Are we addicted to excel?

In this week’s episode of Make Sense, Lindsay sits down with guest Al Chen, Solutions Architect at Coda, to explore the over reliance on Excel in the workplace and its implications. We highlight the use of Excel in Formula One and the broader trend of shadow IT, the limitations of using Excel for project management like the lack of task management features and push notifications.

Don’t worry though, we offer solutions.

We explore two options for moving away from spreadsheets: a rip-and-replace approach where all data is migrated to a new project management tool, and a shadow IT approach where an individual within the company starts using a new tool alongside the spreadsheet and gradually introduces it to the team.

Show Notes

00:00 Introduction and the Excel Addiction

09:42 The Use of Excel in Formula One and Shadow IT

26:06 The Role of Excel as a Reliable and Flexible Tool

36:56 Dear Analyst Podcast & Where To Find Al

Make Sense is a video-first podcast that simplifies complex issues at the intersection of tech & people. Whether you’re ready for the robot takeover or want to delete all your socials, I’m here to help you make sense of what’s going on so we can design the human experience into the future.

Top 10 Clips from the first 30 episodes! Dive into the most insightful clips without having to watch full episodes by visiting LindsayT.com/MS-Top10.

On this episode of Make Sense, I sit down with Jessica Shelley, co-founder of Dailies, to discuss the challenges of virtual learning during the pandemic and the need for intentional design in online education. We highlight the importance of building learning stamina for students and how to provide support and resources for parents.

We shift the conversation to the role of social media in children's mental health, with a focus on the lack of social media etiquette education and the need for parental supervision and the potential dangers of unrestricted access to social media platforms, particularly TikTok. They discuss the concerns surrounding TikTok and the manipulation of its algorithm. If you’re a parent navigating this new online era, or just learning how to be gain more social media etiquette, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Show Notes

00:00 Introduction and the Impact of Virtual Learning

06:06 Deep Dive: Trauma of Virtual Learning and Daly's Online Learning Platform

31:08 Updating and Enforcing Regulations

37:56 Concerns of Algorithm Manipulation

44:12 Promoting Social Media Etiquette and Education

Make Sense is a video-first podcast that simplifies complex issues at the intersection of tech & people. Whether you’re ready for the robot takeover or want to delete all your socials, I’m here to help you make sense of what’s going on so we can design the human experience into the future.

Top 10 Clips from the first 30 episodes! Dive into the most insightful clips without having to watch full episodes by visiting LindsayT.com/MS-Top10.

On this week’s episode of Make Sense, I sit down with Dr. Brian Wallace to discuss explores the role of technology in addressing mental health issues, particularly in underserved communities and children. We touch on the future of mental health, including virtual care, remote monitoring, the integration of AI in therapy, evidence-based interventions and the potential of technology to improve mental health outcomes.

Dr. Wallace highlights the importance of personalized care and engagement, especially for children, and the potential for technology to optimize workflows and improve mental health outcomes. He introduces us to his startup, Calmsy, which is developing a game-based therapy for anxiety in children and his other company, Neural Positive, which uses music therapy to improve mental wellness.

00:00 Introduction: Technology-Powered Mental Health Interventions

05:01 Virtual Care and Remote Monitoring in 2024

10:47 Mental Health as the New Annual Physical

20:56 Introduction and Personalized Experience

25:34 Engaging Children in Therapy through Video Bots and Personalized Avatars

29:38 The Role of Technology in Mental Health

43:44 Data Privacy and Ethical Considerations

48:42 Clinical Trials and Future Advancements

52:27 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Make Sense is a video-first podcast that simplifies complex issues at the intersection of tech & people. Whether you’re ready for the robot takeover or want to delete all your socials, I’m here to help you make sense of what’s going on so we can design the human experience into the future.

Top 10 Clips from the first 30 episodes! Dive into the most insightful clips without having to watch full episodes by visiting LindsayT.com/MS-Top10.

Enterprise software is often clunky and inflexible due to complex systems and technical debt.

This week on Make Sense, I sit down with Bermon Printer to discuss the challenges of enterprise software and the need for organizations to prioritize simplicity and user-centric design in enterprise software. We touch on the importance of data comprehension over data accumulation and highlight Capital One as an example of a company that has successfully integrated innovation and improved the user experience.

Bermon and Lindsay make sense of what composable architecture is an evolution in enterprise software that allows for more flexibility and adaptability by breaking down monolithic systems into modular components that serve specific functions.

Join us for this conversation highlighting the ongoing shift in the industry that is driven by the need for personalized and seamless customer experiences.

Show Notes

14:01 Understanding Enterprise Software and its Complexity

25:42 Capital One: Integrating Innovation and Improving User Experience

30:33 The Need for Simplicity and User-Centric Design in Enterprise Software

30:37 The Clunky Nature of Enterprise Software

35:14 Introduction to Composable Architecture

39:55 Benefits of Composable Architecture

41:36 Empowering Marketing Teams

49:19 Enhancing Customer Support

54:25 The Impact on the Employee Experience

On this week’s episode of Make Sense, Lindsay sits down with seasoned angel investor, Mellie Chow to predict the top 10 consumer technology trends for the next five to 10 years. They discuss the future of work, Generative AI assistance, electrification, robots and drones, and augmented mental and physical health and touch on the challenges and concerns associated with trusting big tech companies with personal data and brain-computer interfaces. We highlight the importance of balancing technological advancements with ethical considerations and inclusivity.

Timeline

00:00 The Future of Work: Spatial and Augmented

06:08 Gen AI Assistance and Bring-Your-Own AI

08:59 Electrification of Everything That Moves

12:07 Robots and Drones Take Over Everywhere

14:52 Augmented Mental and Physical Health

26:56 The Metaverse: Immersive and Interactive Experiences

27:40 In-Game Advertising: Reaching Consumers Where They Are

33:35 Sustainability and Regeneration: Addressing the Climate Emergency

39:53 Super Apps: Consolidating Services into One Platform

45:47 Democratizing Accessibility: Inclusive Design for All

49:35 Biometric Authentication: Enhancing Security and User Experience

49:35 Synthetic Creativity: Redefining Reality with AI

Make Sense is a video-first podcast that simplifies complex issues at the intersection of tech & people. Whether you’re ready for the robot takeover or want to delete all your socials, I’m here to help you make sense of what’s going on so we can design the human experience into the future.

Top 10 Clips from the first 30 episodes! Dive into the most insightful clips without having to watch full episodes by visiting LindsayT.com/MS-Top10.

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About Mellie Chow

Mellie Chow is an angel investor/venture capitalist, entrepreneur, IT/Technology and Management/Strategy Consultant and Product Innovation Executive with 20+ years of experience across multiple industries including telecommunications & cable, utilities & power generation, banking, healthcare, government, and food. She is a Venture Partner for Archangel Axion and the former Executive Director of Competitive Intelligence, Research and Strategy of a fortune 50 Company.Mellie holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern) and the Schulich School of Business (York University). She is currently pursuing her executive leadership and management certification from MIT Sloan. Mellie resides in Philadelphia but will always call Canada home.To Connect With MellieFollow Mellie on linkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mellie-chow/Axion Fund Report: https://www.archangelnetwork.ca/axion/

On this week’s episode of Make Sense, I sit down with Joe Meersman, a partner at The Collective and an adjunct professor at the University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches visual communication at the School of Design and Creative Technologies. He brings over 25 years of user experience and creative design expertise. discuss big companies' initiatives to adopt AI and the challenges and pitfalls of enterprise adoption.

We delve into the predictions for the future of AI, AI’s impact on the 2024 election results, and the implications of AI for everyday people and the need for human involvement in AI processes. Joe and I get into the various aspects of enterprise AI adoption and problem-solving to help make enterprise software suck less and explore the debate on AI awareness and consciousness, the two schools of thought on AI development, and the challenges of control and understanding of AI.

Timeline

00:00 Introduction

In this episode of Make Sense, I sit down with Joe Seddon, the founder and CEO of Zero Gravity, and discuss the potential of AI to create widespread gains and the importance of making information and tools accessible to all. We focus on the need to expose people to opportunities and simplify the learning process. Joe also highlights the support young employees need in the workplace and the role of diversity in driving innovation and problem-solving.

In this episode, I interview Professor Robert Glushko about the importance of sense making and organizing in our daily lives. We discuss how organizing affects how we interact with the world, the challenges of teaching organizing skills to students, and the role of organizing in problem solving and design. Despite the obstacles, we find hope in incremental change and the importance of problem-solving and focusing on real-world impact.

Are you part of the 64% of tech workers planning to look for a new job in the coming year?

In this episode of Make Sense, I sit down with Charlie O’Donnell, founder and general partner of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. He also publishes a weekly newsletter called Next NYC and his thoughtful writings on his blog thisisgoingtobebig.com. We discuss the startup ecosystem and the differences between NY and Silicon Valley cultures, the state of funding, understanding risk-taking, and the importance of failures and vulnerability in entrepreneurship.

Note: Charlie is not making new investments right now and is an investor coach for venture professionals.

00:00 Introductions

01:25 Crystal Ball: Predictions for The Future

05:13 AI investment Opportunities

08:36 VCs Investing in Internal Operations

13:45 Scarcity of Growth Funding For Climate Companies

22:13 Bringing Vulnerability into Entrepreneurship

31:48 Is Slowing Down Imperative For Critical Thinking

37:56 The Openness of the New York Ecosystem

44:41 To Stay or To Go - The State of Substack

53:00 Where to find Charlie