You Don't Need This Podcast

Joe Murphy is the director of the Iowa Business Council, which unites 20+ chief executives from Iowa’s largest organizations. Since 1985, the IBC has used economic research to determine key initiatives that help drive lasting progress in Iowa and beyond. Together, Ben and Joe talk about collaboration amongst leaders, sequencing public policy, intrapreneurship, leveraging different types of capital, building teams that sing the song of significance, and together, activating diversity of thought to stay ahead of the innovation curve.

Will Schneller explores the intersection of design, technology, and entrepreneurship. After an epic opening moment on the mic, Ben and Will talk about building within education, signals to consider if/when/what to quit, wallets in web3, zero knowledge proofs, and provenance. After the break, Will expands on what he wrote in Non-Fungible Fabric, by talking through the endless depth that NFTs deliver. We take a pit stop to discuss the unmatched energy of accelerating others, the connections we've unlocked through the Roasted Reflections NFT Collection, and finish by adding a zero to whatever you're building.

Joshua Larson is a video game developer, AI fashion designer, and web3 founder. We load in with Joshua's experience building inside the Bitcoin Startup Lab, which has us talking about startup accelerators, pivoting, and tokenomics. We then rewind to hear how he hacked his way into video game development, and here are a few games he helped to ship. After the break, we blast through digital artifacts that are ordinals on-chain, generative AI, prompt engineering, #ChatUX, decentralized computing, and the 5 main layers within blockchain technologies. We close things down with a humbling 1-2-3 exercise, before Joshua drops the mic with perseverance.

Dwana Bradley builds relationships. Her team at Iowa Urban Media tells stories through the Urban Experience Magazine and her leadership with Iowa Juneteenth is felt year-round. Together, we celebrate love and Black History Month, by dancing with purpose-driven initiatives, the uninterrupted power of print, prompt engineering through societal biases, and the peace that awaits all who build toward their own state of career nirvana.

Kristy Volesky is an author and educational advocate. Kristy recently published her first book, Transformational Work-Based Learning, and together, we chat about how the innovative spirit is activated through internships and creative activities within a startup community. With this leader's experience inside the Iowa Department of Education and now a fresh connection with Jeff Reed at Momentum Studios, you know this caffeinated conversation is loaded with value for linchpins and design thinkers who understand the future of work is all about play.

Intellectual Property and Trademarks and Patents, o my! Sean Solberg is a protector of ideas and as a patent attorney at Fredrikson & Byron, you know this extended episode is loaded with strategic value. Ben, Sean, and BEN BOT discuss patentability and building to go big, even when you're small. We also encourage business owners to be bold by looking for what exists, versus hoping it doesn't.

Inspired by a remarkable Startup Weekend DSM last weekend, this build now vibe from Balaji, the winter freeze, and land development leaders coming together to share stories with this episode's featured guest. Ryan Glick continues building residential land development tools, such as lot inventory management, through Groov. We also love The Land Development Podcast with this fellow translator of nerd to normal! For EP34 of You Don't Need This Podcast, grab a hammer and cut once. Ben, Ryan, and BEN BOT talk about the home building industry and how so much infrastructure connects to land development. They also explore more experiential wisdom brewed through the construction industry. Along with exploring technology to enhance internal efficiencies. Along with another little commercial that's not a commercial, our weekly host, Ben McDougal, riffs on his creative, multimedia, "4th Path" into real estate, home building, and construction. Stick around as we close by unwrapping evergreen insight for founders building trust in their target market. Lastly, we jam on confidently building ideas in an accelerated experience, no matter when it's time. Enjoy this, and an entire thread of #YDNTP episodes, which have been releasing everywhere you listen to podcasts, every week since June 2022. As Eric Jorgenson writes for Balaji: Don't argue. Build.

Corey Dion Lewis is a health equity advocate and experienced podcaster. Together, we talk about activating our connected era in ways that deliver heartfelt health care outside of the clinic. We also  chat about the localized value of bringing people together through community events like My City My Health. After the break, we shift gears and dive into the art of podcasting. Have you thought about starting a podcast? Here's how this podcast was produced and this episode is for you. BONUS: Ben was just on The Healthy Podcast with Corey!

Jessi McQuerrey activates leaders. She been connecting dots through Iowa ABI programs like Business Horizons for high school students and Leadership Iowa for business and community leaders. Together, we chat about how real skills open side doors to innovative opportunities. We also talk about event management and the mental weight of such intrinsic work.

Russ Goerend is a bold and generous leader who designs community-driven experiences for high school students exploring what's next within the Waukee APEX work-based learning program. This is a powerful episode for educators, students, and parents! Inspired by Stop Stealing Dreams, Connect Dots, and How to get into a famous college with Seth Godin, together we ask, what is school for? This is a simple, but important question that has so many answers! As we embark on 2024, how might we continue to blur lines between the classroom and community? What are more side doors we can open today, that accelerate those ready to build tomorrow? Enjoy!