In this episode of Lost in Tech, Lola Oyelayo-Pearson and Mamuna Oladipo get real about what it means to pause, push back, and stand out in the tech industry.

We open with Lola reflecting on being humbled without her usual tech toys and the never-ending month of January. From there, we dive into the importance of taking intentional breaks throughout your career—not just powering through until retirement. We talk about burnout, the signs to watch for, and how to check in with yourself before you hit a wall.

Next, we explore how to get to the root of a ‘no’ when your team says something can’t be done. Is it a real technical blocker, a prioritization issue, or just unclear direction? We share collaborative strategies to turn no into yes and how leaders can create a safe space for constructive pushback.

Finally, we break down how to stand out when everyone is performing at a high level. From visibility to influence, we talk through how to elevate your impact and position yourself for growth—without looking like you’re out for the spotlight.

📌 Topics We Cover:🔹 Why breaks matter—don’t wait for retirement to rest🔹 Burnout red flags and how to prevent them🔹 Getting to the root of a “no” and leading through ambiguity🔹 Standing out in high-performing teams (and doing it with grace)

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge or need career advice? Email us at [email protected] or DM us on Twitter: @LostInTechPodcast

👍 Like, subscribe, and follow for candid conversations about tech, leadership, and navigating your career with clarity.

Show Notes:

🚀 Boom Supersonic Team Breaks Mach 1 → ⁠Read Here⁠

Some things in life you just can’t plan for—whether it’s moving to a new country, facing an unexpected job loss, or realizing that the systems that once worked for you no longer serve you. In this episode, we dive into the humbling experience of change and why letting go of control can sometimes be the best move.

We also tackle the rage-bait debate on LinkedIn—should people who’ve never been laid off offer career advice? A viral post claimed that those without layoff experience should stay out of the conversation—and that people should stop telling job seekers to take any job, like working at McDonald's. We break down this perspective and discuss why job-hunting strategies should be personal, not prescriptive.

📌 Inside This Episode:
🔹 Moving to a new country & learning to let go: Why life humbles us all.
🔹 The benefits of aging & giving fewer F’s: Work smarter, not harder.
🔹 The LinkedIn debate on layoffs & career advice: Who should have a voice in these conversations?
🔹 Reframing job options: Why working at McDonald’s or any job isn’t about status—it’s about strategy.
🔹 Positioning yourself after a layoff: How hiring managers view candidates between jobs & how to present your experience effectively.
🔹 Staying adaptable in an evolving job market: How roles, industries, and expectations change—and why you should always adjust accordingly.

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge? Need career advice? Send your dilemmas to [email protected] or DM us on @LostInTechPodcast on Twitter.

👍 Like, Subscribe & Follow for real conversations about tech, career growth & everything in between!

🎙️ Feeling stuck in your career? Struggling to get that promotion you know you deserve? In this episode of Lost in Tech, Lola Oyelayo-Pearson and Mamuna Oladipo break down what it really takes to move up in your career, how to advocate for yourself, and why just “doing great work” isn’t always enough.

We tackle a listener dilemma from a mid-level product manager who’s been delivering results but feels stuck—their manager isn’t recognizing their potential, while colleagues with less experience are getting promoted. Should they start looking elsewhere, or is there a way to break through the glass ceiling where they are?

📌 Inside This Episode:
🔹 How to advocate for yourself at work without being seen as pushy.
🔹 What managers don’t tell you about promotions—you have to already be doing the job.
🔹 The difference between leading and managing and why it matters for career growth.
🔹 Inflated self-perception vs. real gaps—how to assess where you actually stand.
🔹 Is it time to move on? Signs that you’ve outgrown your current role.

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge? Need career advice? Send your dilemmas to [email protected] or DM us on @LostInTechPodcast on Twitter.

👍 Like, Subscribe & Follow for real conversations about tech, career growth & everything in between!

As the year winds down, we’re hitting pause to reflect, listen without judgment, and reconsider the pressure to “close the year well.” Why do we put so much weight on wrapping things up perfectly, and what if we let some to-do’s roll into the new year instead?

We’re also reviewing our systems of work—are we actually using the right tools, or have we overcomplicated things? Is it time to start selling our Notion templates? 🤔

This episode also marks a shift for Lost in Tech. Looking back, we revisit the original purpose behind the podcast and the direction we’re heading next. Moving forward, we’re focusing less on day-to-day tech news and more on the real-life professional situations our listeners face. Think of us as your candid career coaches—guiding, supporting, and sharing insights that extend beyond the headlines.

📌 Inside This Episode:
🔹 The End-of-Year Rush: Why we put pressure on ourselves & how to break the cycle.
🔹 Work Systems Audit: Are we actually using the right tools—or too many?
🔹 Notion Templates: Should we start selling them to help streamline workflows?
🔹 The Future of Lost in Tech: What’s changing & how we’re evolving the podcast.

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge? Need career advice? Send your dilemmas to [email protected] or DM us on @LostInTechPodcast on Twitter.

👍 Like, Subscribe & Follow for real conversations about tech, career growth & everything in between!

🎙️ We’re kicking things off in style—Lola blesses us with some of her vocals before diving into the big question: Is podcasting becoming obsolete?

This leads us to a deep geek-out over NotebookLM, Google’s AI-powered note-taking tool. With its ability to answer questions about uploaded files and its game-changing audio summary feature, we explore whether tools like this are reshaping how we consume and interact with knowledge.

But who is NotebookLM really for? Is it best suited for university students tackling complex topics, or is it making learning too easy? We unpack how tools like this affect knowledge retention, critical thinking, and the way we apply what we’ve learned.

📌 Inside This Episode:
🔹 Is Podcasting Dying? The future of audio content in an AI-driven world.
🔹 NotebookLM Deep Dive: Can AI revolutionize the way we take notes and process information?
🔹 The Future of Learning: Are AI tools making us smarter or too dependent?
🔹 Who Benefits Most? Why this tech could be a game-changer for students and knowledge workers.

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge? Need career advice? Send your dilemmas to [email protected] or DM us on @LostInTechPodcast on Twitter.

👍 Like, Subscribe & Follow for real conversations about tech, career growth & everything in between!

This week on Lost in Tech, Lola Oyelayo-Pearson and Mamuna Oladipo open with a hot take—we’re talking about the people who ride their roles, are highly credentialed, yet toxic to work with. Could this be part of why Paul Graham and Brian Chesky’s “Founder Mode” philosophy resonates? We break down where we align, where we don’t, and what we’ve seen firsthand.

From there, we dive into generalists vs. specialists—who thrives in today’s tech landscape? Founder Mode often presents as toxic hustle culture, but is there truth in some of the critiques? And in a shifting industry, how do you avoid being “tucked away” and unproductive?

📌 Inside This Episode:
🔹 Founder Mode vs. Manager Mode: Why the delivery of this idea feels extreme, but the takeaways are worth examining.
🔹 Generalists vs. Specialists: Who survives in the new world of tech?
🔹 The Old Tech World is Gone: Why now is the time to know your core skill set and actually produce meaningful work.
🔹 Toxic Credentials: When expertise is a mask for workplace toxicity.

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge? Need career advice? Send your dilemmas to [email protected] or DM us on @LostInTechPodcast on Twitter.

👍 Like, Subscribe & Follow for real conversations about tech, career growth & everything in between!

This week on Lost in Tech, Lola Oyelayo-Pearson and Mamuna Oladipo explore the real-life applications of AI in our daily routines. From using ChatGPT as a personal assistant to streamlining workflows, we discuss where generative AI excels—and where it still struggles.

We also take a moment to celebrate wins—congrats to Lola on her big promotion! 🎉 But leadership isn't just about milestones—it’s about how you show up when things don’t go smoothly. We dive into the complexity of managing emotional responses and egos, especially in high-pressure situations.

📌 Inside This Episode:
🔹 How We Actually Use AI: The day-to-day applications of ChatGPT and generative AI.
🔹 Leadership & Emotional Mastery: Balancing accountability vs. emotional intelligence.
🔹 Modeling Ideal Behavior: How leaders can be human while setting the standard.
🔹 Handling High-Stakes Moments: Tools and strategies for staying calm under pressure.

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge? Need career advice? Send your dilemmas to [email protected] or DM us on @LostInTechPodcast on Twitter.

👍 Like, Subscribe & Follow for real conversations about tech, career growth & everything in between!

🎙️ We’re back! After a long summer break, Lola Oyelayo-Pearson and Mamuna Oladipo return with a deep dive into AI regulation, job market realities, and how to stay competitive in today’s workforce.

📌 Inside This Episode:
🔹 AI Regulation: What’s Changing & Why It Matters

• Breaking down GDPR, CCPA, and California’s latest AI laws
• The EU’s approach to regulating startups—is it helping or hurting innovation?
• What these regulations mean for startups, enterprises, and AI developers.

🔹 Job Market Realities: How to Stay Relevant

• Is LinkedIn the best job market thermometer? How hiring trends are shifting.
• Why long-term job hunting feels different now, especially for older workers.
• Staying adaptable and marketable—tips for career resilience in uncertain times.

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge? Need career advice? Send your dilemmas to [email protected] or DM us on @LostInTechPodcast on Twitter.

👍 Like, Subscribe & Follow for real conversations about tech, career growth & everything in between!

Show Notes:

• Good critique of EU AI Regulation - https://www.techpolicy.press/the-eu-ai-act-regulatory-exemplar-or-cautionary-tale/
• CCPA vs GDPR - https://www.cookieyes.com/blog/ccpa-vs-gdpr/#:~:text=The GDPR stands for General,privacy rights of Californian residents

This week on Lost in Tech, Mamuna Oladipo and Lola Oyelayo-Pearson dig into marketplaces—what makes them successful, how they build trust and reliability, and why some stand the test of time while others fade away.

We start by breaking down eBay and Etsy, two marketplaces that have evolved to stay relevant. From shoe resellers on eBay to Etsy sellers pivoting to mask-making during COVID, how do these platforms keep their edge?

📌 Inside This Episode:
🔹 What makes a marketplace successful? The key ingredients for trust, experience, and reliability.
🔹 Etsy & eBay’s evolution:

• How these platforms have adapted to changing consumer behavior.
• What creators and resellers have taught us about marketplace dynamics.
• The impact of COVID on Etsy’s seller boom.
  🔹 Lessons from marketplaces:
• Who wins and who loses when new competitors emerge?
• What the next wave of marketplaces might look like.

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge? Need career advice? Send your dilemmas to [email protected] or DM us on @LostInTechPodcast on Twitter.

👍 Like, Subscribe & Follow for real conversations about tech, career growth & everything in between!

Show Notes:

• Oja Marketplace shuts down - https://peopleofcolorintech.com/founders/the-uks-first-digital-supermarket-for-african-and-caribbean-food-has-shut-down/Air BnB -https://www.plumguide.com/
• Builde.AI - https://www.builder.ai/

This week on Lost in Tech, Lola Oyelayo-Pearson takes Mamuna Oladipo on a deep dive into the world of Formula 1, breaking down how the sport engineers competition, changes rules to shape eras, and the impact of Adrian Newey’s departure from Red Bull. We compare this shift to Jony Ive leaving Apple and how key figures shape (or destabilize) dominant brands.

From there, we pivot to innovation in tech today—or rather, the lack of it. With many companies focusing on safe iterations and maintenance rather than bold, risk-taking moves, are we in an era of stagnation? Why aren’t we seeing more companies pushing the envelope like Nintendo did with the Wii? And how do economic factors like shareholders, profitability, and market constraints shape the decisions we see in modern tech?

📌 Inside This Episode:
🔹 F1 & Engineering Competition: How rule changes shape dominance and unpredictability.
🔹 Adrian Newey Leaves Red Bull: What this means for the future of the team.
🔹 Jony Ive & Apple: Do brands lose their magic when their visionary leaders depart?
🔹 The Current State of Tech Innovation:

• Why does it feel like we’re seeing maintenance over risk-taking?
• The role of shareholders & financial constraints in stifling bold ideas.
• Are we just in an innovation lull, or has the landscape truly shifted?

💡 We made this show for YOU! Got a tech challenge? Need career advice? Send your dilemmas to [email protected] or DM us on @LostInTechPodcast on Twitter.

👍 Like, Subscribe & Follow for real conversations about tech, career growth & everything in between!

Show Notes:

Adrian Newey:

• https://www.redbullracing.com/int-en/drivers/adrian-newey-obe

Jonny Ive’s Consulting as non-compete:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/12/technology/apple-jony-ive-end-agreement.html Adrian

US Bans Non-competes

• https://www.hcamag.com/ca/specialization/employment-law/us-bans-non-compete-agreements/486889#:~:text=With the new rule%2C non,enforce any new non-competes.

CNBC the lustre going out of FAANG

• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ijkTBtBWJWs