'étudiants. L'objectif était de s'attaquer à la fracture numérique qui isole les générations dans des espaces d'information étanches, créant un terrain fertile pour la désinformation. Comme l'explique Naira Davlashyan, cofondatrice d'Istorias Media, l'enjeu est de permettre aux aînés de mieux s'informer tout en redonnant une place aux jeunes dans la transmission : il faut « trouver des vrais prototypes, des outils pour résoudre le problème de la fracture numérique entre les générations ». « Il faut en parler, il faut trouver des solutions [...] parce qu'il ne faut pas avoir peur du numérique, il faut travailler avec. » Le « design thinking » pour briser les tabous Pour stimuler l'innovation, les participants ont utilisé la méthode du design thinking, plaçant l'humain au centre de la création. Après des « entretiens empathiques » visant à comprendre les usages de chacun, les équipes ont imaginé des prototypes concrets. L'équipe 1 a ainsi développé « Confessionnal », un chatbot destiné à faciliter le dialogue sur des sujets sensibles comme la sexualité ou les violences domestiques. Pour Adama Diomandé, aîné de l'équipe, cet outil est une réponse aux tabous culturels : « C'est un outil qui va révolutionner le lien entre parents et enfants. » De son côté, l'équipe 3 a proposé une solution utilisant l'intelligence artificielle pour aider les citoyens à identifier les contenus trompeurs et les discours de haine. « Kouman Play » : recréer le village virtuel Le grand prix a été décerné au projet « Kouman Play » de l'équipe Yankady, une application ludique de transmission des valeurs traditionnelles. Le jeu propose des défis basés sur les proverbes et les contes des plus de 60 ethnies de Côte d'Ivoire, forçant parfois le jeune joueur à consulter un aîné pour progresser. Irchad Razaaly, ambassadeur de l'Union européenne en Côte d'Ivoire, a salué une solution qui « permet de recréer virtuellement [un] village, recréer des liens entre des enfants et des parents ou des grands-parents qui ne se voient pas nécessairement. » Il a ajouté : « Cette application peut aussi aider beaucoup d'enfants de la diaspora qui ne vivent pas dans un milieu qui est naturellement celui qui peut transmettre la culture, la langue, les valeurs. » Pour le jury, la force du projet réside dans son approche pédagogique. Léonce Koné, manager de l'Orange Digital Academy, y voit une opportunité de moderniser la tradition : « Ils n'ont plus le temps de s'asseoir autour d'un feu, mais ils sont en permanence sur leur téléphone. Comment créer ce nouveau feu entre les anciens et les jeunes ? C'est le numérique. »  L'équipe gagnante bénéficiera d'un accompagnement de la GIZ, l'agence de coopération internationale allemande pour le développement, dans l'idée de tenter de transformer ce prototype en une application accessible au plus grand nombre.

Clarence spoke to Lindiwe Kers, Manager of the UCT Financial Innovation Hub about the The third Interledger Foundation and University of Cape Town (UCT) Financial Innovation Hub Hackathon took place at the Hasso Plattner School of Design Thinking Afrika at UCT. Views and News with Clarence Ford is the mid-morning show on CapeTalk. This 3-hour long programme shares and reflects a broad array of perspectives. It is inspirational, passionate and positive. Host Clarence Ford’s gentle curiosity and dapper demeanour leave listeners feeling motivated and empowered. Known for his love of jazz and golf, Clarrie covers a range of themes including relationships, heritage and philosophy. Popular segments include Barbs’ Wire at 9:30am (Mon-Thurs) and The Naked Scientist at 9:30 on Fridays. Thank you for listening to a podcast from Views & News with Clarence Ford Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to Views and News with Clarence Ford broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/erjiQj2 or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/BdpaXRn Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 Follow us on social media: CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The conversation explores the often-unseen world of product testing, field validation, software development, and farmer feedback that goes into launching new technology. Jared shares his unique role as a product tester, explaining how Ag Leader evaluates new products before they ever reach a customer's farm and how real-world farmer feedback helps shape final product decisions. The group discusses: What ZRow is and how it improves corn head guidance during harvest Why row guidance still matters in a world of RTK and precision GPS How Ag Leader integrates with existing row sensing systems The product testing process from concept to commercial launch Ag Leader's internal "hackathon" innovation program Common challenges encountered during product development How farmer cooperators help validate new technology The evolution of precision agriculture since Ag Leader's yield monitor origins Why user interface and simplicity matter just as much as technology The importance of data collection and data utilization How AgFiniti connectivity is changing support and decision-making The future of autonomy, machine guidance, and precision farming Why today's successful producers must embrace innovation and continuous improvement Beyond the technology discussion, the episode delivers a bigger message about modern agriculture: farms can no longer rely on "the way we've always done it." As margins tighten and operations become more complex, the producers who effectively leverage data, technology, and decision-making tools will be best positioned for long-term success. Whether you're a technology enthusiast, an early adopter, or simply curious about how new precision ag tools are developed, this episode offers a fascinating look behind the scenes at one of agriculture's most influential technology companies. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/Farm4Profit Media is not a financial, legal, or tax advisor. Content is provided for informational purposes only, and we serve solely as a platform for third-party opinions. Any actions taken based on this content are at your own risk. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In episode 295 of our SAP on Azure video podcast we talk about Copilot Studio and SAPOver the last few months we saw a big increase of customers asking how they can connect Copilot Studio with SAP. Of course we have the official Joule & Copilot integration and as you might know we are activley working with SAP on the next steps. However, in parallel customers are looking for way to connect today. Luckily Copilot Studio comes with lots of different tools, and we are working with multiple customers and SAP and such integrations. Obviously, one way to scale is working with partners, and a few weeks we had a really cool customer workshop together with the partner Syntax to talk about Copilot Studio and SAP. This workshop was so successful, that we are already planning the next iteration. So in order to talk about this in more detail, I am glad to have Antje Rosendahl and Sinan Ioannidis from Syntax. Sign-up here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=FoihR0Mg0EyL9ODJQtjC1i_crxN6AHZErYdYZbOwqedUQUdDREQwUlJYUEQ2MUI3U0lCV0lZVDhNNS4uFind all the links mentioned here: https://www.saponazurepodcast.de/episode295Reach out to us for any feedback / questions:* Goran Condric: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gorancondric/* Holger Bruchelt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holger-bruchelt/ #Microsoft #SAP #Azure #SAPonAzure #Copilot #CopilotStudio #Workshop

Healthcare innovation is often associated with software developers, startup founders, and technology companies. But what if some of the most important solutions to healthcare's biggest challenges are sitting inside operating rooms, classrooms, and clinical settings every day? CRNAs and nurses see problems firsthand, yet they are rarely invited into the rooms where solutions are created. In this episode, Sharon and Jeremy welcome nurse entrepreneur Rebecca Love, RN, MSN, FIEL and AANA Senior Innovation Specialist Cherissa Jackson to discuss the upcoming AANA Hackathon at the AANA Annual Congress. This event creates a space for clinicians, educators, students, and innovators to collaborate and develop solutions for the daily challenges CRNAs see firsthand. Here's some of what you'll hear in this episode:

Welcome to "Thriving in Midlife" The Women's Guide to Wellness, Longevity & Hormones After 40. This is your trusted space to cut through the noise, ditch the overwhelm, and finally feel extraordinary in your body, mind, and life. Are you who are ready to stop pushing through life and start living it with intention, energy, and ease? Then let's get started. I'm your host, Kellie Lupsha, a high-performance health coach, who is delighted to be your guide to vitalityIn today's episode, I share an unexpected lesson I learned while attending an AI hackathon in New York. What began as an exploration of cutting-edge technology quickly became a powerful reminder that true growth happens when we step beyond what feels comfortable and familiar.I open up about the moments when I felt intimidated, overwhelmed, and completely out of my depth, and how those feelings revealed an important truth about personal transformation. Whether you're navigating new technology, building a business, or working toward better health, waiting until you feel fully prepared may be the very thing holding you back.This episode explores how to accelerate progress, shorten the learning curve, and create meaningful results by leveraging the right systems, support, and strategies. The fastest path to becoming your healthiest, most vibrant self is not figuring everything out alone. It is learning how to move forward before you have all the answers.Key Highlights:➡️ What attending an AI hackathon taught me about growth, confidence, and embracing uncertainty.➡️ Why so many women feel intimidated by emerging technology and how that mirrors the challenges of transforming their health.➡️ The surprising connection between AI, efficiency, and achieving better results in less time.➡️ Why feeling like an imposter is often a sign that you're stepping into a new level of growth.➡️ How making random, disconnected health changes can keep you stuck for years.➡️ What it really means to "compress time" and achieve transformation faster.➡️ Why the right systems, strategy, and support can dramatically accelerate your results.➡️ An introduction to the Activated Woman Method and the mission behind helping women reclaim their energy, vitality, and confidence.Key Takeaways:"Discomfort is not a sign to stop. It is often a sign that you are expanding into a new version of yourself." -Kellie Lupsha"Waiting for readiness is often just delayed transformation." -Kellie Lupsha1️⃣ JOIN US IN THE WOMEN'S LONGEVITY & WELLNESS HUB!A Functional Medicine, Wellness, and Coaching Membership designed just for women over 50. The Hub is a monthly membership and supportive community where we combine science-backed protocols, natural healing tools, and expert coaching to help you finally get real answers—and real results**.

Hackathons are becoming an increasingly important tool in the defense innovation ecosystem. When designed intentionally, hackathons can work for everyone involved in defense innovation. In this episode of Emerging Tech Horizons, Dr. Arun Seraphin is joined by Nick Lanham, Chair of NDIA's Data Analytics and Enterprise Platforms Division and Senior Data & AI Analyst at Kairos, and Charles Ott, Vice President and Solution Strategist at Maximus, to discuss NDIA's hackathon model and what makes it effective.The conversation offers a practical look at how this hackathon works: bringing together technologists, industry leaders, and government users for a focused, time‑boxed effort to tackle real defense problems. Rather than operating as a competition or a coding exercise, the hackathon is designed as a collaborative learning environment—one where participants share knowledge, test ideas, and better understand both user needs and institutional constraints. Lanham and Ott explain why this approach benefits everyone involved. Across the board, participants leave with a clearer picture of the problem space and stronger connections across the defense innovation community.The episode looks back at NDIA's inaugural hackathon, highlights what worked, and previews what's planned for the upcoming event at the Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference. More broadly, it explains why thoughtfully designed hackathons are emerging as a valuable complement to traditional acquisition and innovation processes.Learn more and get involved with this year's NDIA Hackathon: https://hackathon.ndia.org/browse?status=upcomingRead ETI's brief on Hackathons as a defense acquisition tool: https://www.emergingtechnologiesinstitute.org/publications/brief-series/competing-for-capabilitySAVE THE DATE: 2026 NDIA Emerging Technologies for Defense Conference and Exhibition September 9-10, 2026, at the Walter E. Washington DC Convention Center: ndiatechexpo.org/Be sure to follow us on social media for updates, early access to upcoming events, inside scoops, & more:LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4htROo0Twitter: https://bit.ly/48LHAx3Facebook: https://bit.ly/47vlht8 And for more podcasts, articles, & publications all things emerging tech, check out our website at: ndiaeti.org#DefenseHackathon #DefenseInnovation #EmergingTechnologies #NationalSecurity

In this episode, we sit down with Estella and Sophie, two talented high school students who have made their mark at the SIIM Hackathon. Together, they earned second place in 2024, and Sophie returned the following year to place again. Estella and Sophie reflect on their experiences with SIIM, share what it was like to compete in the hackathon, and discuss the interests and career paths they're exploring beyond SIIM.

Gene outlines the when, why, and how a 72 year old premier general contractor setup a formal innovation group, i4 (and associated BLUlabs R&D facility efforts), how Mortenson consciously takes a people-led, inclusive approach to rolling out innovation ensuring talent in the field doesn't feel like innovation is “happening to them”, why the firm developed a Director of AI role and the architype chosen to lead AI efforts, and finally what Mortenson's approach to partnerships has evolved into (both industry and technology partnerships).   

Meet the DTCC Hackathon silver medal team: Rich Penfield, Ashes Basnet, Jamie Ontiveros, Wesley Raider, and Marina Tieman (missed Kaine Kenerly).The team reveals why they joined the AI hackathon, how we built a powerful tool in days (no coding background needed), and the biggest takeaways: start small, don't fear AI, and collaborate.Fast, fun, and an inspiration for auditors ready to innovate.

VOV1 - Đây là hoạt động nằm trong khuôn khổ Chương trình Thách thức Đổi mới sáng tạo Việt Nam 2026, hướng tới xây dựng thế hệ nhân lực có khả năng phát triển sản phẩm cùng AI, đồng thời thúc đẩy ứng dụng trí tuệ nhân tạo vào giải quyết các bài toán thực tiễn của doanh nghiệp và nền kinh tế.Chiều nay (28/05), tại Hà Nội, Trung tâm Đổi mới sáng tạo Quốc gia (NIC) phối hợp với Tập đoàn Meta, Tổ chức AI for Vietnam và Đại học Duy Tân tổ chức họp báo công bố chương trình “Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge” - hackathon AI-native đầu tiên tại Việt Nam.Theo Ban tổ chức, chương trình “Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge” sẽ diễn ra từ ngày 17 đến 19/7 tới tại thành phố Đà Nẵng, dự kiến quy tụ từ 2.000 đến 3.000 lập trình viên, sinh viên công nghệ và người trẻ đam mê AI trên cả nước tham gia thi đấu liên tục trong 48 giờ.Trước khi bước vào vòng thi chính thức, người tham gia sẽ được tham gia bootcamp kéo dài 5 tuần với các chuyên đề như thiết kế sản phẩm AI-native, xây dựng AI Agents, chiến lược sản phẩm, gọi vốn và đưa sản phẩm vào vận hành thực tế. Chương trình có sự tham gia của các chuyên gia đến từ Google, Stanford, Meta, NVIDIA, TikTok cùng nhiều công ty AI hàng đầu thế giới.Phát biểu tại họp báo, ông Nguyễn Khánh Linh, đại diện Trung tâm Đổi mới sáng tạo Quốc gia NIC cho biết, chương trình được kỳ vọng trở thành nền tảng kết nối năng lực AI của Việt Nam với các nhu cầu phát triển thực tiễn của doanh nghiệp và địa phương; qua đó góp phần hình thành nguồn nhân lực AI thực chiến, thúc đẩy đổi mới sáng tạo mở và nâng cao năng lực cạnh tranh quốc gia trong kỷ nguyên AI."Bên cạnh việc tiếp cận và làm chủ công nghệ, Việt Nam cũng cần tạo điều kiện để đội ngũ kỹ sư, startup, sinh viên và cộng đồng công nghệ trực tiếp tham gia giải quyết các bài toán thực tiễn. Qua đó hình thành năng lực phát triển sản phẩm, tư duy đổi mới sáng tạo và xây dựng thế hệ “AI builder” của Việt Nam. Đó cũng là lý do Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge 2026 được xây dựng không chỉ như một cuộc thi công nghệ, mà còn là nền tảng kết nối giữa doanh nghiệp, cộng đồng công nghệ, các trường đại học và đối tác trong hệ sinh thái đổi mới sáng tạo nhằm thúc đẩy phát triển các giải pháp AI có giá trị thực tiễn cho Việt Nam." - ông Nguyễn Khánh Linh nhấn mạnh.Trong khi đó, đại diện Tập đoàn Meta đánh giá Việt Nam đang sở hữu cộng đồng phát triển công nghệ năng động hàng đầu khu vực Đông Nam Á, đồng thời khẳng định chương trình sẽ góp phần tạo ra những sản phẩm AI có giá trị thực tiễn phục vụ doanh nghiệp và xã hội. Bà Thảo Griffiths, Giám đốc Chính sách công phụ trách Việt Nam, Lào, Campuchia và Myanmar, Tập đoàn Meta chia sẻ: "Việt Nam hiện là nơi quy tụ một trong những cộng đồng phát triển sản phẩm công nghệ năng động nhất Đông Nam Á. Vietnam AI Innovation Challenge được xây dựng nhằm chuyển nguồn năng lượng sáng tạo đó thành những sản phẩm AI có giá trị thực tiễn, góp phần giải quyết các bài toán cụ thể của doanh nghiệp và đời sống. Tập đoàn Meta tự hào đồng hành cùng Tổ chức AI for Vietnam, Trung tâm Đổi mới sáng tạo Quốc gia và Đại học Duy Tân trong việc hỗ trợ các nhà phát triển xuyên suốt hành trình xây dựng sản phẩm. Đây cũng chính là lực lượng sẽ góp phần định hình không chỉ hệ sinh thái công nghệ của Việt Nam mà còn của cả khu vực trong tương lai." Ban tổ chức cũng cho biết, các đội xuất sắc không chỉ có cơ hội triển khai thử nghiệm sản phẩm với doanh nghiệp mà còn được kết nối với các chương trình đổi mới sáng tạo trong nước, tham gia nghiên cứu tại Singapore và tiếp cận mạng lưới đầu tư toàn cầu tại Thung lũng Silicon của Hoa Kỳ.Ngay sau lễ công bố, cổng đăng ký tham gia chương trình cũng đã chính thức được mở dành cho sinh viên, lập trình viên và các cá nhân có nền tảng kỹ thuật trên cả nước.

Nelson Lumbres is Country Lead of Stellar Philippines. Armielyn Obinguar is Tech Lead of Stellar Philippines. Stellar Philippines is a builder-focused ecosystem initiative growing the Stellar network in the Philippines through hackathons, bootcamps, founder support, university partnerships, and community-led programs focused on real-world financial innovation. Stellar Network is an open-source blockchain for enterprises and institutions, offering secure smart contracts, fast payments, and asset tokenization. Designed for cross-border financial infrastructure, it enables low-cost transfers, issuance of digital assets, stablecoin integration, and interoperability between traditional finance and blockchain systems. Its native asset, Lumens (XLM), is used for transaction fees and network operations, while the network focuses on scalability, compliance-friendly tools, and partnerships with payment providers, fintech companies, and financial organizations worldwide.In this episode:00:00 Introduction01:17 Ano ang Stellar Philippines?07:11 Kamusta nga ba ang Web3? 17:20 Why is Stellar building a community in the Philippines? 26:34 What are details of the upcoming Stellar Philippines hackathon? 39:56 What are the future plans of Stellar Philippines? 45:32 How can listeners find more information?STELLAR PHILIPPINESX: https://x.com/PHI_StellarAPAC Stellar Hackathon: https://www.risein.com/programs/apac-stellar-hackathon?referral=rpvJSBuild on Stellar Philippines Hackathon: https://www.risein.com/programs/build-on-stellar-philippines-hackathon?referral=LNPqkTHIS EPISODE IS CO-PRODUCED BY:OneCFO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onecfoph.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kredit Hero: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://kredithero.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Yspaces: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://knowyourspaceph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twala: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twala.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Symph: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://symph.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Secuna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secuna.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SkoolTek by Edfolio: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://skooltek.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Red Circle Global: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.redcircleglobal.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CHECK OUT OUR PARTNERS:Ask Lex PH Academy: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://asklexph.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (5% discount on e-learning courses! Code: ALPHAXSUP)CloudCFO: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cloudcfo.ph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Free financial assessment, process onboarding, and 6-month QuickBooks subscription! Mention: Start Up Podcast PH)ArkoTech: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.arkotechspacesolutions.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DVCode Technologies Inc: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dvcode.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Argum AI: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://argum.ai⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PIXEL by Eplayment: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixel.eplayment.co/auth/sign-up?r=PIXELXSUP1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Sign up using Code: PIXELXSUP1)School of Profits: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://schoolofprofits.academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Founders Launchpad: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://founderslaunchpad.vc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hier Business Solutions: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hierpayroll.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Agile Data Solutions (Hustle PH): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://agiledatasolutions.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Smile Checks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://getsmilechecks.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cloverly: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cloverly.tech⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BuddyBetes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buddybetes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hyperstacks: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hyperstacksinc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Wunderbrand: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://wunderbrand.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Uplift Code Camp: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://upliftcodecamp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (5% discount on bootcamps and courses! Code: UPLIFTSTARTUPPH)START UP PODCAST PHYouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/6BObuPvMfoZzdlJeb1XXVa⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/start-up-podcast/id1576462394⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://patreon.com/StartUpPodcastPH⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PIXEL: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixel.eplayment.co/dl/startuppodcastph⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://phstartup.online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Edited by the team at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tasharivera.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Geddes Munson (SVP of Engineering @ Affirm) joins us to discuss operational / engineering excellence, scaling, and AI-native transformation! We explore Affirm's approach to operational and engineering excellence and how a 2024 outage became a turning point in refining that focus. We deconstruct “AI retooling week”, the internal tools it inspired (including an incident tracing system), how the AI-native transition is impacting operational / engineering excellence, and how to connect these projects to business goals. Plus, we take a look at their early work building in agentic commerce, infrastructure decisions they made years ago setting them up for success now, how they're thinking about designing for agent-first experiences.   ABOUT GEDDES MUNSON Geddes Munson serves as Affirm's SVP, Engineering. Previously, Geddes held several engineering leadership roles at Affirm, including oversight of the merchant engineering group, where he was responsible for the development of Affirm's solutions for key partners including Amazon, Shopify and Walmart. Prior to Affirm, Geddes held various technical leadership roles at rapidly growing startups including Mixpanel, SingleStore and EasyPost. He received his B.A. from Haverford College, where he started the Linux club on campus. Geddes lives in New Jersey with his wife and three children.   Unblocked: The context engine your coding agents are missing. Give your coding agents the context your best engineers have. Your agents can read code, but they don't know how your team works. Rules and MCPs give access to information but not understanding. That's why you still have to tell them where to look and what to look for. Unblocked gives your agents the history, conventions, and decisions behind your code so they generate mergeable output without the back and forth. It automatically surfaces the right context for every task, so agents stay on track without the set up tax or the correction loops. getunblocked.com/elc   SHOW NOTES: Defining operational excellence & what it looks like @ Affirm (4:36) Understand why your company / product matters to your customers (8:11) Key pivot points around engineering excellence @ Affirm (11:10) Creating a genuine culture change of operational / engineering excellence (14:27) Adopting agentic models @ Affirm (16:30) Navigating the balance between transformation, safety & reliability (18:30) Affirm's AI retooling week & hackathon setup (20:57) How the hackathon helped quickly change the company culture (23:15) Ensuring your practices serve your overall organizational vision & goals (26:11) Insights on scaling & increasing CICD investment @ Affirm (28:28) Approaches to building agentic commerce products (30:11) Strategies for building an agent-first experience (33:33) Bridging the gap between engineering & business goals / outcomes (35:44) Rapid fire questions (38:46)   LINKS AND RESOURCES 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in History – and How It Shattered a Nation - New York Times bestselling author Andrew Ross Sorkin takes readers inside the chaos of the crash, behind the scenes of a raging battle between Wall Street and Washington and the larger-than-life characters whose ambition and naivete in an endless boom led to disaster. The dizzying highs and brutal lows of this era eerily mirror today's world—where markets soar, political tensions mount, and the fight over financial influence plays out once again. Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose - a best-selling 2010 memoir by former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh detailing his entrepreneurial journey and outlines his core philosophy: building a phenomenal corporate culture and focusing on the happiness of employees and customers ultimately drives long-term profits and business success.   This episode wouldn't have been possible without the help of our incredible production team: Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-Host Jerry Li - Co-Host Noah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/ Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan's also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/ Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Joshua Bate, founder of Bonfires.ai and DeciWorld, for a wide-ranging conversation covering knowledge management, graph technology, ontologies, decentralized science, and the future of how humans organize and share information. They break down the differences between personal and enterprise knowledge management, explore why flat ontological graphs may be the key to making diverse knowledge bases interoperable, and get into why traditional RAG systems break down at scale and how graph RAG offers a more principled solution. The conversation expands into the philosophy of categorization, the slow death of basic "gentleman science" under institutional pressures, and how decentralized protocols might restore a kind of mycelial knowledge network connecting small groups of researchers, enthusiasts, and communities — much like the original spirit of the encyclopedia before it was co-opted by institutions. You can learn more about Joshua's work at bonfires.ai and deci.world or follow him on X at @Bonfiresai and @DeSciWorld.Timestamps00:00 - Stewart introduces Joshua Bate, founder of Bonfires.ai, discussing personal versus enterprise knowledge management and their fundamental differences at scale.05:00 - Joshua explains ontologies as classifiers for knowledge structures, describing their two-year search for a perfect ontology and ultimately building a flat, ontology-less graph protocol.10:00 - Stewart connects categorization to shamanic practice and intercategorical theory, noting how major companies like Netflix and Yahoo built graph-based ontologies while the discipline remains underappreciated philosophically.15:00 - Joshua traces Bonfires origins through decentralized science, explaining how NFT community excitement inspired redirecting capital toward funding unconventional researchers locked out of institutional systems.20:00 - Joshua describes building federated knowledge networks through hackathons and conferences, comparing the vision to what Wikipedia could have been with decentralized incentive structures.25:00 - Discussion shifts toward inevitable collapse of rigid scientific institutions, debating patchwork age theory, nation-state fragmentation, and rhizomatic versus arboreal knowledge structures.30:00 - Joshua articulates the mycelial network vision, enabling direct cross-cultural information access where individuals control their own narrative lens, warning against collective we thinking and authoritarianism.Key Insights1. Knowledge management exists on a spectrum from personal to enterprise, but the founder of Bonfires argues this split is artificial. He believes knowledge itself does not respect those boundaries, and that small groups, researchers, hobbyists, and large institutions all possess knowledge that can and should interoperate with each other.2. After two and a half years of searching for the perfect ontology to structure their knowledge graph, the team concluded that no perfect ontology exists. Their solution was to build the flattest possible graph structure with only events, entities, and edges, creating a base layer others can build specialized ontologies on top of.3. Graph-based knowledge systems are more efficient than traditional databases for AI traversal because once a graph is computed, it is relatively free to query. Graph RAG combines the discovery power of vector search with the structured precision of graph traversal, solving many hallucination problems associated with standard retrieval augmented generation.4. Basic scientific research, the soil from which applied discoveries grow, is deteriorating because institutional funding structures only reward commercially viable outcomes. The founder built his platform partly to redirect community-driven capital toward researchers who are doing important work without institutional support.5. The institutionalization of science has historically blocked the open exchange of ideas that drove the original scientific revolution. The human spirit for open inquiry has not changed, but people cannot pursue it without financial support, and building decentralized infrastructure could restore that possibility.6. A federated knowledge network would allow individuals to access information from any contributor and filter it through their own preferred lens, rather than receiving information pre-filtered by centralized platforms. This represents a form of information symmetry similar to how mycelial networks distribute nutrients across a forest.7. The concern is not whether current scientific and governmental institutions will change but in what direction the rebuilding goes. Those capitalizing on the transition carry the same incentives as the previous era, which risks reproducing the same problems inside new structures.

Dean Curtis was literally in the room when the iPhone was about to change enterprise mobile computing forever. He was at Palm during the smartphone wars, then moved to Apple right as they were trying to crack the enterprise market. In his Apple interview, he asked the VP of iPhone whether the lack of a physical keyboard would kill their chances in enterprise. The answer? "I think we're going to be okay." Today, there's not a single physical keyboard on a phone anymore.Join hosts Nick Paladino and Chuck Moxley as we explore one of our favorite themes: customers don't actually know what they want. Dean Curtis trains his team on this: don't let customers design features, get them to tell you the problem they're trying to solve. He's got this great line about how Apple looked at the keyboard problem differently. Everyone else asked, "How do we make a better keyboard?" Apple asked, "Why is this thing taking up half the device when you're not using it 95% of the time?"Then there's the California Highway Patrol story. Palm did a pilot with officers using mobile devices for license lookups in the early 2000s. Every single device came back broken after three days. Turns out the officers ran over them with their cars because nobody ever asked if they actually wanted the technology. That's the enterprise adoption problem in a nutshell. Dean breaks down the three pillars most companies miss: having the right stakeholders including IT, marketing for brand consistency, and someone responsible for training and readiness. Skip any of those and you're setting yourself up for failure. And his take on AI is refreshing. He says the widely held belief that new technology ruins everything is simply wrong. It just makes space for new possibilities. His line: AI rewards the curious. Key Actionable Takeaways:Involve all stakeholders before software deployment, not after - Include IT for technical integration, marketing for brand consistency, and someone responsible for training and readiness; rolling out software Monday morning without user input guarantees resistance and low adoptionDefine problems, not solutions, then let experts solve them - Customers will request features based on what they know, but the real innovation comes from understanding the underlying problem they're trying to solve and approaching it differently, like Apple did with keyboards taking up 50% of the device when unused 95% of the timeBuild trust and confidence through presentation consistency - Whether it's pen-and-paper napkin math or polished iPad proposals, both can work if the customer trusts you; the technology should enhance confidence in the numbers you present, not replace the human element that builds belief in your ability to solve their problemWant more tips and strategies about creating frictionless digital experiences? Subscribe to our newsletter!https://www.thefrictionlessexperience.com/frictionless/ Download the Five Step Site Speed Target Playbook: http://bluetriangle.com/playbookDean Curtis' Instagram: https://instagram.com/deancurtis23 Ingage: https://ingage.io Nick Paladino's LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/npaladino Chuck Moxley's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckmoxley/Chapters:(00:00) Introduction(03:20) Palm and early smartphones(06:42) Apple interview keyboard question(09:04) Customers don't know what they want(11:09) Balancing customer feedback(13:05) Steve Jobs customer experience(14:53) Form factor unlocking productivity(16:22) Editing video on phone(18:07) iPad-only app pivot(19:33) Plumber pen vs iPad trust(22:03) Software adoption challenges(24:34) Three pillars of deployment(25:50) California Highway Patrol story(28:48) Convincing successful salespeople(30:15) Trust drives adoption decisions(33:08) Punching above your weight(34:31) Tying design to bottom line(37:54) Bad word of mouth kills deals(39:32) Apple excellence lessons(42:06) Technology approachability myth(43:54) AI rewards the curious(45:40) Hackathon framework(48:00) SaaSpocalypse build vs buy(50:15) Conclusion

#Podcast #Google #Apple #Tecnologia #Adidas #CDMXCelebramos el episodio 300 hablando desde las pistas para ganar la laptop de Asus, hasta el nuevo sistema Try On de Google y el posible Fitbit Air.También discutimos los problemas para entrar a Estados Unidos, cómo la tecnología está transformando los funerales, el hackathon de Apple, el anuncio viral de Adidas, la derrota del América y los famosos “arreglos” de la CDMX.Un episodio nuevo todos los miércoles y viernes, con Aura López, Javier Matuk y José Antonio Pontón. Puedes seguirlos de manera independiente en Instagram: @aurav @jmatuk y @japonton.========================

In der 365. Episode spricht Marc mit Dr. Florian Skupin. Er leitet das Center for Legal Technology and Data Science sowie den Bucerius Legal Innovation Hub an der Bucerius Law School. Florian berichtet von seinem Weg vom BWL-Studium über die Promotion bis hin zum Wissenschaftsmanagement. Das Gespräch thematisiert die wachsende Komplexität von Gesetzen bei gleichzeitig stagnierenden Nachwuchszahlen sowie die Transformation klassischer Kanzleistrukturen hin zu interdisziplinären Teams. Zudem beleuchten Marc und Florian die Chancen und Risiken von KI in der Justiz. Wie verändert generative KI die tägliche Arbeit in Rechtsabteilungen und Kanzleien? Welche neuen Rollenbilder wie der Legal Connector entstehen durch den technologischen Wandel? Wie kann die Justiz trotz drohender Pensionierungswellen ihre Leistungsfähigkeit durch Technik sichern? Welche praktischen Möglichkeiten haben Studierende heute um sich frühzeitig digitale Zusatzqualifikationen aufzubauen? Antworten auf diese und viele weitere Fragen erhaltet Ihr in dieser Folge von IMR. Viel Spaß!

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Rajan's Rise: From Rainy Setbacks to New Beginnings Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2026-05-10-07-38-19-hi Story Transcript:Hi: मसूरी की वादियों में, एक सुंदर और शांति भरी जगह पर बसा हुआ है एक आरामदायक केबिन।En: In the scenic valleys of Mussoorie, there is a cozy cabin nestled in a beautiful and peaceful place.Hi: चारों ओर खिले हुए बुरांश के फूल और ऊँची पहाड़ियों का नजारा, बड़ी खिड़कियों से बाहर झांकता दिखाई देता है।En: The blooming buransh flowers and the view of the tall hills can be seen peeking through the large windows.Hi: अंदर की सजावट लकड़ी की पैनलिंग से की गई है और एक गरम चिमनी के पास सब लोग बैठ सकते हैं।En: Inside, the decor is made of wooden paneling, and everyone can sit near a warm fireplace.Hi: वीरवार की सुबह, राजन, सुहानी और मीरा अपनी-अपनी कारों में वहां पहुंचे।En: On Thursday morning, Rajan, Suhani, and Meera arrived in their respective cars.Hi: यह एक सॉफ्टवेयर कंपनी का टीम बिल्डिंग रिट्रीट था।En: It was a team-building retreat for a software company.Hi: हर कोई उस यात्रा को लेकर उत्साहित था।En: Everyone was excited about the trip.Hi: राजन, जो अपनी टीम से पहचान और प्रमोशन की उम्मीद रखते थे, सभी को अपनी प्रतिभा दिखाना चाहता था।En: Rajan, who was hoping for recognition and a promotion from his team, wanted to showcase his talents to everyone.Hi: सुहानी, उनकी टीम लीड, इस रिट्रीट के जरिए टीम के बीच एकता और सहयोग बढ़ाने के लिए विचारमग्न थीं।En: Suhani, their team lead, was thoughtful about increasing unity and cooperation among the team through this retreat.Hi: वहीं मीरा, जो कि टीम में नई-नई शामिल हुई थी, खुद को टीम में फिट कराने के लिए तैयार थी।En: Meanwhile, Meera, who had just newly joined the team, was ready to fit in with the team.Hi: लेकिन, मौसम ने अचानक करवट बदली और बरसात होने लगी।En: However, the weather suddenly changed, and it started raining.Hi: बाहर की गतिविधियाँ रद्द हो गई।En: The outdoor activities were canceled.Hi: सभी का मन उदास हो गया।En: Everyone felt disheartened.Hi: लेकिन राजन ने हार नहीं मानी।En: But Rajan did not give up.Hi: उसने टीम को इकट्ठा किया और कहा, "क्यों न हम कुछ मजेदार और ज्ञानवर्धक गतिविधियाँ अंदर ही करें?En: He gathered the team and said, "Why don't we do some fun and enlightening activities inside?"Hi: "राजन ने एक इनडोर हैकाथॉन का सुझाव दिया।En: Rajan suggested an indoor hackathon.Hi: सभी ने विचार को समर्थन दिया।En: Everyone supported the idea.Hi: यह एक सुनहरा मौका था, राजन के लिए अपनी योग्यता साबित करने का।En: It was a golden opportunity for Rajan to prove his skills.Hi: हैकाथॉन के दौरान, एक मुश्किल समस्या आई।En: During the hackathon, a difficult problem arose.Hi: राजन ने अपना दिमाग लगाया और एक बेहद होशियारी भरा समाधान पेश किया।En: Rajan used his brain and came up with a very clever solution.Hi: उनका यह उपाय सुनकर सभी प्रभावित हुए, खासकर सुहानी।En: Everyone was impressed by his approach, especially Suhani.Hi: सुहानी ने पूरा टीम की तारीफ की और कहा, "राजन, तुम्हारी नेतृत्व क्षमता ने सबको प्रभावित किया।En: Suhani praised the entire team and said, "Rajan, your leadership ability has impressed everyone.Hi: मैं वापस जाकर तुम्हारी विकास की समीक्षा करूंगी।En: I will review your growth when we return."Hi: "राजन को अपनी क्षमता पर यकीन होने लगा।En: Rajan began to believe in his capabilities.Hi: उसे अनुभव हुआ कि टीम के साथ काम करके उसने कितना कुछ सीखा।En: He realized how much he had learned by working with the team.Hi: वह और उसके साथी सब कड़ाके की ठंड में गरम चाय का मजा लेते हुए, चिमनी के पास बैठकर, उस रात को यादगार बनाते गए।En: He and his colleagues enjoyed hot tea in the biting cold while sitting by the fireplace, making the night memorable.Hi: रिट्रीट सफल रहा।En: The retreat was successful.Hi: और राजन अब अपने साधारण से कटॉप केबिन से खुद के और अपने साथियों के करीब आ चुका था।En: And Rajan, close to his humble little cabin, had come closer to himself and his companions.Hi: उसने आत्मविश्वास के नए पंख पा लिए थे।En: He had gained new wings of confidence.Hi: मसूरी की वह होशियार भरी बसंत अब उसके लिए जीवन का नया आरंभ बन चुकी थी।En: That clever spring in Mussoorie had become a new beginning in his life. Vocabulary Words:scenic: सुंदरvalleys: वादियोंcozy: आरामदायकnestled: बसा हुआblooming: खिले हुएburansh: बुरांशpaneling: पैनलिंगfireplace: चिमनीrespective: अपनी-अपनीretreat: रिट्रीटrecognition: पहचानpromotion: प्रमोशनshowcase: दिखानाthoughtful: विचारमग्नunity: एकताcooperation: सहयोगsuddenly: अचानकdisheartened: उदासenlightening: ज्ञानवर्धकhackathon: हैकाथॉनopportunity: मौकाprove: साबित करनाskills: योग्यताpraise: तारीफleadership: नेतृत्वcapabilities: क्षमताcolleagues: साथीbiting cold: कड़ाके की ठंडhumble: साधारणcompanions: साथियों

Amie Wei is a Sr. Solutions Engineer at HashiCorp and was the winner of last year's GKE Turns 10 Hackathon. It was Amie's first time entering a hackathon and she ended up bringing the prize home with a Cart-To-Kitchen AI Assistant. Do you have something cool to share? Some questions? Let us know: - web: kubernetespodcast.com - mail: kubernetespodcast@google.com - twitter: @kubernetespod - bluesky: @kubernetespodcast.com   News of the week Kubernetes 1.36 codename Haru is here LLM-d is a CNCF Sandbox project CNCF Certification Advancement & Recertification Experience program (CARE) Agones is a CNCF Sandbox project Links from the interview Amie Wei on LinkedIn GKE turns 10 Hackathon Hackathon winner announcement Online boutique sample Bank of Anthos sample The Cart-to-Kitchen AI Assistant on GKE  

Tony Foster and Eric discuss Explore costs and ways to get to the show by self funding. Lots of community sessions this year, as well as the AI Hackathon. Good learnings and excitement builds for another Vegas Experience. VMUG Connect in Toronto and Dallas.

For episode 248 of the Crypto Altruists podcast, we're excited to welcome Solène Daviaud, founder of Dev3pack, an organization on a mission to support new builders in Web3 and AI through tools, mentorship, and hands-on learning opportunities.This May, Dev3pack is hosting their Global Hackathon, bringing together builders from around the world to experiment at the intersection of Web3 and AI.In today's discussion you'll learn:

Send us Fan MailFrom Zero to AI Engineer: How Any Indian Student Can Break Into Artificial Intelligence — No CS Degree Needed Can you really become an AI Engineer without a Computer Science degree?The answer is YES — and this episode of The Kapeel Gupta Career PodShow proves it with real stories, data, and a step-by-step roadmap.In this powerful episode, we break one of the biggest myths in India's education system — that Artificial Intelligence careers are only for IITians and CS graduates.Through practical guidance and real-life examples, this episode shows how any Indian student — from any background — can enter the world of AI. 

Get ready to be inspired by the creativity and innovation of the Airtable community! In this episode, we explore the recent Airtable Build-a-Thon and the community-led hackathon, where participants showcased their skills and built amazing projects using Airtable. Our special guest, Mike Simmons, shares his experience judging the hackathon and we announce the winners of each category. Tune in to learn more about the latest updates and trends in the Airtable space and get inspired by the possibilities of what you can build with Airtable.

Наблюдение на Земята (или Earth Observation) звучи доста ясно само по себе си. Разбира се, това е начинът, по който гледаме към суша, вода, градове, земеделие и инфраструктура от орбита - с малката добавка, че целта е да видим как това да е всъщност полезно. В този епизод със Здравко Димитров и Майкъл Цанев говорим за това защо ни трябват нови сателити, къде днес са границите на резолюцията и защо в много случаи по-важно от това колко ясно виждаме е колко често можем да заснемаме. Отваряме и съвсем конкретния въпрос как се достъпват сателитни данни, кои са свободни, кои се купуват, кой реално може да си ги позволи и докъде стига популярната представа, че можем просто да си гледаме вилата от космоса. Обсъждаме какво всъщност могат да разпознаят съвременните системи, какви ограничения още има пред технологията и защо стойността на данните все по-често идва не само от самото изображение, а от анализа върху него. Майкъл разказва и за пътя на своя екип в CASSINI Hackathon 2025, където Avalanche Detectors печели с решение, което комбинира Copernicus Sentinel-1 и Sentinel-2 с метеорологична информация, за да изчислява вероятност от лавина на конкретно място. Епизодът е и естествена прелюдия към 11-ия CASSINI Hackathon, който ще се проведе между 24 и 26 април 2026 г. едновременно на 10 места в Европа, включително София, с тема Space for Water. За България това е и доста релевантна дейност, предвид наводнения през последните години, водните загуби, недостиг и управление на риск при водите . Тук именно космическите данни мога да помогнат. Запишете се тук: https://www.cassini.eu/hackathons/bulgaria В епизода говорим още за: • какво точно означава Earth Observation • защо новите приложения изискват по-чести заснемания, а не само по-добра резолюция • как се купуват и използват сателитни данни днес • кой има достъп до тях и как това се променя • какви са реалните ограничения пред граждански и бизнес приложения • какво може да се постигне в рамките на един хакатон, когато имаш данни, ментори и добре формулиран проблем

Joining Trends from the Trenches is Allissa Dillman, founder and CEO of BioData Sage, and LaFrancis Gibson, manager for health promotion at ORAU, who discuss this year's Bio-IT World Conference & Expo Hackathon sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Common Fund Data Ecosystem (CFDE) Training Center. With host Allison Proffitt, they discuss which tools and datasets from CFDE will be part of the Hackathon, who should participate, learning and collaborating beyond datasets and tools, FAIR principles in an ever-developing AI environment, and a message beyond the teams that are participating.  Links from this episode:  Bio-IT World BioTeam Bio-IT World EuropeBioData Sage ORAU Bio-IT World's Trends from the Trenches podcast delivers your insider's look at the science, technology, and executive trends driving the life sciences through conversations with industry leaders. 

The Hackathon team discusses their AI tool, TestAlly, focusing on improving accessibility for developers while enhancing collaboration and business benefits.

In this WP Tavern episode, Nathan Wrigley explores the CloudFest Hackathon, an event bringing together open source enthusiasts to collaborate on innovative projects in just three days. Carole Olinger, the Hackathon lead, details the organising process and project selection, talking about cross-CMS collaboration and sustainability. Contributors like Javier Casares, Matthias Pfefferle, Milana Cap, and others share their diverse projects, ranging from AI-enhanced tools to accessibility solutions. The episode covers the energy, teamwork, and lasting impact of the Hackathon on the open web community. Go listen.

Cyberattacks that used to take months now take minutes. And your defenders still can't keep up.Rob T. Lee, Chief AI Officer of the SANS Institute, and David A. Bray, Chair of the Accelerator at the Stimson Center, explain why AI gives attackers a structural advantage. Attackers don't care if their AI breaks something. Your security team can't take that risk. That asymmetry changes everything.✅ You'll discover:✅ Why attackers will always remove the human in the loop faster than defenders can, and the risk calculus that creates✅ How "death by 1,000 cuts" works: $300 per person times 10,000 targets via SIM farms equals a single ransomware payout✅ The federated learning approach that lets organizations share threat intelligence without exposing their own data or vulnerabilities✅ Why hackers are exploiting AI hallucinations by writing real code libraries for packages that models reliably hallucinate✅ How to identify the right cybersecurity talent: hire for learning velocity and the "fiddling mindset," not static AI credentials✅ Why boards must stop treating cybersecurity as prevention and start rewarding rapid detection and response✅ The pre-compute vs. post-compute distinction for AI agent safety that most executives are missing entirely✅ When autonomous cyber defense will actually be viable (hint: think pilotless planes and robotic surgeons)⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 AI has made "death by 1,000 cuts" attacks scalable0:39 Why the AI security lifecycle matters now2:27 Military history lessons for cyber defense strategy5:00 Federated learning: sharing threat intelligence without exposing data6:48 How incident response must evolve for AI-speed attacks8:05 The human-in-the-loop dilemma: defenders vs. attackers11:37 Distraction attacks: coordinated multi-target campaigns15:37 Autonomous agents as a new attack surface19:44 Hackers weaponizing AI hallucinations against developers22:23 Development velocity as the real "swarm" capability24:20 Perverse incentives: why stopping an attack still counts as failure27:09 Your personal attack surface grew from 3 devices to 5031:22 Protecting AI tool chains from becoming prime targets34:25 Hackathons as the future of cybersecurity hiring36:53 Patterns of life: instrumenting your enterprise for anomaly detection38:18 When will we trust AI defenders without human oversight?41:09 Pre-compute vs. post-compute: where AI agent safety rules must live46:45 AI trust, hallucinations, and prompt injection as information warfare51:42 Building security culture: leadership, not blame

Organizations are moving fast on AI. New tools are being piloted. Hackathons are being hosted. Dashboards are lighting up with sentiment data, productivity metrics, collaboration trends, and predictive signals.But most companies are missing the harder question: who owns the output?AI can surface cultural risk, burnout signals, innovation pockets, communication breakdowns, pipeline friction, and brand perception shifts. That part is getting easier by the day. What remains rare is structured accountability for turning those signals into operational change.This conversation challenges HR and executive leaders to rethink AI adoption beyond installation. It explores why many AI initiatives lose momentum after the demo, why insight without ownership becomes noise, and why every meaningful AI deployment requires a defined six-month execution layer tied to measurable outcomes.The future of AI in large organizations won't be defined by model sophistication. It will be defined by whether leaders build the infrastructure, roles, and decision authority required to translate intelligence into behavior change.The tool is not the transformation. The operational discipline behind it is.

What happens when the security community stops debating whether AI belongs in the SOC and starts figuring out how to make it work? Monzy Merza, Co-Founder and CEO of Crogl, is helping answer that question, both through the autonomous AI SOC agent his company builds and through the inaugural AI SOC Summit, a community event designed to bring practitioners together for honest, no-nonsense conversation about what is real and what is hype in AI-driven security operations.Crogl builds what Merza describes as a "superhero suit" for SOC analysts. The platform investigates every alert in depth, working across multiple data lakes without requiring data normalization, and escalates only the issues that require human judgment. But the conversation here goes beyond any single product. Merza explains that the motivation for creating the AI SOC Summit came directly from community feedback. Security teams across enterprises are trying to determine what to buy, what to build, and how to govern AI in their environments, and they need a transparent, practical space to share those experiences.How are threat actors changing the game with agentic AI? Merza points to two critical shifts. First, adversaries are now conducting campaigns using agentic systems, which means defenders need to operate at the same speed. Second, the barrier to entry for sophisticated attacks has dropped significantly because agentic systems handle much of the technical detail, from crafting convincing phishing emails to automating post-exploitation activity. The implication is clear: security teams that do not adopt AI-driven capabilities risk falling behind attackers who already have.The AI SOC Summit, hosted March 3rd at the Hyatt Regency in Tysons, Virginia, is structured to serve the practitioners who are doing the daily work of security operations. The morning features keynotes from CISOs sharing what is working and what is not, along with perspectives on AI governance and privacy. The afternoon splits into two tracks: talk sessions from startups and established companies, and a five-and-a-half-hour hackathon where attendees get free access to frontier AI models and tools to experiment hands-on with real security data.Who should attend the AI SOC Summit? Merza identifies four key personas. SOC analysts at every tier who are buried in alert triage. Security engineers deploying AI-driven and traditional tools who want to see how other enterprises are rationalizing their investments. Incident responders and threat hunters who need to understand how to track agentic activity rather than just human activity. And builders, the security teams prototyping and testing AI capabilities in-house, who want to learn from what others have tried, what has failed, and what constraints can be overcome.What sets this event apart from the typical conference experience? The AI SOC Summit is intentionally vendor-agnostic. Sponsors range from reseller partners serving government organizations to household names like Splunk and Cribl, but the focus stays on community learning rather than product pitches. Many organizations still restrict employee access to frontier models and agentic systems, and the summit provides a space where attendees can kick the tires on these technologies without worrying about tooling costs or corporate restrictions. The goal is for every participant to leave with something practical they can take back and apply to their work immediately.This is a Brand Spotlight. A Brand Spotlight is a ~15 minute conversation designed to explore the guest, their company, and what makes their approach unique. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#spotlightGUESTMonzy Merza, Co-Founder and CEO, Crogl [@monzymerza on X]https://www.linkedin.com/in/monzymerzaRESOURCESCrogl: https://www.crogl.comAI SOC Summit: https://www.aisocsummit.com/Are you interested in telling your story?▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlightKEYWORDSMonzy Merza, Crogl, Sean Martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand spotlight, AI SOC Summit, AI SOC agent, security operations center, agentic AI, autonomous security, threat detection, SOC analyst, incident response, threat hunting, security engineering, AI governance, cybersecurity community, hackathon, frontier AI models, agentic speed, security automation Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Charles Yoo-Naut joins the show to unpack Rain's explosive growth and what's next for crypto payments. We deep dive into the Rain origin story, their recent $250M fundraise, partnering with Visa, who wins the crypto card race, how Rain grew to a $2B company, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Charles: https://x.com/cnaut Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Coinbase crypto-backed loans, powered by Morpho, enable you to take out loans at competitive rates using crypto as collateral. Rates are typically 4% to 8%. Borrow up to $5M using BTC as collateral and up to $1M using ETH as collateral. Manage crypto-backed loans directly in the Coinbase app with ease. Learn more here: https://www.coinbase.com/onchain/borrow/get-started?utm_campaign=0126_defi-borrow_blockworks_empire&marketId=0x9103c3b4e834476c9a62ea009ba2c884ee42e94e6e314a26f04d312434191836&utm_source=empire -- "Mantle Global Hackathon 2025 is live! Running from Oct 22 to Dec 31, Mantle invites builders to design the future of Real-World Assets (RWAs) on its modular L2 stack. Key Highlights: - $150,000 Prize Pool + Grants & Incubation opportunities - Access to Bybit's 7M+ verified users - Judges from Bybit Ventures, Spartan, Animoca Brands - 6 Tracks: RWA/RealFi, DeFi, AI, ZK, Infra, GameFi Join the Hackathon: https://www.hackquest.io/vi/hackathons/Mantle-Global-Hackathon-2025" -- This Empire episode is brought to you by VanEck. Learn more about the VanEck Onchain Economy ETF (NODE): http://vaneck.com/EmpireNODE An investment in the Fund involves a substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. It is possible to lose your entire principal investment. The Fund may invest nearly all of its net assets in either Digital Transformation Companies and/or Digital Asset Instruments. The Fund does not invest in digital assets or commodities directly. Digital asset instruments may be subject to risks associated with investing in digital asset exchange-traded products (“ETPs”), which include the historical extreme volatility of the digital asset and cryptocurrency market, as well as less regulation and thus fewer investor protections, as these ETPs are not investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) or commodity pools for the purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. Visit vaneck.com to read and consider the prospectus, containing the investment objective, risks, and fees of the fund, carefully before investing. © Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Van Eck Associates Corporation. -- Uniswap's Trading API offers plug-and-play access to deep onchain and off-chain liquidity, delivering enterprise-grade crypto trading without the complexity - from one of the most trusted teams in DeFi. Click to get started with seamless, scalable access to Uniswap's powerful onchain trading infrastructure. https://hub.uniswap.org/?utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ww_web_bw_awa_trading-api_20251117_podcast_clicks -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:52) The Rain Origin Story (15:23) Partnering With Visa (30:05) The Opportunity In Emerging Markets (36:48) Ads (Coinbase, Mantle, VanEck, Uniswap) (40:16) The Crypto Card Race, Agentic Payments & Onchain Credit (48:00) What Chains Does Rain Work With? (53:28) Rain's Journey To Raising $250m (01:03:00) How Rain Grew To A $2B Company -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

What happens when you mix creative agency chaos with world-class engineering? You get teams that don't just write code—they own the product.In this episode, I'm talking with David Mitchell, CTO at VML, one of the biggest creative agencies on the planet. With thousands of engineers and global clients like Wendy's and United Airlines, David's teams are building things that most devs only dream of—and doing it without getting buried in bureaucracy.We break down what it really takes to foster creative engineering inside a massive org, how to keep engineers out of the ticket-taking trap, and how AI is reshaping what engineering leadership actually looks like.If you lead teams and want to stop micromanaging, or if you're just tired of pretending Agile is still helping... this one's for you.⏱️ Episode Breakdown[00:15] — What is a "creative engineer" and why don't we have more of them?[06:00] — Why software engineering should be creative work[07:40] — The evolution of engineering: From basement coders to business thinkers[11:20] — Ownership vs. ticket-taking: How VML trains teams to lead[13:30] — Journey-Driven Development and the myth of “API-first”[20:45] — Is AI changing how we build software—or just hyped?[24:00] — Hackathons, prototyping, and the rise of “vibe engineering”Links & ResourcesConnect with David on LinkedInProduct Driven - Get the BookSubscribe to the Product Driven NewsletterWhat Smart CTOs Are Doing Differently With Offshore Teams in 2025Subscribe to the Global Talent SprintFull Scale – Build your dev team quickly and affordablyIf you're trying to get your team out of the basement and into real product ownership, this episode is your playbook. Stop being a ticket factory. Build teams that think, create, and lead.Follow the show, rate it, and send this to someone who's still trying to do “real Scrum.” They need it more than you do.

This week, Qiao Wang joins the show to discuss how AI is transforming what it means to be an investor in 2026. We deep dive into Claude Opus 4.5 and its breakout moment, why Qiao got into the Google trade, constructing a portfolio for 2026, where to allocate time in the age of AI and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Qiao: https://x.com/QwQiao Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- This Empire episode is brought to you by VanEck. Learn more about the VanEck Onchain Economy ETF (NODE): http://vaneck.com/EmpireNODE An investment in the Fund involves a substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. It is possible to lose your entire principal investment. The Fund may invest nearly all of its net assets in either Digital Transformation Companies and/or Digital Asset Instruments. The Fund does not invest in digital assets or commodities directly. Digital asset instruments may be subject to risks associated with investing in digital asset exchange-traded products (“ETPs”), which include the historical extreme volatility of the digital asset and cryptocurrency market, as well as less regulation and thus fewer investor protections, as these ETPs are not investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) or commodity pools for the purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. Visit vaneck.com to read and consider the prospectus, containing the investment objective, risks, and fees of the fund, carefully before investing. © Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Van Eck Associates Corporation. -- "Mantle Global Hackathon 2025 is live! Running from Oct 22 to Dec 31, Mantle invites builders to design the future of Real-World Assets (RWAs) on its modular L2 stack. Key Highlights: - $150,000 Prize Pool + Grants & Incubation opportunities - Access to Bybit's 7M+ verified users - Judges from Bybit Ventures, Spartan, Animoca Brands - 6 Tracks: RWA/RealFi, DeFi, AI, ZK, Infra, GameFi Join the Hackathon: https://www.hackquest.io/vi/hackathons/Mantle-Global-Hackathon-2025" -- Timestamps (00:00) Intro (02:33) Claude's Opus 4.5 Breakout Moment (08:40) How Does AI Impact Startups? (13:10) Do Moats Still Exist? (20:00) Getting Into The Google Trade (23:38) Where To Allocate Time In 2026 (26:23) Ads (VanEck, Mantle) (28:25) Using AI Models For Investing (41:30) How Does AI Change Brand & Distribution? (44:49) Qiao's Portfolio In 2026 (55:14) Health & Longevity -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.