From swimming lanes to startup lanes, Sherry Jiang has always been a generalist — long before she had a word for it.

In Episode 54 of The Generalists, Sherry joins hosts Michael Smith Jr. and Raz Kotler to explore how ADHD, behavioral science, and design thinking shaped her journey from Google to Peek - a behavioral-finance app redefining what “money management” really means. She explains why she sees money as autonomy, not accumulation, and how combining psychology, AI, and financial design can build products that actually change habits.

It’s a candid conversation on cognitive diversity, consumer psychology, and the future of AI-assisted startups - from building a viral Gen Z finance brand to teaching founders how to “vibe-code” with AI.

📖 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• • Why being a generalist is a competitive advantage in a chaotic world

• • How ADHD drove Sherry’s obsession with behavioral science and design for emotion

  • What she learned at Google about gamification and the psychology of trust

  • Why Peak frames money as empowerment, not management

  • How AI is transforming product design, founder skill sets, and startup culture

  • The behavioral economics behind “doom-spending” and saving as identity

  • Why personal finance remains one of the hardest categories to build — and why she insists on tackling it

    
    

  👥 Hosts

  • Michael Smith Jr. – https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsmithjr
  • Raz Kotler – https://www.linkedin.com/in/razkotler

  👤 Guest

  • Sherry Jiang – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherry/

  
  

  🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned

  🚀 Companies & Projects

  • Peak: https://www.peakmoney.app
  • Google Pay - Behavioral Design Team:https://pay.google.com/about

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  📚 Books & Ideas

  • Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World – David Epstein: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0735214484
  • Nudge – Richard Thaler & Cass Sunstein: https://www.amazon.com/dp/014311526X

  
  

  🧠 Concepts & Frameworks

  • Behavioral Science & Decision Design: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_economics
  • Cognitive Diversity & Rare Complementary Skills: https://hbr.org/2018/07/the-case-for-generalists

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  🎬 Cultural References

  • K-Pop Demon Hunters (Netflix): https://www.netflix.com/title/81462921
  • Headspace: https://www.headspace.com
  • Duolingo: https://www.duolingo.com