The Future Of Less Work

DEI programs are under fire. Political pushback, budget cuts, and employee fatigue have left many organizations scaling back or quietly rebranding their diversity efforts. But what if the problem isn’t DEI itself—what if it’s the way we’ve been doing it? Why DEI training isn’t working anymore?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen speaks with Dr. Flannery Stevens, Associate Professor at Villanova School of Business and coauthor of a powerful Harvard Business Review article challenging outdated DEI models. Together, they ask the hard questions: What does inclusion really mean in a world of hybrid teams, AI tools, and fractional work? Are headcount metrics doing more harm than good? And how can we design systems that make everyone feel seen, heard, and valued?From personalized learning to inclusive AI practices and the unintended consequences of rapid tech adoption, this conversation explores how to rethink inclusion for today’s workforce—not just as a set of programs, but as a strategic lens for designing the future of work.If you’re tired of checkbox DEI and ready to rethink what fairness and equity could really look like, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/HToC6qDPRkoGuest Information:Flannery Stevens is an associate professor in the Management & Operations Department at the Villanova School of Business. Her research focuses on the sources and consequences of inequality in organizations at both micro and macro levels. Dr. Stevens’s research has been published in Administrative Science Quarterly, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and Journal of Organizational Behavior, Harvard Business Review and MIT Sloan Management Review, among others. She earned her PhD in Management and Organizations from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and received MS and BA degrees in Psychology from Tulane University and Binghamton University, respectively.https://www.linkedin.com/in/flannery-stevens-4553333/https://hbr.org/2025/04/to-make-your-dei-efforts-more-effective-challenge-outdated-models Chapters:00:00 – Is DEI Broken or Just Misunderstood?01:27 – Why Counting Headcount Isn’t Enough04:51 – What’s Missing in Today’s DEI Execution?06:49 – Why Diverse Teams Build Better Products08:43 – What Does Inclusion Look Like in Remote Work?11:56 – How Technology Can Expand—or Shrink—Voices13:50 – Rethinking DEI Training in the Age of AI15:43 – Can AI Personalize Learning Without Reinforcing Bias?17:52 – How AI Might Reinforce Inequality at Work19:44 – Where Should CHROs Start on Inclusive AI?23:02 – Why Internal AI Tools Need Inclusion Too24:53 – The Fast Pace of AI and Human-Centered Design26:44 – Will the Future of Work Boost Real Inclusion?28:25 – How to Use AI Without Leaving People Behind29:30 – The Heart of Inclusion: Being Seen and Heard

What happens when AI becomes so ambient, so invisible, that it disappears into the background of work—while quietly transforming everything? How does voice AI change jobs? Can technology finally deliver on its promise to make work more human?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Punit Singh Soni, former Google executive and founder of Suki, a company reimagining healthcare through voice-enabled AI. But this isn’t just a healthcare story—it’s a blueprint for how every profession could evolve when administrative work is offloaded and human connection takes center stage.Together, they explore what it means to build “invisible” technology that assists without intruding, how ambient AI is redefining workflows one profession at a time, and why the real revolution may lie not in automation—but in imagination. Punit shares why he left Big Tech to find more meaning in his work, how AI can unleash new kinds of creativity and purpose, and why he believes we’re still in the earliest days of what’s possible.If you’ve ever wondered what happens when tech stops interrupting and starts supporting, what new jobs will emerge when coding is no longer a barrier, or how we can design work around our deepest human strengths—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, “⁠When Work Talks Back And Voice Becomes The New Keyboard⁠“, to explore these ideas further. https://youtu.be/-rEAo7Z7OSsGuest Information:Punit Singh Soni is the founder and CEO of Suki, the leader in voice technology for healthcare, providing AI-powered voice solutions for clinicians. He leads a team of physicians, engineers, and technologists, creating innovative solutions to lift the administrative burden from doctors, including the company’s flagship product, Suki Assistant. Suki also offers its proprietary AI platform, Suki Platform, to partners who want to create a best-in-class AI and voice experience for their solutions. Prior to starting Suki, Punit was the Chief Product Officer of Flipkart, a $15B Indian e-commerce company. Punit also held leadership positions at Google including: VP of Product at Motorola; Lead PM at Google+ Mobile and Google Mobile Apps; PM at News, News Archive and Search. He graduated with an MBA from Wharton and has a MS/BS in Electrical Engineering. Chapters:00:00 – What Does It Mean to Put Humans First in AI?01:36 – Are We Headed Toward a Future of Less Work?05:45 – What Jobs Will Be Left for Humans?07:30 – How AI Can Make Work More Human08:57 – Will AI Redefine What a Job Is?10:41 – Why Voice Is the Future of AI Interfaces12:08 – What Is Ambient AI and How Will It Change Work?14:14 – The Benefits and Risks of Invisible AI16:30 – How AI Could Reduce Burnout in Healthcare18:29 – Will Every Profession Need Its Own AI Assistant?20:28 – Will AI Kill White-Collar Jobs—or Create More?22:23 – What Founders Learn About the Future of Work24:43 – Which Skills Will Stay Human in an AI World?26:23 – Can We Redesign Healthcare with AI This Time?28:10 – Who’s Responsible for the Future of Work?

What happens when the next generation enters the workforce without ever knowing the “old way”—and starts reshaping work not by accident, but by design? What if Gen Z isn’t the problem, but the prototype?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Amanda Schneider, founder of ThinkLab, the research division of Interior Design Magazine, to explore how digital-first workers are challenging our assumptions about space, trust, and connection.From the rise of the “phygital” workplace to the trust gap shaping hybrid work, Amanda offers a design-forward lens on what it takes to build belonging, culture, and collaboration in a fluid world. Together, they unpack why Gen Z sees digital and physical space as one seamless environment, what leaders get wrong about building culture, and why intentionality—not location—is the key to thriving in the next era of work. Amanda shares how radical transparency, authentic storytelling, and self-awareness can help organizations and individuals design better ways to work and live.If you’ve ever wondered how to build trust without walls, how to lead digital natives, or how to design workspaces and work cultures that truly reflect your values—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Dive deeper into the research featured in this episode: Unlocking Gen Z’s Potential to Impact the Future of Workhttps://youtu.be/DP3sVzes9PwGuest Information:Amanda Schneider the Founder & President at ThinkLab, the research division of Interior Design Magazine. As a former blogger for the Huffington Post Amanda has been exploring the future of work through the lens of design for more than two decades. Her latest research around Gen Z was featured in a viral Forbes article titled Gen Z and the Great Office Debate Won’t End in 2023. She also co-authored the #1 article in the MIT Sloan management review July of 2024, and took the TedX stage in 2024 which can now be found on TED.com. Her degree in Industrial Design coupled with an MBA formed her foundation at the intersection of design and business and the power of that intersection to transform our world. Learn more by tuning into her award-winning podcast, Design Nerds Anonymous.Chapters:00:00 – What Is the Future of Less Work?01:35 – What Does Phygital Mean for Workplaces?03:20 – How Should We Design Digital and Physical Work Together?06:25 – What Can Gen Z Teach Us About Work?08:30 – Why Gen Z Doesn’t Separate Digital and Physical Work10:55 – What Is the Trust Gap in Hybrid Work?12:00 – Can We Build Trust Without Returning to the Office?13:25 – How to Build Culture and Belonging Digitally15:00 – Why Intentionality Is the Key to Hybrid Success17:00 – How to Design Work Around When and How We Work Best18:55 – What Does Radical Transparency Look Like at Work?20:50 – How Gen Z Research Is Reshaping Workplaces21:55 – What Question Should We Ask About the Future of Work?

Will voice replace the keyboard at work? How will AI and voice technology change how we work?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Josh Blalock, Chief Evangelist at Jabra, to explore a future where conversation becomes the interface. From AI-powered noise-canceling to real-time voice translation, Josh shares how voice and smart audio are unlocking a new way to work—one that’s more natural, inclusive, and connected across distance, time, and even language.They dive into why voice is more than just a productivity hack, how it lowers the barrier to entry for AI adoption, and what it will mean when we no longer speak differently to machines and people. As the line blurs between human and agent teams, and as keyboards give way to microphones, this conversation offers a glimpse into how work is being reimagined—literally, word by word.If you’re wondering what it means to be AI literate, how to lead teams across continents and time zones, or why voice-first work is about more than devices, this episode will make you rethink how you show up—and speak up—at work.Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, “When Work Talks Back And Voice Becomes The New Keyboard“, to explore these ideas further. https://youtu.be/pFpG9480chM Guest Information:Josh Blalock is the Chief Evangelist at Jabra, a global leader in audio, video and collaboration solutions. With over 20 years of experience in engineering and architecting Microsoft technologies, Josh has deep expertise in Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams, and Office 365, as well as unified communications and video solutions. In his current role, Josh engages with customers, partners, and the industry around Jabra's portfolio of solutions, and how it is evolving to meet the changing needs of the modern workplace.Josh is also co-founder and board member of Comms vNext, a community-led conference that brings together Microsoft UC professionals and enthusiasts to learn and network. As a multiple-time Microsoft MVP in the Office Apps & Services category, Josh shares his knowledge and insights with the Microsoft UC community - helping them achieve their communication and collaboration goals.Josh recently launched Cutting Through the Noise - a weekly podcast aimed at taking topics in the AV / UC / AI space that are seemingly overly complex, and breaking them down into understandable concepts. Chapters:00:00 – What if we could talk to technology the same way we talk to people?01:50 – Will we stop using keyboards and prompts at work?03:23 – How voice AI removes barriers to adoption05:07 – What does AI literacy mean in a voice-first workplace?07:12 – Can anyone use AI if we just make it conversational?09:28 – Why accurate audio is critical for AI to work12:39 – Will voice tech make hybrid work more productive and inclusive?14:36 – Are personal devices replacing expensive meeting room tech?16:06 – How AI and video enhance hybrid collaboration17:45 – What will work look like when human-agent teams become the norm?19:49 – Why AI adoption affects happiness and productivity at work21:59 – Is talking faster—and better—than typing with AI?

What happens when employment itself is declared obsolete—and a new model emerges, powered by AI, decentralized by design, and built around human value instead of job titles? Is traditional employment going away?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Deborah Perry Piscione, cofounder of the Work3 Institute and coauthor of Employment Is Dead, to explore what comes next when the employer-employee model no longer fits the world we live in.From blockchain-based compensation to decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and the rise of billion-dollar companies with no employees, Deborah lays out a provocative but optimistic roadmap for a post-employment future. Together, they unpack why the 9-to-5 job is dissolving, what’s replacing it, and how we can redesign work to be more human, fair, and purposeful. Deborah shares why the old social contract is collapsing, how families and communities might re-emerge as economic anchors, and what today’s workers—and leaders—need to know about thriving in a world where AI handles the skills and people bring the purpose.If you’ve ever wondered what happens after the job, how to build meaning and value in a world without fixed employment, or how to prepare for the seismic shifts already underway—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.https://youtu.be/zu1uvgRcCDYGuest Information:Deborah Perry Piscione is cofounder of the Work3 Institute, an AI and Web3 advisory firm. She is also a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and innovation and future-of-work thought leader. She is the author of multiple books, including the New York Times bestseller Secrets of Silicon Valley. She was previously a staffer in the U.S. Congress and at the White House, and she served as an on-air commentator on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News.Chapters:00:00 – Is Employment Dead?01:40 – Why the Job Market Is Changing Faster Than Expected03:00 – What Will Be Left for Humans to Do?05:25 – Is the Traditional Career Path Still Relevant?07:00 – How Blockchain and DAOs Could Replace Companies08:30 – What Happens When AI Does All the Work?10:10 – Can One Person Build a Billion-Dollar Business?11:30 – Will We Still Need Human Creativity in an AI World?13:30 – What Is the New Social Contract for Work?15:20 – Can Governments Redesign Economic Safety Nets?17:30 – Will the Future of Work Be More Community-Based?19:10 – What Should Young People Do in a Post-Employment World?21:10 – Are College Degrees Still Worth It in the Age of AI?22:00 – How Do You Build a Portfolio Career?23:00 – Why We Need New Models for Learning and Work

What if the biggest barrier to AI success at work isn’t the technology—but the disconnect between how leaders think it’s being used and what’s actually happening on the ground?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Rich Veldran, CEO of GoTo, to unpack new research revealing a striking misalignment: while 87% of IT leaders believe employees understand AI, 82% of employees say they don’t. And more than half admit to using AI for high-stakes tasks they probably shouldn’t.Together, they explore how this gap emerged, what it means for productivity, and why the real competitive advantage now lies in responsible adoption—not hype. From remote leadership and culture-building to the role of policy, training, and tool design, Rich shares what it takes to lead a fully remote, AI-augmented organization where humans still come first.If you’re grappling with how to integrate AI, support distributed teams, or lead in a world where tech is outpacing readiness—this episode offers a practical, grounded, and human-centered perspective on what it takes to make AI actually work. https://youtu.be/TTQEOfz91Dw Guest Information:Rich Veldran serves as GoTo’s Chief Executive Officer where he leads all aspects of the organization, including overall business and go-to-market strategy, technology innovation, customer engagement, operational excellence, and growth initiatives.  Since joining GoTo in 2020 as CFO, he has been instrumental in rearchitecting the company’s business operations, leading a company transformation after it was taken private in 2019 and putting it on the path for renewed growth.   In a career that spans more than 30 years of experience as a business and finance executive, Rich has led strategy, finance, and operations as CFO at Dun & Bradstreet, and held various leadership positions at Boston Consulting Group (BCG), ADP, and Procter & Gamble. He has built world-class operations, delivered meaningful business results, and created significant value for a range of stakeholders.   Rich holds an MBA in Finance from Cornell University and a B.S. in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Cornell University. Link to The Pulse of Work in 2025: http://goto.com/pulse-of-workChapters:00:00 — Future of Work and AI Disconnect01:40 — Why Choose a Fully Remote Organization?04:00 — How Remote Work Shapes Product Innovation06:30 — What AI Adoption Gap Exists in Companies?09:30 — How To Customize AI for Employees12:00 — How to Keep Up With AI Tool Changes13:10 — Why AI Policies Are Essential at Work15:00 — What Should an AI Policy Include?17:00 — Policy vs. Training: What’s More Important for AI?20:30 — How To Design AI Tools Employees Will Use23:30 — Will AI Replace Jobs or Improve Them?25:30 — How Small Businesses Can Start Using AI27:00 — How to Balance Human Leadership and AI

What does enterprise AI transformation look like? What does it really take to move beyond AI experiments and transform an entire enterprise? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Dan Priest, Chief AI Officer at PwC US, to explore what happens when AI shifts from isolated use cases to a strategy for growth, innovation, and trust.Drawing on insights from PwC’s latest AI Jobs Barometer, Nirit and Dan unpack how AI is reshaping business models, job design, and the skills we need to thrive. They explore why enterprise AI transformation isn’t just about cost savings—but about building new value, reimagining work at scale, and bringing people along for the journey.Together, they offer a roadmap for leaders navigating this change—and explain why, in the age of AI, the real differentiator will always be human. Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, “⁠⁠⁠⁠Why Would Amazon Employees Help Build AI That Replaces Them?⁠“, to explore these ideas further.  https://youtu.be/qMIy-80Zv-Q?si=02wkFZnBE6_LM5bs Guest Information:Dan Priest is the US Chief AI Officer for PwC, responsible for leading the firm and its clients in navigating the complexities of AI and harnessing its power. He spearheads the company’s historic $1 billion investment in AI technologies and works with major Fortune 100 companies to develop cutting-edge AI-powered solutions. Priest is a renowned expert in AI and Cloud technology, with more than 25 years of experience as a tech and innovation leader. Prior to his appointment as Chief AI Officer, Priest held various leadership roles within PwC, including Cloud & Digital Leader, where he played a pivotal role in executing digital transformations within a $2 billion P&L. He also served as the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications Vertical Leader, managing a $1 billion P&L. Additionally, he served as the leader for Strategy&, the PwC network’s strategy business. Prior to joining PwC, Priest served as the VP and Chief Information Officer at Toyota Financial Services, leading a team of over 1,000 in driving the company's data, analytics, digital, and tech agenda. His outstanding achievements were recognized with the 2012 CIO Innovation Award for his groundbreaking work. Priest holds a bachelor’s degree in Business and Japanese from California State University and Nanzan University, and a master’s of business administration degree from the University of Maryland.find the PwC’s AI Jobs Barometer: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/artificial-intelligence/ai-jobs-barometer.htmlChapters:00:00 – What Does Enterprise AI Transformation Look Like?01:36 – How Will AI Reshape Work at Scale?03:35 – Will AI Replace People?07:25 – Why Humans Still Matter in an AI World09:25 – Can AI Drive Structural Change in Business?13:25 – How Do AI and Humans Work Together?15:44 – Why Leaders Can’t Remove People Entirely18:32 – Can AI Code Without Coders?20:02 – What’s the Role of Leaders in Reskilling?23:51 – Are We Seeing the End of Degrees?25:20 – What New Skills Will AI Demand?28:00 – How Will the Human Value Proposition Evolve?

What if our biggest workplace problem isn’t the volume of work—but the way our day is designed? In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Alexia Cambon, Head of Research for Copilot and the Future of Work at Microsoft, to explore groundbreaking new data from Microsoft 365.Based on trillions of productivity signals—from emails and meetings to chats and app usage—Microsoft’s latest Work Trend Index reveals a sobering truth: today’s workday is infinite. We’re logging in before sunrise, chatting after dinner, and scrambling in a culture of last-minute meetings and constant interruptions.Together, Nirit and Alexia unpack what this data really says about how work gets done, why focus time has become a mirage, and what needs to change—before we try to fix it all with AI. Want to dive deeper into this topic? Read Nirit’s Forbes article, “⁠Flexibility Was The Promise. The Infinite Workday Is The Reality.“, to explore these ideas further. https://youtu.be/50OiZkfFV6k Guest Information:Alexia Cambon, Head of Research for Copilot and Future of Work at MicrosoftAlexia leads research for the Future of Work & M365 team as a Senior Director at Microsoft, working to identify emerging research opportunities and delving into customers’ most pressing workforce challenges. She co-leads Microsoft’s cross-company research initiative examining AI’s impact on productivity and performance, and is a seasoned presenter and speaker with a passion for storytelling and creative thinking. Alexia's areas of focus include AI, hybrid work design, and organizational culture. Previously, she spent 10 years at Gartner as a leader of their cross-functional Future of Work Reinvented Initiative. She has written for HBR and The Guardian, and has been featured in NPR, Forbes and The Times (UK). Link to report: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/breaking-down-infinite-workday Chapters:00:00 – Why Are We Still Working After Hours? Microsoft’s Data Explained01:22 – What Does a Head of Future of Work at Microsoft Do?02:30 – Why the Workday Has Become Infinite04:35 – How Last-Minute Culture Is Reshaping Our Workday06:18 – Is Flexibility Creating an Infinite Workday?07:28 – How Communication Overload Disrupts Focus08:35 – Why Focus Time Is Disappearing in Modern Workdays10:28 – How Meeting Overload Is Consuming Peak Brain Hours12:14 – Are Ad Hoc Meetings Helpful or Hurting Productivity?15:25 – How Hybrid Work Exposed Our Communication Gaps16:45 – What Is the Triple Peak Day and Why Does It Matter?19:07 – Will AI Make Work Better or Just Faster?20:36 – How Frontier Firms Use AI to Redesign the Workday22:01 – What Personal Boundaries Help Us Reclaim Our Day?24:04 – How AI Is Changing Meetings and Focus Time27:28 – New Ways AI Can Help Us Consume and Create Work Content29:18 – What Mindset Do We Need to Work with AI Effectively?31:02 – The New Social Contract: Why People Choose to Work 

What if performance at work isn’t just about time, effort, or even skill—but energy?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Andrew Deutscher, founder of Regenerate and former VP at The Energy Project, to explore why the way we measure and manage performance is broken—and what it takes to fix it.From redefining energy as a business construct to designing teams and systems that replenish rather than deplete, Andrew unpacks why organizations that treat energy as a core resource—not a wellness perk—will outperform those that don’t. They dive into the science of recovery, the myth of time management, and the rise of “agent bosses” managing both people and AI in a post-COVID world of work.If you’re an HR leader, manager, or business decision-maker trying to navigate burnout, hybrid overload, or team alignment in an always-on world, this episode offers a radically practical reframe: sustainable performance starts with the energy to show up, think clearly, and recover intentionally. https://youtu.be/BUbjPDGZI1Q Guest Information:Andrew Deutscher, Founder & CEO, Regenerate, is a recognized thought-leader in high-capacity leadership and sustainable performance, helping organizations address the root causes of exhaustion, overwhelm, and disengagement. With two decades of corporate leadership experience, Andrew knows firsthand what it takes to lead under pressure and what it costs when performance is built on depletion instead of energy.After experiencing burnout at the peak of his career, Andrew didn’t just recover - he reinvented his approach to leadership. He immersed himself in the science of energy management, resilience, and human performance, ultimately translating these insights into practical tools for leaders and teams navigating today’s high-stress, always-on workplace.  Andrew advocates that well-being should be fully integrated into business strategy to become a true lever for sustainable success and lasting organizational resilience.As the founder of Regenerate, Andrew works with global organizations through coaching, training, and consulting to unlock what he calls “capacity without compromise.” His work enables leaders to increase clarity, stamina, and collaboration while reducing stress and friction across teams. The result: high-performance cultures powered by sustainable energy—not overwork.Clients consistently describe Andrew as a powerful voice in a crowded space - someone who blends executive credibility with deep wellness expertise and a compelling ability to shift mindsets and impact change. Andrew’s digital report, The Hidden Cost of Overwork, is now available for download on his website. To learn more about Andrew’s work, visit regenerate.works or connect with him on LinkedIn.  https://regenerate.works/hidden-cost-of-overwork-ebook/Chapters:00:00 – Why Energy, Not Time, Drives Performance01:33 – What the Energy Project Got Right03:07 – What Does Workplace Energy Really Mean?04:52 – How Energy Shapes Focus and Output07:16 – How to Align Work with Your Chronotype09:14 – What Replenishes Energy During the Workday?10:43 – Emotional Energy: Small Acts That Restore Us12:05 – How Managers Can Role Model Energy Practices13:52 – How to Set Boundaries in Hybrid Teams16:58 – Why Burnout Is a System Problem, Not a Personal One20:58 – How to Turn Energy into a Business Strategy22:08 – What Belongs in a People Plan for Sustainable Work24:02 – How to Measure and Personalize Energy Support25:52 – Why Hybrid Teams Need Energy-Based Rules of Engagement27:23 – What Happens When Leaders Prioritize Energy30:38 – How Team Coaching Fuels Collective Energy32:32 – Clarity, Alignment, and Commitment as Energy Tools34:43 – Why Energy Creates Emotional Investment at Work36:57 – What Less Work Really Means in the Future

What happens when freelance work gets rebuilt from the ground up—with AI at the core, output as the metric, and community replacing isolation?In this episode of The Future of Less Work, host Nirit Cohen sits down with Stacy Pavlyshyna and Roman Sevast, co-founders of Awesomic, to explore how they’re redesigning the infrastructure of creative work. From AI-powered talent matching to subscription-based design services and micro-iteration workflows, they’re challenging everything we thought we knew about freelancing, teams, and trust.Stacy and Roman share why they believe hours worked shouldn’t define value, how freelancers can gain stability without losing flexibility, and what it takes to build culture when your “team” spans continents and clients. Together, they unpack a new model—one where people aren’t owned, but aligned around outcomes, growth, and shared purpose.If you're rethinking how to work with freelancers, curious about the future of creative roles, or looking for a better way to scale talent without traditional hiring—this conversation is a must-listen. https://youtu.be/ffdoD-n8GjI Guest Information:Stacy Pavlyshyna and Roman Sevast co-founded Awesomic, an AI-powered talent platform that instantly connects businesses with top-tier design, marketing and development experts, redefining how companies hire and scale globally. Backed by Y Combinator and built from their own experiences as founders, Awesomic replaces outdated freelance models with a system focused on speed, trust, and results—not hours worked. Both are Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees, and together they’re building the infrastructure for a new kind of work—one where creative talent has both flexibility and stability, and companies can scale with confidence. Chapters:01:33 – Should We Stop Measuring Work by Hours?03:32 – Why Output Matters More Than Time05:59 – What Sparked the Idea Behind Awesomic?08:02 – What’s Broken in Traditional Freelance Platforms?10:13 – How Micro-Iterations Improve Creative Work11:59 – Can Freelancers Have Stability and Flexibility?13:11 – Is Awesomic Building a New Kind of Gig Economy?14:56 – How AI Is Automating Creative Project Management15:51 – Why Creatives Need Choice and Control17:57 – Can You Build Culture Without Employees?19:55 – How Awesomic Builds a Global Creative Community21:50 – What Is a Full-Stack Creative?23:59 – How AI Is Reshaping Creative Work25:47 – What Happens When Co-Founders Are Also Partners?28:02 – How to Navigate Multiple Roles at Work and Life