Authority Issues

By Rachel Perkins and Kendall Miller

Business Careers

What's Authority Issues about?

Welcome to Authority Issues, a podcast about leadership, management, and competitive prescription writing.

Hosted by Rachel Perkins (aka piebob), and Kendall Miller

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Authority Issues episodes:

04.25.2024
Episode 99: Sonja Mathews (Nonprofit Exec, formerly VP roles at USAA, PepsiCo)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Sonja talk about: The fact that this podcast is not sponsored by USAA A journey that started with childhood on a "poser farm" in North Carolina Driving the tractor as a path to an enjoyment of...
04.04.2024
Episode 98: Ali Shahriyari (Reality Defender)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Ali talk about: The rarity of a "traditional" computer science background Antique hardware Learning a lot in the fashion business Why startups are more fun than big companies The need for deepfake detection Measuring performance Designing to mitigate the abuse...
02.01.2024
Episode 97: Artificial Intelligence, LLMs, ML: is all the hype warranted?
In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: rachel's need to finish things and coping mechanisms around that The recent spate of cold weather/storms and a tale of Kendall's friend and the whisky night (This podcast may be sponsored by Friday Deployment...
11.23.2023
Episode 96: Lessons learned, values earned
In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: rachel's stuffed animal ownership Podcast homework How busy on top of busy Kendall is Ungulates and double welt pockets The power of understanding motivation Wil Wheaton's first law is also Kendall's first law Context is for kings Digging into...
11.02.2023
Episode 95: Seif Lotfy (Axiom)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Seif talk about: The pressures of what your parents want, in various cultures Quitting a "good job" because they made you a manager Bringing your team with you to the next company Open source culture and the meritocracy The...
10.12.2023
Episode 94: Kids: What are they good for? (Absolutely nothing/everything)
In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: Maritime traffic and the construction of cruise ships How hard it is to be a foster parent Kendall's new booze company: Friday Deployment Spirits Improvements in Kendall's family life post-return from Portugal rachel's reasons for choosing...
09.21.2023
Episode 93: Ilan Rabinovitch (Scale Conference, formerly Datadog)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Ilan talk about: Moving from the IT to the Ops side of the house Being on both sides of "the wall" Wearing All The Hats at Datadog The nature of "glue work" How org size affects leadership...
08.24.2023
Episode 92: Edafe Onerhime (JPMorgan Chase)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Edafe talk about: An early and enduring love of working with data Getting a job at JP Morgan Chase because of a tweet The kind of data problems one solves at the World Bank Turning a sexist...
08.03.2023
Episode 91: Does your life have meaning? Do you know what it is yet?
In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: Kendall being back in the US, how many desks he has had to order, and the various benefits of Pickleball vs Paddleball rachel's reign of terror over a particular kind of cooking pan,...
06.01.2023
Episode 90: What does "take all the time you need" really mean, anyway?
In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: The long journey to a big whisky delivery Kendall's triumphant return The magical locale that is Port Townsend A particularly pleasing hat The conflict in question What actual family means vs "your work family" How the pandemic has...
05.11.2023
Episode 89: Ricardo Brízido (Stake)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Ricardo talk about: How we're a global podcast! Rough times of wearing a suit to work in the morning A lack of startups in Portugal in the early 2000s, moving to London on a whim The Land...
03.02.2023
Episode 88: Is work the friends we made along the way?
In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: Freakin' time zones Whisky delivery news The subtleties of F to C conversions Migration to Mastodon, bike community trends Kendall's new CTO Lunches business undertaking and travel plans Going from having all your friends come from work to...
11.17.2022
Episode 87: Virgile Raingeard (Figures.hr)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Virgile talk about: Starting out as a CS student, but wanting more human interaction A path through HR tooling to HR generalist role with a detour to Perth, Australia The elephant in the room: is HR...
10.13.2022
Episode 86: Growth, fast and slow, at companies, large and small
In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: Why rachel retired A brief diversion into the fundraising lifecycle of a nonprofit Why Kendall gets offered weed on the street in Portugal Visas and the eldritch horrors of the permitting system Settling one's family into Portuguese...
08.11.2022
Episode 85: Maya Mandel (Helios)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Maya talk about: Competitive athletics as a driver of leadership skills and high performance teamwork The power of the history of the University of Michigan Preparing for when athleticism will be a memory Serving in the military,...
07.28.2022
Episode 84: Can you be a good leader without also being a systems thinker?
In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: The art of mending things beautifully (the words rachel was trying to remember are Kintsugi and Sashiko, in that order) The art of mending things not so beautifully, aka hacking...
07.14.2022
Episode 83: What does peak leadership look like?
In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: Not looking a gift Wagyu steak in the...mouth? marbling? The primal/spiritual nature of singing with other people and joining a Threshold Choir Taking Kendall Seriously Moving to Portugal updates from Kendall Dentistry nightmares How far up...
06.23.2022
Episode 82: Sarah Rieger (Jellyfish)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Sarah talk about: Making the choice to go into software engineering The daily life of a team lead How one becomes a team lead, awesome support from Jasmine and others! The power of empathy in leadership Being...
05.26.2022
Episode 81: The more things change, the more they stay the same
In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: The good vs the bad kind of underwater Why one should make one's own underpants Ear infections and their provenance, also Kendall made a pearl with his ear rachel's new e-bike and how it's awesome Kendall...
05.12.2022
Episode 80: Anurag Sharma (Chargebee)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Anurag talk about: Getting left in charge as a career progression mechanism An "unusual" level of interest in affecting long-term strategy and systems thinking from an economics background Betting on more candidates by giving them an opportunity...
01.20.2022
Episode 79: Is it OK to be happy right now?
In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: Coping mechanisms: are some worse than others? Where is the line? What happens when a planner can't make any plans? rachel's effusive declarations about indie sewing patterns Kendall's...disappointing COVID experience Why does it seem...
01.06.2022
Episode 78: Sean O'Connor (Datadog)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Sean talk about: The genesis of this podcast, and who we have to thank How taking the traditional path of CS to engineering leadership is the rare case Getting into guiding and mentoring at a small...
12.17.2021
Episode 77: Making an ass out of u and me (assuming positive intent)
In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: Dietary constraints for gout sufferers Non-traditional Thanksgiving fare and excitement about cabbage rolls Kendall's adventures in escalating vegetarianism The definition of "assuming positive intent" How the power dynamic matters Why it's unreasonable to expect marginalized people to assume...
12.02.2021
Episode 76: Marilyn Cole (Tuft & Needle)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Marilyn talk about: Wishing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our guest :) Growing up in a household that had computers Working in tech: doing math, but also making money! Going back to school, getting an internship at Google The value...
11.11.2021
Episode 75: Eli Daniel (Jellyfish)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Eli talk about: The most apt failed startup name ever A terrible first experience as a manager and being voluntold to try it again Enjoying the force multiplier of leadership vs individual contribution Oracle acquisition zingers (nice one,...
10.21.2021
Episode 74: The Future of Remote-First is Now! (also: Doesn't "Return to Work" imply we stopped working at some point?)
In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: Kendall's amazing inflatable hot tub Having a little bit of guest visit enjoyment, as a treat The quaint marvel that is rachel's small-town paper's Police Blotter (here's the video i reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mG2RGp-lcw&t;=5s ) Wildlife encounters Not blaming...
10.07.2021
Episode 73: Why do people cling to their shitty ways? How and when do we embrace change?
In this episode, rachel and Kendall talk about: More than you wanted to know about grocery store ginger purchases How some people use the term "a couple" to mean something other than exactly 2 and that they are Wrong Examples of...
09.16.2021
Episode 72: Money is all that matters (a Very Special Installment)
In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: Spending money on Things and our feelings about that Are we the baddies? The nature of golden handcuffs What is "enough"? "Work" as a social outlet Contentment vs. satisfaction Kendall's wanderlust and associated twitchiness Enabling satisfaction for...
09.02.2021
Episode 71: Amy Chantasirivisal (Unicycle)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Amy talk about: The olden dayze of Geocities and people hating on Javascript The scrum leadership to management pipeline Kendall's Litany Of Agile Atereotypes Getting promoted Too Fast Hypotheses about the ability to succeed using progressive management philosophies Wanting to...
08.12.2021
Episode 70: Dee Mirai (Vanna.com)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Dee talk about: Coming from dropping out of school in at 16 years old The struggles of being a manager in a bar in Singapore as a teenager Developing "scripts" for the various interactions that kept...
07.30.2021
Episode 69: Aye Thu (Slack)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Aye talk about: Being an Old (Java 1.0 certified!) Realizing he used to be "hard to work with" Transitioning away from electrical engineering and into enterprise software The idea that management is where people who can't build...
06.03.2021
Episode 68: Brett Nekolny (Brandfolder)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Brett talk about: Realizing you're the facilitator person in your friend group..and in college, and grad school... The reality of mechanical engineering not living up to the idea of it Getting that first software engineering job with...
05.13.2021
Episode 67: Miki Habryn (Splunk)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Miki talk about: The three eras of Miki so far: technology, self-identity, and relationships Early failures to thrive -- early admission to college, and the professional world Navel-contemplation and some key realizations Getting a job with room to...
04.29.2021
Episode 66: Irina Kukuyeva (Kukuyeva Consulting)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Irina talk about: Moving to LA from Moscow during elementary school Enjoyment of donuts and data Getting alignment before doing things (shocking, right? :)) Shaving yaks in order to work at JPL Learning how to learn, learning in the...
04.15.2021
Episode 65: Kari Bancroft (Webflow)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Kari talk about: Getting management experience in the nonprofit world From a young age, wanting to be...a math teacher? :) Finally getting some management training Working with a personal leadership coach Strategic vs tactical planning Learning and re-learning the value...
04.01.2021
Episode 64: Matt Rogish (Kimball)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Matt talk about: The impact of coming from an entrepreneurial family The siren call of "freedom" Needing a team to make a dent in the universe What's valuable about an MBA program, and how it's like an...
03.18.2021
Episode 63: Dominique Simoneau-Ritchie (Wealthsimple)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Dominique talk about: Getting into computers so she could communicate with her friends How crappy Dreamweaver was Benefiting from IBM programs Stepping into project management Leaving IBM for a much smaller company... Making assumptions about working patterns...with mixed results :) How...
03.05.2021
Episode 62: Yaz Erkan (Pex)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Yaz talk about: A love of languages, molecular biology, art The less-than-romantic reality of becoming an architect How creation is creation--programming is a creative act A painful introduction to the responsibilities of management Finally becoming an architect (of software...
02.11.2021
Episode 61: Lena Reinhard (CircleCI)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Lena talk about: Starting out in finance, the arts, classic cars journalism, and more... Uses (appropriate or not) for creativity in leadership Realizing that a potential lifelong career in banking would be...boring First startup experience as a...
01.28.2021
Episode 60: Yazhi Smith (Vista Equity Partners)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Yazhi talk about: How Yazhi doesn't know what "old" means ;) A life story framed as Lord of the Rings Growing up with stereotypical Asian parental expectations, coloring within the lines >>recordscratch>> growing up in FIJI?! ...
01.14.2021
Episode 59: 2020 in Issues with Authority
Better late than never, rachel and Kendall Have Opinions About 2020: Introverts and extroverts, living together in perfect harmony (on this podcast, at least) How to meet new podcast guests, the Kendall Miller Way Pie and the art of house maintenance Cheater's yeast,...
12.03.2020
Episode 58: Jibran Kutik (Disney)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Jibran talk about: Is art school a weird starting point for a designer? Vowing to never work on web sites (lol) Having an unusually good experience in the gaming industry Getting the full "I moved to SF...
10.09.2020
Episode 57: Tessa Ann Taylor (The New Yorker)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Tessa talk about: Studying computer science because she "ran out of math classes" at her high school ACTUALLY using trigonometry in real life How all-women educational environments are awesome Unlearning the Seattle culture in favor of the...
09.10.2020
Episode 56: Rishi Malik (Container Heroes, Backstop)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Rishi talk about: Having a nerdy family to kick things off First exposures to leadership issues while trying to code a game with friends Our inability to not interrupt people just when they're trying to make a...
08.27.2020
Episode 55: Val Trullinger (UCLA)
In this episode, rachel, Kendall, and Val talk about: Coming up to technical leadership via graphic design and creative writing Becoming the person who fixes the printer "If you can get through Finnegan's Wake, you can get through the technical manual" Discipline, leadership, making...
08.13.2020
Episode 54: Church! What's it good for? (The Religion Issue)
In this Very Special Episode, rachel, Kendall, and Luke talk about: Coming from different evangelical backgrounds The shaping of our respective authority issues as related to religious upbringing Luke's birth /literally/ in a baptismal font :) What we mean when we say "religion" Tech salary...
07.30.2020
Episode 53: Aaron Lerch (InVision)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Aaron talk about: Learning about managing interpersonal issues from his dad, an "interim CEO of ministers" Putting that learning into practice building and fixing teams at startups Helping teams identify their own weaknesses as a form...
06.08.2020
Episode 52: Anthony Grimes (Fairwinds)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Anthony talk about: Feeling late to the Black Lives Matter movement and going to Ferguson Learning to lead national campaigns for peace Realizing communication is about storytelling Being seen, being heard, what it means to win The need to...
05.21.2020
Episode 51: Checking in with our hosts during this pandemic already in progress
In this episode, Kendall and rachel talk about: Whether Kendall is either hot or a mess or both How hard it is to set expectations...for anything Working on developing new patterns because it's not going to go "back to normal" anytime soon Coping with...
04.23.2020
Episode 50: Alicia Brainerd (Salesforce)
In this episode, Kendall, rachel, and Alicia talk about: Germophobia, and being right all along Realizing managing humans is more interesting than engineering What HR isn't for Building experience in the consulting world Being reminded that there will be a "next" job Choosing stability over passion Kendall's...

What's Authority Issues about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Authority Issues episodes:

Episode 99: Sonja Mathews (Nonprofit Exec, formerly VP roles at USAA, PepsiCo)

Episode 98: Ali Shahriyari (Reality Defender)

Episode 97: Artificial Intelligence, LLMs, ML: is all the hype warranted?

Episode 96: Lessons learned, values earned

Episode 95: Seif Lotfy (Axiom)

Episode 94: Kids: What are they good for? (Absolutely nothing/everything)

Episode 93: Ilan Rabinovitch (Scale Conference, formerly Datadog)

Episode 92: Edafe Onerhime (JPMorgan Chase)

Episode 91: Does your life have meaning? Do you know what it is yet?

Episode 90: What does "take all the time you need" really mean, anyway?

Episode 89: Ricardo Brízido (Stake)

Episode 88: Is work the friends we made along the way?

Episode 87: Virgile Raingeard (Figures.hr)

Episode 86: Growth, fast and slow, at companies, large and small

Episode 85: Maya Mandel (Helios)

Episode 84: Can you be a good leader without also being a systems thinker?

Episode 83: What does peak leadership look like?

Episode 82: Sarah Rieger (Jellyfish)

Episode 81: The more things change, the more they stay the same

Episode 80: Anurag Sharma (Chargebee)

Episode 79: Is it OK to be happy right now?

Episode 78: Sean O'Connor (Datadog)

Episode 77: Making an ass out of u and me (assuming positive intent)

Episode 76: Marilyn Cole (Tuft & Needle)

Episode 75: Eli Daniel (Jellyfish)

Episode 74: The Future of Remote-First is Now! (also: Doesn't "Return to Work" imply we stopped working at some point?)

Episode 73: Why do people cling to their shitty ways? How and when do we embrace change?

Episode 72: Money is all that matters (a Very Special Installment)

Episode 71: Amy Chantasirivisal (Unicycle)

Episode 70: Dee Mirai (Vanna.com)

Episode 69: Aye Thu (Slack)

Episode 68: Brett Nekolny (Brandfolder)

Episode 67: Miki Habryn (Splunk)

Episode 66: Irina Kukuyeva (Kukuyeva Consulting)

Episode 65: Kari Bancroft (Webflow)

Episode 64: Matt Rogish (Kimball)

Episode 63: Dominique Simoneau-Ritchie (Wealthsimple)

Episode 62: Yaz Erkan (Pex)

Episode 61: Lena Reinhard (CircleCI)

Episode 60: Yazhi Smith (Vista Equity Partners)

Episode 59: 2020 in Issues with Authority

Episode 58: Jibran Kutik (Disney)

Episode 57: Tessa Ann Taylor (The New Yorker)

Episode 56: Rishi Malik (Container Heroes, Backstop)

Episode 55: Val Trullinger (UCLA)

Episode 54: Church! What's it good for? (The Religion Issue)

Episode 53: Aaron Lerch (InVision)

Episode 52: Anthony Grimes (Fairwinds)

Episode 51: Checking in with our hosts during this pandemic already in progress

Episode 50: Alicia Brainerd (Salesforce)