In this episode of Trivia Tangents, I sit down with Konstantin Guericke, Co-Founder of LinkedIn, a Stanford mentor and community organizer, and someone who has spent decades thinking about how trust, technology, and human connection shape our careers.

Konstantin shares his path from growing up in Germany to landing in Silicon Valley, and we talk about what professional networking looked like before the digital era changed everything. We dive into the early inspiration behind LinkedIn, how the team imagined the platform would be used, and the surprising ways people use it today.

We also explore the realities of entrepreneurship, the importance of solving problems that truly matter, ethics of modern networking and how transparency online affects our behavior.

And because this is Trivia Tangents, I challenge Konstantin with a few trivia questions along the way—covering the early days of recruiting, the launch of the LinkedIn job site, and the evolution of reference checks before and after everything went digital.

Topics Discussed:

✨ How LinkedIn’s original vision shaped its early design

💭 Konstantin’s entrepreneurship advice

📜 What networking looked like before digital tools existed

💯What you should actually be sharing on LinkedIn

🔍 Trust, transparency, and ethical dilemmas in modern networking

💬 The impact of online visibility on professional behavior

🧠 How public achievements influence self-comparison and mental health

🤝 Balancing in-person trust-building with online connection-making

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If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a positive rating, share it with a friend, and follow to get notified when new episodes drop every Thursday!

Have a topic you’d love us to cover or want to be a guest? Fill out the form here: https://triviatangentspodcast.com/contact

Let’s connect!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triviatangents/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@linabobinalina

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LinaOsofsky/shorts

Website: https://triviatangentspodcast.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Konstantin Guericke and LinkedIn

01:56 Journey from Germany to Stanford University

05:58 Navigating Early Career Challenges in Silicon Valley

07:49 Building Professional Relationships for Career Advancement

12:09 Trivia Q1

13:24 Trivia Q2

14:51 The Original Vision Behind LinkedIn

19:30 The Role of Trust in Professional Connections

21:40 Influence of 'Free Agent Nation' on LinkedIn's Concept

25:57 The Importance of Trustworthy Connections

29:24 Reflections on Potential Failure

31:52 The Importance of Solving Personal Problems in Entrepreneurship

33:45 LinkedIn's Original Name

36:28 How LinkedIn Has Changed Over Time

41:40 Unexpected Features and User Engagement

45:05 LinkedIn's Exponential Growth

46:31 LinkedIn's Early Competitors

50:10 Fishbowl Networking

52:40 The Role of LinkedIn in Today's Professional Landscape

55:08 Trivia Q3

56:28 Reference Checks

58:34 Game Theory

59:56 Reference Checks (continued)

01:03:28 Ethical Behavior In A Non-Anonymous World

01:05:49 Mental Health and Social Media Impact

01:10:49 How You SHOULD Be Posting On LinkedIn

01:12:52 Balancing Online vs Offline Connections

01:17:40 Who You Should Be Connecting With On LinkedIn

01:21:40 Future Predictions and Societal Changes

In this episode of Trivia Tangents, I chat with Aimee Lucido — a former software engineer who turned her love of puzzles and trivia into a dream career writing games for Bloomberg and crosswords forThe New Yorker, and The New York Times.

Aimee shares how she made the leap from tech to creative writing, how a pandemic hobby with trivia flash cards snowballed into her role as Bloomberg’s Quizmaster for Pointed, and why she believes the best trivia questions have a game hidden inside them. We talk about her time on game shows, our shared obsession with Codenames, and the release of her new book Words Apart, which explores the relationship between two sisters through poetry, crosswords, and art.

This episode is full of insight, laughter, and the kind of tangents that make trivia so much fun. Aimee reminds us that sometimes the boundaries that keep us stuck are the ones we’ve built ourselves — and that curiosity really can lead you anywhere.

Topics Discussed:

🧩 How Aimee transitioned from software engineering to creative writing

🧠 The puzzle-like logic behind great trivia questions

🎧 How pop culture and current events inspire her work

🎮 Her experiences competing on game shows

🎲 Why Codenames is the ultimate friendship test

📚 The inspiration behind her new book, Words Apart

Find Aimee Lucido here:

• https://aimeelucido.com/

• Bloomberg News Quiz: Pointed

• The New Yorker Crosswords

• The NYT 60 Seconds With Aimee Lucido

***

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a positive rating, share it with a friend, and follow to get notified when new episodes drop every Thursday!

Have a topic you’d love us to cover or want to be a guest?

Fill out the form here: https://triviatangentspodcast.com/contact

Let’s connect!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triviatangents/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@linabobinalina

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LinaOsofsky/shorts

Website: https://triviatangentspodcast.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Aimee Lucido

04:11 Transition from Tech to Creative Writing

17:32 Incorporating Software Engineering into Writing

21:01 Overcoming Feelings of Being Stuck

23:18 Advice for Aspiring Writers and Puzzle Makers

24:15 Trivia Question 1

28:54 Cultural Influences in Puzzle Making

30:16 Pop Culture and Puzzle Inspiration

34:07 Sources of Puzzle Entertainment

34:38 Favorite Words in Puzzle Making

39:37 Board Games and Puzzle Dynamics

43:17 Trivia Question 2

45:42 Game Show Adventures

49:54 Strategies for Trivia and Puzzle Solving

54:43 Trivia Games and Creative Questioning

58:45 The Quizmaster

59:45 Writing for Children

01:03:52 Introducing 'Words Apart'

Ever wondered what actually goes on in the world of personal training beyond the gym selfies and fitness fads? In this episode of Trivia Tangents, I’m joined by Sulyn Harvey, a personal trainer living in Europe, to talk about all things health, wellness, and the science behind staying strong.

We kick things off with some fitness trivia (because of course we do 😏):

• Who was the real “Godfather of Fitness”?

• What’s the molecule that powers your every move?

• And how many calories are really in a pound of fat?

But as always, the trivia is just the start. Sulyn shares her journey from UC Davis to Germany, what inspired her to start her own online training business, and how she helps clients build healthier relationships with food, movement, and themselves.

Expect laughter, myth-busting, and a few spicy tangents (literally, she’s obsessed with mouth-numbing Sichuan food 🌶️).

🎧 Tune in for:

• Fitness facts that actually make sense

• Honest talk about the fitness industry

• Why your scale doesn’t tell the whole story

• And what real, sustainable health looks like

Links:

Sulyn’s business: Catalyst Coaching

Sulyn’s Instagram: @sulynharvey

Sulyn’s TikTok :@sulynharvey

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If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a positive rating, share it with a friend, and follow to get notified when new episodes drop every Thursday!

Have a topic you’d love us to cover or want to be a guest? Fill out the form here: https://triviatangentspodcast.com/contact

Let’s connect!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triviatangents/

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@triviatangentspod

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@LinaOsofsky/shorts

Website: https://triviatangentspodcast.com/

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:17 Meet Health & Fitness Coach, Sulyn

04:54 The Godfather Of Modern Fitness

08:23 Sulyn's Fitness Journey

16:31 Transitioning from In-Person to Online Coaching

24:14 Understanding Energy in the Body

28:17 Nutrition Beyond Calories

31:04 Reframing Food Relationships: 80/20 Rule

34:57 Cultural Perspectives on Diets

37:45 Quality of Food: US vs Europe

39:50 Lifestyle, Work-Life-Balance, Walkable Cities: US vs Europe

42:38 Szechuan Comfort Food

46:49 Understanding Weight Loss & Calories

48:08 Debunking Myths: The Scale and Body Fat Loss

51:20 The Importance of Muscle

56:00 The Misconception of Cardio vs. Strength Training (EPOC)

57:22 The Reality of Weight Loss Fads

01:00:13 Mindset and Self-Compassion in Your Fitness Journey

01:03:21 Conclusion