Episodes

  • Navigate Hidden Markets With Judd Kessler - TWMJ #1015

    Navigate Hidden Markets With Judd Kessler - TWMJ #1015
    Dec 21 2025

    Welcome to episode #1015 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

    At a moment when scarcity shapes everything from opportunity to attention, understanding who gets what (and why) has become one of the most consequential questions in modern life. Judd Kessler is the inaugural Howard Marks Endowed Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, an award-winning economist, and one of the leading thinkers in market design, public policy and behavioral economics. His research examines how rules, incentives, and institutional structures shape outcomes in environments where price alone cannot (or should not) decide allocation, from organ donation systems to education, labor markets, and beyond. Recognized early for his impact, Judd was named one of Forbes' "30 Under 30" in Law and Policy for his work on organ allocation and received the Vernon L. Smith Ascending Scholar Prize in 2021. His first (and new) book, Lucky by Design - The Hidden Economics You Need to Get More of What You Want, distills years of research into how "hidden markets" - those governed by rules rather than prices - quietly determine access to jobs, schools, tickets, healthcare, and even relationships. Judd explores the mechanics of scarcity, the strategic role of lotteries, waiting lists, and signaling, and how individuals unknowingly participate in market design every day. He also examines how AI is beginning to reshape allocation systems, why visible markets increasingly contain hidden layers, and how better design can improve both efficiency and equity. Grounded in rigorous scholarship yet deeply practical, Judd's work reframes luck not as randomness, but as something shaped by systems we can understand and sometimes redesign. Enjoy the conversation…

    • Running time: 57:59.
    • Hello from beautiful Montreal.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
    • Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
    • Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
    • Check out ThinkersOne.
    • Here is my conversation with Judd Kessler.
    • Lucky by Design - The Hidden Economics You Need to Get More of What You Want.
    • Follow Judd on LinkedIn.

    Chapters:

    (00:00) - Navigating Economic Sentiments.
    (03:03) - Understanding Hidden Markets.
    (06:11) - The Dynamics of Scarcity and Value.
    (08:53) - The Role of Consultants in Hidden Markets.
    (11:48) - Market Design and Equity.
    (14:57) - Strategies for Market Participation.
    (18:11) - The Impact of Social Proof on Demand.
    (20:54) - Reimagining Market Structures.
    (31:57) - Creating Scarcity and Demand.
    (34:28) - Market Design and Allocation Strategies.
    (36:39) - The Impact of Replicas and Knockoffs.
    (46:44) - Hidden Markets: Positive or Negative?
    (49:47) - AI in Market Design.
    (59:01) - Becoming a Market Designer.
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    58 mins
  • Creators And Entrepreneurs With Joe Pulizzi - TWMJ #1014

    Creators And Entrepreneurs With Joe Pulizzi - TWMJ #1014
    Dec 14 2025
    Welcome to episode #1014 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when careers feel increasingly precarious and algorithms quietly dictate how value is created and captured, it's worth learning from someone who has spent more than two decades helping creators and entrepreneurs reclaim ownership of their work and their futures. Joe Pulizzi is the founder of multiple influential startups, including Content Marketing Institute, The Tilt, the Content Entrepreneur Expo and is widely recognized as the person who first coined the term "content marketing" in 2001, long before it became an industry unto itself. A bestselling author of seven books, including Epic Content Marketing and Content Inc., Joe has helped shape how organizations and individuals think about audience building, trust, and long-term value creation, earning the Content Council's Lifetime Achievement Award for his impact on the field. After successfully exiting Content Marketing Institute in 2016, he expanded his creative range by writing the award-winning mystery novel The Will To Die, while continuing to host two long-running podcasts, including This Old Marketing, the longest-running marketing news podcast in the world. His latest book, Burn The Playbook: How Creators And Entrepreneurs Escape The 9–5 And Build Businesses That Last, serves as the catalyst for this conversation and reflects a deeply personal mission inspired by his children: to help people stop renting their futures and start building assets they truly own. In the discussion, Joe explores the evolution of content and audience strategy, the underestimated power of repetition in building trust, the growing importance of individual creators over faceless brands, and why human connection matters more than ever in this AI-accelerated world. He also addresses the role of paid promotion, the practical integration of AI into creative work, and why serving a clearly defined audience remains the most durable path to meaning, freedom, and sustainable wealth. Enjoy the conversation… Running time: 59:52.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.Check out ThinkersOne.Here is my conversation with Joe Pulizzi.Burn The Playbook: How Creators And Entrepreneurs Escape The 9–5 And Build Businesses That Last.This Old Marketing.The Tilt.Content Marketing Institute.Content Entrepreneur Expo.Epic Content Marketing.Content Inc.Follow Joe on LinkedIn.Follow Joe on YouTube. Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction to Joe Pulizzi's Mission. (02:54) - The Evolution of Podcasting and Legacy Content. (05:50) - Building Relationships Through Repetition. (08:59) - Understanding Audience and Business Models. (11:54) - Navigating Career Paths in a Changing Landscape. (15:07) - The Importance of Human Connection. (17:45) - Overcoming Barriers in a Digital World. (20:52) - The Power of Experimentation and New Platforms. (30:11) - Killing What Doesn't Work. (32:49) - The Power of Focused Content Creation. (36:40) - Paid Promotion vs. Organic Reach. (38:45) - Rented vs. Owned Content. (43:48) - The Individual vs. The Brand. (48:54) - AI and the Future of Content Creation. (56:43) - Redefining Success in a Changing World.
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    1 hr
  • Emotionally Intelligent Teams With Vanessa Urch Druskat - TWMJ #1013

    Emotionally Intelligent Teams With Vanessa Urch Druskat - TWMJ #1013
    Dec 7 2025

    Welcome to episode #1013 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

    At a time when organizations are wrestling with fractured cultures, hybrid work, and teams struggling to stay connected, it helps to learn from someone who has spent three decades proving that collaboration is not a personality trait but a designed environment, which is why this episode turns to the work of Vanessa Druskat, an award-winning researcher, educator at the University of New Hampshire, and one of the world's leading experts on team emotional intelligence. Vanessa has devoted her career to understanding how teams actually function in the real world, conducting years of field research inside global companies, university systems, and high-pressure environments to uncover the norms, habits, and emotional cues that separate high-performing groups from those that merely coexist. She is a pioneer of the Team Emotional Intelligence (Team EI) model, a framework now used by leaders around the world to build team cultures rooted in shared understanding, psychological safety, and constructive emotional expression. Her latest book, The Emotionally Intelligent Team - Building Collaborative Groups That Outperform The Rest, anchors this conversation and brings together decades of research showing that great teams are not the inevitable result of great individuals but the product of intentional cultures that enable people to listen, challenge, support, and adapt together. In our discussion, Vanessa explores the evolution of emotional intelligence in the workplace, the persistent resistance to emotional concepts in both academia and business, and the growing gap between individual achievement systems and the collective realities of modern work. She explains why leaders must think more like coaches, why norms matter more than personalities, how remote work demands more deliberate emotional connection, and why teams must continually review and recalibrate their dynamics to sustain high performance. Drawing on insights from social neuroscience, organizational psychology, and global fieldwork, she shows how belonging, shared understanding, and a sense of influence are not "soft skills" but hard prerequisites for collaboration in an increasingly polarized and distracted world. Enjoy the conversation…

    • Running time: 55:07.
    • Hello from beautiful Montreal.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
    • Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
    • Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
    • Check out ThinkersOne.
    • Here is my conversation with Vanessa Druskat.
    • The Emotionally Intelligent Team - Building Collaborative Groups That Outperform The Rest.
    • Team Emotional Intelligence (Team EI) model.
    • Follow Vanessa on LinkedIn.

    Chapters:

    (00:00) - Introduction to Emotional Intelligence in Teams.
    (04:14) - The Evolution of Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace.
    (09:45) - Resistance to Emotional Intelligence in Academia and Business.
    (14:30) - The Importance of Team Dynamics.
    (19:30) - The Role of Leaders as Coaches.
    (26:07) - Building a Culture of Collaboration.
    (31:40) - Navigating Remote Work Challenges.
    (39:03) - The Power of Eye Contact and Connection.
    (42:15) - Understanding Team Members for Better Collaboration.
    (47:27) - Monitoring Team Health and Dynamics.
    (51:10) - The Impact of Culture on Team Performance.
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    55 mins
  • Facing Fear And Finding Purpose With Ranjay Gulati - TWMJ #1012

    Facing Fear And Finding Purpose With Ranjay Gulati - TWMJ #1012
    Nov 30 2025

    Welcome to episode #1012 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

    Amid a moment when uncertainty defines every industry and leaders everywhere are confronting fear disguised as strategy, it is worth turning to someone who has spent his career decoding how individuals and organizations find the courage to act, which is why this week's guest, Ranjay Gulati, offers such rare authority. Ranjay is the Paul R. Lawrence MBA Class of 1942 Professor at Harvard Business School, a globally recognized organizational sociologist, bestselling author, and one of the world's most cited scholars on leadership, strategy, and culture. His research has shaped how companies think about growth, resilience, and high-performance environments, and his teaching in Harvard's executive and senior-leader programs has influenced thousands of CEOs navigating transformation and complexity. Before this latest work, he authored landmark books such as Deep Purpose and built a career studying how organizations thrive in adversity, drawing on field research with global enterprises, fast-growth ventures, and leaders operating in the highest-stakes environments. His new book, How To Be Bold - The Surprising Science Of Everyday Courage, anchors this conversation and reflects more than a decade of inquiry into how courage operates - not as myth or personality, but as a learnable, repeatable set of cognitive, emotional, and social processes. In our conversation, Ranjay explains the psychology of fear, the organizational traps created by success, the cultural shifts redefining leadership post-Covid, and why courageous action depends on purpose, identity, and the right forms of support. He illustrates these ideas through stories ranging from nuclear-plant operators to turnaround CEOs to everyday workplace dilemmas, showing how boldness emerges in moments both dramatic and ordinary. With his blend of academic rigor, global fieldwork, and practical insight from advising major companies, Ranjay reveals courage as a continuum that shapes teams, leaders, and cultures, and reminds us that most regret comes not from what we do, but what we avoid. Enjoy the conversation…

    • Running time: 51:51.
    • Hello from beautiful Montreal.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
    • Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
    • Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
    • Check out ThinkersOne.
    • Here is my conversation with Ranjay Gulati.
    • How To Be Bold - The Surprising Science Of Everyday Courage.
    • Deep Purpose.
    • Harvard Business School.
    • Sign up for Ranjay's newsletter: Leadership Unlocked.
    • Follow Ranjay on LinkedIn.

    Chapters:

    (00:00) - Introduction to Ranjay Gulati and His Work.
    (05:53) - Understanding Fear and Uncertainty.
    (11:37) - Courage as a Continuum: Physical vs. Moral.
    (17:26) - Collective Courage in Organizations.
    (22:51) - Navigating Boldness in a Cancel Culture.
    (27:38) - Understanding Courage in Leadership.
    (32:33) - The Success Trap: Risks of Complacency.
    (37:47) - The Six C's of Courage.
    (42:58) - Fostering Collective Courage in Hybrid Work.
    (47:54) - Courage as an Inner Journey.
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    52 mins
  • Why Great Teams Beat Star Talent With Jon Levy - TWMJ #1011

    Why Great Teams Beat Star Talent With Jon Levy - TWMJ #1011
    Nov 23 2025
    Welcome to episode #1011 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). We tend to romanticize leadership as an act of personal brilliance, but the deeper story is often about the people who understand what truly moves human beings toward one another. Jon Levy has built a career around that question. A renowned human behavioral scientist, consultant and creator of the long-running Influencers Dinner - a global, invitation-only experiment where guests cook together anonymously to dissolve status cues and foster authentic connection - Jon has spent over fifteen years studying why people bond, collaborate and trust. His work has brought Olympians, Nobel laureates, astronauts, CEOs, creators, and even political leaders into the same kitchen, all guided by his curiosity about what helps human beings unlock their best collective instincts. Jon is also the author of The 2 AM Principle and You're Invited, books that explore adventure, belonging, and the science of human connection. His newest book, Team Intelligence - How Brilliant Leaders Unlock Collective Genius, extends this exploration into the workplace, challenging long-held assumptions about leadership, performance, and why great teams succeed. In this conversation, Jon talks through the surprising behaviors that shape genuine relationships, the role anonymity plays in reducing status pressure, the misconceptions organizations hold about star performers, the importance of emotional intelligence, and why bonus structures often undermine collaboration. He touches on the future of hybrid work, the psychology of status, the gap between individual excellence and team effectiveness, and the small but essential habits that allow groups to think more clearly and solve problems more intelligently. Above all, the discussion offers a window into the mind of someone who has spent his career studying how people come together, and how leaders can create the conditions for teams to do their best thinking. Enjoy the conversation… Running time: 55:34.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.Check out ThinkersOne.Here is my conversation with Jon Levy.Influencers Dinner.Team Intelligence - How Brilliant Leaders Unlock Collective Genius.You're Invited. The 2 AM Principle.Follow Jon on LinkedIn.Follow Jon on Instagram. Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction to John Levy and His Unique Dinners. (02:54) - The Art of Inviting Extraordinary Guests. (06:07) - The Power of Anonymity in Social Interactions. (09:04) - The Impact of Status on Connections. (11:59) - Exploring Team Dynamics and Human Connection. (14:28) - The Future of Work and Employee Expectations. (17:39) - Rethinking Leadership and Team Intelligence. (20:27) - The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Teams. (23:10) - Challenging Conventional Wisdom on Talent. (26:13) - The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Team Success. (29:48) - The Allure of Status and Leadership. (31:43) - Lessons from the Military and Sports. (33:37) - Understanding Team Dynamics and Player Contributions. (36:19) - The Role of Glue Players in Team Success. (40:32) - The Nature of Team Intelligence. (44:35) - The Impact of Corporate Structures on Teamwork. (52:08) - The Future of Team Intelligence in the Age of AI.
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    56 mins
  • Why Authenticity Is Overrated With Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic - TWMJ #1010

    Why Authenticity Is Overrated With Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic - TWMJ #1010
    Nov 16 2025
    Welcome to episode #1010 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). What if the search for our "true selves" has been leading us away from who we actually need to become? That's the tension at the heart of Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic's work, a globally respected authority on people analytics, talent, leadership, and the Human–AI interface whose career spans ManpowerGroup, Deeper Signals, Meta Profiling, Columbia University, UCL, and decades of research that have shaped how organizations understand human behavior. His latest book, Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (And What To Do Instead), challenges one of the most cherished modern beliefs - that success comes from projecting our raw, unfiltered selves - and instead argues that adaptability, reputational awareness, and a more evidence-based approach to identity lead to better outcomes for individuals, teams, and societies. He is also the author of Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?, I, Human, The Talent Delusion, and many others. In this conversation, we unpack how hyper-normalized ideas take root, why celebrity culture distorts our sense of what authenticity looks like, and how social media has gamified identity into a curated performance that misleads both the performer and the audience. He explains why leaders must balance sincerity with impression management, how hybrid work and return-to-office debates reveal deeper anxieties about trust and presence, and why intellectual curiosity may be the antidote to polarization in an era where algorithms reward tribalism. The discussion also explores the limits of self-perception, the psychology of reputation, the dangers of treating outliers as role models, and the pivotal role AI may play in counteracting human bias. Ultimately, Tomas argues that authenticity without responsibility collapses into narcissism, and that a more thoughtful, flexible, and socially attuned version of ourselves is not only possible, but necessary. Enjoy the conversation… Running time: 1:06:25.Hello from beautiful Montreal.Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.Check out ThinkersOne.Here is my conversation with Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic.Don't Be Yourself: Why Authenticity Is Overrated (And What To Do Instead. Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?.I, Human.The Talent Delusion. Tomas' other books.Follow Tomas on LinkedIn. Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. (03:11) - The Concept of 'Don't Be Yourself'. (06:00) - Hyper Normalization and Management Ideas. (08:48) - The Role of Celebrity and Authenticity. (12:04) - Polarization and Tribalism in Society. (15:11) - The Evolution of Human Interaction. (17:58) - The Impact of AI on Decision Making. (20:49) - Navigating Individualism and Identity. (23:52) - The Dichotomy of Authenticity in Leadership. (26:56) - The Reality of Career Paths and Entrepreneurship. (30:06) - Return to Office and Hybrid Work Dynamics. (33:49) - The Value of 3D Encounters in Recruitment. (36:40) - Authenticity and Skilled Self-Presentation. (39:02) - Collaboration and Trust in Professional Settings. (42:26) - Authenticity vs. Reputation: A Complex Relationship. (48:09) - The Subjectivity of Authenticity. (54:17) - Projecting Positivity in a Negative World. (01:00:10) - Social Media's Impact on Identity and Authenticity.
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Beyond Flying Cars And Futurist Myths With Nick Foster - TWMJ #1009

    Beyond Flying Cars And Futurist Myths With Nick Foster - TWMJ #1009
    Nov 9 2025

    Welcome to episode #1009 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

    The future isn't something to predict... it's something to practice. Few people embody that idea more completely than Nick Foster, a designer, futurist and author whose work has quietly influenced some of the most innovative companies on the planet - from Sony, Nokia, and Dyson to Google X, where he served as head of design. In his new book, Could Should Might Don't - How We Think About The Future, Nick challenges the way we imagine what comes next. Rather than offering forecasts, he explores four mindsets - could, should, might, and don't - that shape how individuals and organizations approach uncertainty. In this conversation, Nick reflects on his evolution from industrial design to futures thinking, examining how curiosity fuels creativity, why nostalgia shapes our forward gaze and how responsibility must now sit at the core of every design decision. He questions the seductive influence of science fiction on our collective imagination and unpacks the cultural anxieties that accompany rapid technological change. What emerges is not a roadmap to the future but a framework for thinking. One grounded in humility, storytelling and the courage to sit with what we don't yet know. For Nick, futures design is not about prediction... it's about perspective. Enjoy the conversation…

    • Running time: 1:01:27.
    • Hello from beautiful Montreal.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
    • Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
    • Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
    • Check out ThinkersOne.
    • Here is my conversation with Nick Foster.
    • Could Should Might Don't - How We Think About The Future.
    • Follow Nick on LinkedIn.

    Chapters:

    (00:00) - Introduction to Futures Design.
    (02:55) - Curiosity and Creativity in Design.
    (06:01) - Exploring the Future: Challenges and Opportunities.
    (08:58) - The Role of Responsibility in Design.
    (12:01) - Cultural Shifts and the Future.
    (14:59) - Navigating the Unknown: The Importance of Questions.
    (17:49) - The Impact of Nostalgia on Future Thinking.
    (20:46) - The Role of Science Fiction in Shaping Futures.
    (24:05) - The Anxiety of Possibility: Handling the 'Might'.
    (27:10) - The Importance of Humility in Future Predictions.
    (29:46) - Embracing Uncertainty and Curiosity.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Radical Humanness In The Age of AI With Henrik Werdelin - TWMJ #1008

    Radical Humanness In The Age of AI With Henrik Werdelin - TWMJ #1008
    Nov 2 2025

    Welcome to episode #1008 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).

    What if artificial intelligence didn't just build faster startups... but redefined what it means to be an entrepreneur? Henrik Werdelin has been exploring that question for years. As the co-founder of Bark (the company behind BarkBox and the new Bark Air) and Prehype (the startup studio that helped launch ventures like AndCo, Ro, and ManagedByQ), Henrik (who also has a great podcast called, Beyond The Prompt) has spent his career creating businesses that live at the intersection of creativity, community and technology. Now, with his new book Me, My Customer And AI, he's rethinking entrepreneurship for a world where anyone can start a business, but few will build one that truly matters. In this conversation, we explore how AI is changing human behavior, the paradox of accessibility and saturation, and why "interestingness" may be the new metric of success. Henrik explains why the future of entrepreneurship isn't about scale, it's about intimacy, authenticity and knowing your customer better than anyone else. We also discuss his latest venture, Audos, a platform designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs build companies using AI agents, and how this movement could usher in a new "neighborhood economy" where small, deeply connected businesses thrive. From reflections on the early internet to insights about the next wave of AI-driven startups, Henrik's ideas are both practical and profoundly human, reminding us that even in an algorithmic age, it's our relationships, our curiosity and our resilience that will define what's next. Enjoy the conversation...

    • Running time: 1:02:18.
    • Hello from beautiful Montreal.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
    • Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
    • Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
    • Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
    • Check out ThinkersOne.
    • Here is my conversation with Henrik Werdelin.
    • Me, My Customer And AI.
    • Bark.
    • Audos.
    • Prehype.
    • Beyond The Prompt.
    • Follow Henrik on LinkedIn.

    Chapters:

    (00:00) - Introduction to Entrepreneurship and AI.
    (02:10) - Understanding AI's Impact on Human Behavior.
    (06:42) - The Evolution of AI Tools and Their Implications.
    (11:54) - Navigating the Future: Utopia vs. Dystopia.
    (18:46) - The Changing Landscape of Entrepreneurship.
    (24:20) - The Role of AI in Business Creation.
    (30:40) - Radical Humanness in the Age of AI.
    (37:30) - The Future of Capitalism and Entrepreneurship.
    (46:33) - The Unbundling of SaaS and Content Creation.
    (55:43) - Pursuing Interestingness in Entrepreneurship.
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    1 hr and 2 mins