The Second Best AI Podcast

Why spend hours poring over college brochures when AI can just tell you where you “fit”? Join us as we speak with education insiders Scott McKinley and Jon Grover. We’re breaking down how AI is reshaping college marketing, enrollment management, and why some schools are branding themselves as “AI-first” while others are still playing catch-up. Plus: The iPhone flashlight problem, the myth of sticker price tuition, and how AI might finally demystify financial aid.

The blast radius of AI in education is getting wider—will schools run toward it or away from it? In Part II, Scott McKinley and Jon Grover explore how AI could automate the admin work to make room for more human connection… while also flirting with its more Orwellian side (looking at you, lecture surveillance AI). Plus: AI-driven group project fairness scores, lifetime student mentorship (is AI the new parent?), and the very questionable cafeteria creation known as root beer chocolate milk.

From fake AI grocery stores to real AI game engines built on vibes, we’re talking smoke, mirrors, and machine learning. Plus: art school trauma, LLMs that actually get slang, and the horror of getting sprayed by a skunk mid-run. It’s the most second-best episode yet, and we mean that as a compliment.

Auto-tuned intros. AI-generated music CEOs. Philosophical dread. This week we dive into creativity, productivity, and whether scaffolding is the real enemy. We debate if AI is making us lazy—or just more focused—and explore why the ROI of free time might be the most overlooked metric in tech.

We kick off our AI podcast with a debate on product vs. services, LLM-powered workflows, and whether Palantir's model is genius or chaos. From forward-deployed engineering to building CRMs with Bolt, it’s a fast, funny dive into where software is heading—and how not to accidentally become a consulting firm.