Glasp Talk

This is the fifty-third session of Glasp Talk!Glasp Talk features in-depth conversations with leading thinkers, creators, and storytellers to uncover the ideas, insights, and intentions behind their work.Today’s guest is Gary Rivlin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of "AI Valley: Microsoft, Google, and the Trillion-Dollar Race to Cash in on Artificial Intelligence." Drawing from his decades of tech reporting, Gary shares insights into the current AI boom, comparing it to past tech revolutions and discussing the intense competition between tech giants and startups.In this episode, Gary delves into the ethical concerns surrounding AI safety, its potential impact on journalism, and his innovative approach to writing with AI as a co-pilot. From the challenges of scaling AI startups to the future of human-AI collaboration, this conversation delves into the opportunities and threats of our AI-driven world.Follow Gary Rivlin on social:X⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠Website⁠⁠AI ValleyRead the transcript:AI Valley: How Big Tech, Ethics & Journalism Collide in the Age of AI | Gary Rivlin | Glasp Talk #53Read the summary:AI Valley: How Big Tech, Ethics & Journalism Collide in the Age of AI | Gary Rivlin | Glasp Talk #53Read the newsletter:AI Valley: How Big Tech, Ethics & Journalism Collide in the Age of AI | Gary Rivlin | Glasp Talk #53Watch the full episode on YouTube: AI Valley: How Big Tech, Ethics & Journalism Collide in the Age of AI | Gary Rivlin | Glasp Talk #53

This is the fifty-second session of Glasp Talk!Glasp Talk features intimate conversations with leading thinkers and creators, revealing the stories, struggles, and insights that shape their work.Today’s guest is Julian Treasure, a globally renowned sound and communication expert whose five TED Talks—especially "How to Speak So That People Want to Listen"—have garnered over 160 million views. Julian is the author of award-winning books like "How to Be Heard" and "Sound Business", and his upcoming book, "Sound Affects: How Sound Shapes Our Lives, Our Wellbeing and Our Planet", launches in June 2025.In this episode, Julian shares his journey from music and branding to becoming one of the world’s foremost voices on listening. He explains how sound influences our emotions, behaviors, and health—and why most of us are “listening in a noisy world” without realizing it. He introduces the four effects of sound, the beauty of silence, and how conscious listening can transform leadership, relationships, and even democracy.🎧 New Book – Sound AffectsDiscover Julian’s new book "Sound Affects: How Sound Shapes Our Lives, Our Wellbeing and Our Planet", available June 3, 2025 (US Edition):👉 https://geni.us/SoundAffects🌱 Exclusive for Glasp Listeners – 1 Week Free Trial of The Listening SocietyExplore deeper listening, communication, and sound awareness with a free 1-week trial, just for the Glasp audience:👉 https://betterlistening.today/yesFollow Julian Treasure on social: XLinkedInWebsiteTEDRead the transcript:Sound Affects: How Sound and Listening Shape Our Lives | Julian Treasure | Glasp Talk #52Read the summary:Sound Affects: How Sound and Listening Shape Our Lives | Julian Treasure | Glasp Talk #52Read the newsletter:Sound Affects: How Sound and Listening Shape Our Lives | Julian Treasure | Glasp Talk #52Watch the full episode on YouTube:Sound Affects: How Sound and Listening Shape Our Lives | Julian Treasure | Glasp Talk #52

This is the fifty-first session of Glasp Talk!Glasp Talk delves deep into intimate interviews with luminaries from various fields, unraveling their genuine emotions, experiences, and the stories behind them.Today’s guest is Nick Babich, a leading voice in user experience and digital product design. He’s the founder and former Editor-in-Chief of UX Planet, one of the largest UX communities in the world with over 345,000 active members. Formerly Principal UX Designer at Brain Technologies, Nick helped create award-winning products, earning honors like the Red Dot Award for Best Mobile Design in 2022.In this episode, Nick opens up about his journey from software engineering to product management and ultimately UX design. He shares the founding story behind UX Planet, the challenges of growing a design-focused media platform, and how consistency and curiosity fueled his long-term content strategy.Nick also discusses the rise of generative AI in design, its impact on workflows and user research, and why he believes the future belongs to hybrid thinkers who can move seamlessly between design and code. He reflects on the evolving role of designers, what makes a great design hire, and the kind of legacy he hopes to leave: empowering others through practical knowledge, creativity, and an openness to change.Follow Nick Babich on social: XLinkedInMediumBlogUX PlanetYouTubeRead the transcript:The Future of Design: How AI and Humans Co-Create UX | Nick Babich | Glasp Talk #51Read the summary:The Future of Design: How AI and Humans Co-Create UX | Nick Babich | Glasp Talk #51Read the newsletter: The Future of Design: How AI and Humans Co-Create UX | Nick Babich | Glasp Talk #51Watch the full episode on YouTube: The Future of Design: How AI and Humans Co-Create UX | Nick Babich | Glasp Talk #51

Bozena Pajak, VP of Learning at Duolingo and a Ph.D. in linguistics, discusses her inspiring journey from Poland to transforming language education. She reveals how AI personalizes learning and the surprising findings on learner motivation that challenge traditional assumptions. Bozena emphasizes the importance of consistency over perfection in language acquisition and reflects on Duolingo's mascot Duo’s role in engaging learners. Her passion for accessible education shines through as she shares her aspirations to make learning equitable for all.

This is the forty-ninth session of Glasp Talk!Glasp Talk delves deep into intimate interviews with luminaries from various fields, unraveling their genuine emotions, experiences, and the stories behind them.Today’s guest is Nick Adams, a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, currently the founder of Quill Meetings, an innovative platform transforming meetings through powerful, privacy-centric AI technology. Nick also serves as a Venture Partner at Ame Cloud Ventures, leveraging over a decade of experience supporting visionary founders, particularly in data-driven startups.In this insightful conversation, Nick shares the inspiring story behind Quill Meetings, detailing how breakthroughs in AI, particularly GPT-4 and Whisper by OpenAI, paved the way for a game-changing approach to automated meeting transcription and note-taking. He emphasizes the importance of creating magical and intuitive products, highlighting Quill’s unique capabilities such as multilingual transcription and local data processing.Nick also discusses his experiences investing in transformative companies, including Zoom, and reflects on critical lessons learned from his mentor, Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo. He offers candid insights on startup innovation and the evolving landscape of AI and valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and investors on navigating the complex interplay of technology, product-market fit, and growth.Join us as Nick discusses the future of productivity, the nuanced dynamics of VC versus founder roles, and his vision for building tools that meaningfully impact the way we work and collaborate.Follow Nick Adams on social:XLinkedInhttps://www.quillmeetings.com/Read the transcript:From VC to Builder: Building the AI Tool Shaping the Future of Work | Nick Adams | Glasp Talk #49Read the summary:From VC to Builder: Building the AI Tool Shaping the Future of Work | Nick Adams | Glasp Talk #49Watch the full episode on YouTube:⁠From VC to Builder: Building the AI Tool Shaping the Future of Work | Nick Adams | Glasp Talk #49⁠Read the newsletter:⁠⁠From VC to Builder: Building the AI Tool Shaping the Future of Work | Nick Adams | Glasp Talk #49⁠⁠

This is the forty-eighth session of Glasp Talk!Glasp Talk delves deep into intimate interviews with luminaries from various fields, unraveling their genuine emotions, experiences, and the stories behind them.Today’s guest is CJ Gustafson, finance thought-leader, creator of the wildly popular Mostly Metrics newsletter, and co-host of the Run the Numbers podcast. With a career that’s taken him from PwC to senior FP&A roles, through stints at Snyk and Veeam Software, and ultimately to CFO at PartsTech (where he steered the company to a successful exit), CJ now splits his time between writing, podcasting, angel investing, and advising fast-growing startups from his base in Naples, Florida.In this wide-ranging conversation, CJ unpacks:The origin of Mostly Metrics – how “stealing” his ideas and writing online for an audience of 400 snowballed into a 65,000-strong community and a top-tier podcast.Playbooks, not theory – why every great CFO develops a repeatable mental model for pricing, monetization, and resource allocation, and how founders can start crafting theirs today.Board-meeting mastery – CJ’s four-part framework for decks that tell a story with numbers, impress investors, and drive decisions.Metrics that move the needle – net-dollar-retention, CAC payback, RPO, CARR vs. ARR, and the sneaky ways companies “dress up” revenue (and how savvy investors see through it).AI’s real super-power – less about 10× coding myths, more about 20 % efficiency gains across finance, support, and GTM teams that let startups raise fewer rounds and keep more equity.Finding (and keeping) product-market-fit – why today’s winners must stack multiple S-curves earlier than ever, and how benchmarking against the right comparables keeps you honest.Career wisdom for future CFOs – brokering risk, being the “goalie in net,” and deciding when a startup needs a full-time finance chief.Legacy & curiosity – CJ’s mission to tear down the gatekeeping around finance and leave a trail of resources that make business fun, accessible, and endlessly learnable.🏷️ Chapters & Key Moments0:00 Intro & CJ’s journey3:50 Building Mostly Metrics & finding audience-market-fit8:20 Top topics: board decks & investor communication12:40 ARR, CARR & revenue “tricks” explained18:30 Retention vs. CAC payback – when to double down24:00 When startups need a CFO29:00 AI for efficiency, not just growth36:30 Private-market vs. public-market multiples45:00 Stacking S-curves & staying in product-market-fit52:00 Advice for newsletter writers & founders56:00 CJ’s legacy and closing thoughtsFollow CJ Gustafson on social:XLinkedInMostly metrics (Substack)Run the Numbers (Podcast)Read the transcript:⁠Decode Startup Finance: Metrics, Board Decks & AI Efficiency | CJ Gustafson | Glasp Talk #48⁠Read the summary:Decode Startup Finance: Metrics, Board Decks & AI Efficiency | CJ Gustafson | Glasp Talk #48Watch the full episode on YouTube:⁠Decode Startup Finance: Metrics, Board Decks & AI Efficiency | CJ Gustafson | Glasp Talk #48⁠Read the newsletter:⁠Decode Startup Finance: Metrics, Board Decks & AI Efficiency | CJ Gustafson | Glasp Talk #48⁠

This is the forty-seventh session of Glasp Talk!Glasp Talk delves deep into intimate interviews with luminaries from various fields, unraveling their genuine emotions, experiences, and the stories behind them.Today’s guest is Des Brown, a dynamic force in digital marketing who currently serves as Commercial Lead at Prebo Digital, one of Africa’s top performance agencies. He’s also the founder of Email Expert Africa, a thriving community empowering solopreneurs, creators, and businesses to master the art of email marketing. Drawing on more than a decade of hands-on experience in digital strategy, marketing operations, and client success, Des brings a treasure trove of insights into building impactful email campaigns that truly resonate.In this interview, Des shares firsthand how he helps brands achieve high delivery and deliverability rates, craft personalized emails that keep audiences engaged, and strategically time mailings for maximum click-through. He explains re-engagement best practices to rekindle inactive subscribers, outlines how to harness AI for segmentation, and underscores why a solid technical setup—SPF, DKIM, and DMARC—is essential for hitting the inbox. Des also candidly talks about balancing brand growth on platforms like LinkedIn with the long-term power of email, and how consistent, audience-first communication fosters trust and loyalty.Tune in to discover how you can optimize your email marketing efforts, whether you’re just starting or looking to refine an existing approach. By putting your subscribers first and consistently delivering value, you’ll learn how to generate strong engagement, nurture lasting customer relationships, and scale your digital presence across borders. Enjoy the conversation!Follow Des Brown on social:XLinkedInWebsiteLinktreeRead the transcript:How to Master Email Marketing: Achieve 50% Opens & Grow Your Audience | Des Brown | Glasp Talk #47Read the summary:How to Master Email Marketing: Achieve 50% Opens & Grow Your Audience | Des Brown | Glasp Talk #47Watch the full episode on YouTube:How to Master Email Marketing: Achieve 50% Opens & Grow Your Audience | Des Brown | Glasp Talk #47

This is the forty-sixth session of Glasp Talk!Glasp Talk delves deep into intimate interviews with luminaries from various fields, unraveling their genuine emotions, experiences, and the stories behind them.Today’s guest is Sean Ellis, the legendary growth pioneer credited with coining “growth hacking.” He’s an early-stage marketing leader behind unicorns like Dropbox, Eventbrite, LogMeIn, and Lookout—businesses that reached billion-dollar valuations under his data-driven, experimentation-focused approach. Sean is also the creator of the “Sean Ellis test,” a go-to method for gauging product-market fit, and the ICE prioritization framework widely used by startups worldwide.In this interview, Sean shares firsthand how refining activation helped LogMeIn unlock massive word-of-mouth expansion, enabling million-dollar monthly marketing budgets backed by sustainable ROI. He dives into the foundation behind Dropbox’s viral growth, unpacks why deeply understanding retention is a startup’s hidden growth driver, and explains how must-have products and well-honed user onboarding form the bedrock of high-velocity scaling. Sean also speaks candidly about balancing vision with adaptability—how top founders pivot to capitalize on unexpected “must-have” features revealed through customer feedback.Follow Sean Ellis on socialXLinkedInWebsiteSubstack, "Growth with Sean Ellis"Book on Amazon, "Hacking Growth: How Today's Fastest-Growing Companies Drive Breakout Success”Read the transcript:How to Ignite Startup Growth and Build a Billion-Dollar Business| Sean Ellis | Glasp Talk #46Read the summary:How to Ignite Startup Growth and Build a Billion-Dollar Business| Sean Ellis | Glasp Talk #46Watch the full episode on YouTube:How to Ignite Startup Growth and Build a Billion-Dollar Business| Sean Ellis | Glasp Talk #46

This is the forty-fifth session of Glasp Talk!Glasp Talk delves deep into intimate interviews with luminaries from various fields, unraveling their genuine emotions, experiences, and the stories behind them.Today’s guest is Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and founder of Ness Labs. With a background at Google and a marketing leadership role in tech, Anne-Laure is also a PhD researcher at King’s College London who investigates how neurodiversity, especially ADHD, interacts with AI, curiosity, and learning. She’s the author of Tiny Experiments, a book that encourages people to adopt an experimental mindset in their personal and professional lives.In this interview, Anne-Laure shares how she transitioned from a linear, goal-oriented career path to one fueled by curiosity and continuous experimentation. She discusses her concept of a “growth loop” over a “ladder of success,” offering practical methods such as Plus Minus Next for self-reflection, Head-Heart-Hand for beating procrastination, and tangible strategies to prevent burnout. She also delves into how AI can serve as a powerful thinking partner—especially useful for exploring complex topics where we might not even know the right questions to ask. Throughout, Anne-Laure emphasizes enjoying the journey, seeing your life as a laboratory for discovery, and building community-driven learning experiences that focus on collaboration and experimentation over linear achievement.Follow Anne-Laure Le Cunff on social:XLinkedInWebsiteBook, "Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World": Book on AmazonRead the transcript:How to Build a Growth Mindset through Tiny Experiments | Anne-Laure Le Cunff | Glasp Talk #45Read the summary:How to Build a Growth Mindset through Tiny Experiments | Anne-Laure Le Cunff | Glasp Talk #45Watch the full episode on YouTube:How to Build a Growth Mindset through Tiny Experiments | Anne-Laure Le Cunff | Glasp Talk #45

In this conversation, Jason Feifer, the dynamic Editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur Magazine and author of Build for Tomorrow, shares his insights on navigating change. He outlines his four phases of change, emphasizing the need to swiftly move through panic to unlock new possibilities. Jason discusses how AI can reveal inefficiencies rather than just replace jobs, while encouraging individuals to embrace their core values beyond job titles. His practical advice on identifying opportunities and fostering adaptability highlights the importance of creativity and connection in today's fast-evolving landscape.