Working Genius at Font Awesome: Dave Gandy on Building Stronger, Happier Teams

In this illuminating episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt sits down with Font Awesome founder Dave Gandy to unpack the magic behind Patrick Lencioni’s “Six Types of Working Genius.” It's a deep dive into the power of knowing your work style, building better teams, and unlocking peak productivity—without all the corporate gobbledygook. Dave explains how Font Awesome embraced the Working Genius framework, why it matters, and how it's shaping everything from meetings to morale. If you're a startup nerd or workplace culture aficionado, this one’s for you.

🤓 What We Cover in This Episode

• 🧠 What are the Six Types of Working Genius (WIDGET!) and why they matter
• 🌍 Why remote work success hinges on IRL relationships
• 🛠️ How organizational health is a competitive edge
• 💥 The difference between work that energizes vs. drains you
• 👥 Why understanding how others work might be your secret weapon
• 🎯 The practical impact of knowing your team’s working geniuses
• 🔧 How better meetings = more efficiency, less money torching

🕰️ Timestamps

• [00:06:19] Six types of working genius
• [00:09:53] Remote work relationships
• [00:16:57] Wonder and innovation
• [00:19:12] Taking the time for work
• [00:23:09] Importance of being a domain expert
• [00:24:55] Tenacity in the workplace
• [00:27:58] Ideation process and meetings
• [00:30:43] Working geniuses and efficiency
• [00:33:59] Organizational health and satisfaction

🔥 Best Quotes

“Font Awesome is a company of nerds who like people. Not machines —people.” — Dave Gandy“

"Working genius isn’t about skills. It’s about energy — what lights you up and what drains you.” — Dave Gandy

"Just because you’re not a domain expert doesn’t mean you're better at managing. That’s a warm blanket of nonsense.” — Dave Gandy

"Understanding how work gets done is the first step to actually changing reality.” — Dave Gandy

🔗 Links & Resources

• The Six Types of Working Genius
• The Font Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie Martin
• Audio mastering by Chris Enns and Lemon Productions

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