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

***

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

***

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

In this episode of Trivia Tangents, I quiz my little brother on his absolute favorite show: BIG BROTHER. He’s basically a walking encyclopedia of the series: he knows every winner, watches the live feeds, and can break down the most complex strategies like a true superfan.

Even though I’m the one asking the questions, he ends up teaching me so much about the show — from what a “backdoor” is to why being the first houseguest is actually a curse. We get into competition strategies, iconic Big Brother lingo, and how you’d even begin to train if you wanted to be a contestant yourself.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan or have no idea what Big Brother is, this episode is full of fun facts, wild strategies, and plenty of sibling banter.

So grab your key, take a seat in one of the orange chairs, and let’s dive into the world of Big Brother trivia with my little brother.

Topics Discussed:

🎯 HOH Competitions

👑 The First HOH “Curse”

🧠 Game Strategy 101

🚪 What It Means to “Backdoor” Someone

💔 Showmances and 🤝Alliances

🎭 Throwing a Competition

🏆 Iconic Winners: Derrick Levasseur and Dan Gheesling

***

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 to Big Brother

03:40 Trivia Warm Up

04:56 Types Of Comps

11:43 How To Train For Comps

13:11 Head Of Household (HOH)

17:37 Throwing A Competition

21:55 Cody Calafiore and Game Strategy

24:27 The Dynamics of Big Brother Alliances

27:26 Favorite Big Brother Winners and Their Strategies

28:30 What Makes a Great Big Brother Winner?

32:01 Navigating the Block: Timing and Strategy

33:42 What It Means To "Backdoor"

36:37 Showmances: The Double-Edged Sword

45:06 Current Season Insights and Predictions

In this episode of Trivia Tangents, I sit down with Aumi (my favorite Lagree Pilates instructor at Core40) and ride into the world of Lagree. If you’ve ever wondered how Lagree is different from traditional pilates, why the Megaformer machine costs over $18,000, or which celebrities swear by it, this episode is for you.

We talk about Aumi’s journey into Lagree, starting with her search for a low-impact workout after struggling with high cortisol levels, and what it really took to become an instructor — from the rigorous certification process and mentorship, to the licensing required to teach this method. Aumi also shares thoughtful advice for aspiring instructors based on her own training experience. Along the way, we discuss Sebastian Lagree, the inventor of the method, and his journey on making his at-home practice into the workout that has a chokehold on everyone and their mom.

In this episode we cover:

🏋️‍♀️ How Lagree Pilates stands apart from traditional Pilates

🎓 Aumi’s path to teaching and advice about: certification, mentorship, and licensing

🌎 Sebastian Lagree’s story and how the method began

💰 Why the Megaformer comes with an $18,000 price tag

🌟 The influence of celebrity endorsements on Lagree’s rise

🫶 The role of community, feedback, and connection in teaching

Beyond the trivia, we dig into the heart of teaching: the community, the personality an instructor brings to every class, and the behind-the-scenes work that goes into playlists, class design, and responding to client feedback. For Aumi, that’s where the sense of purpose lives — in the connections she builds and the community she helps create.

Whether you’re a Lagree regular, a curious Pilates fan, or just here for the tangents, you’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for this high-intensity, low-impact workout.

Sources:

https://www.lagreeacademy.com/the-evolution-of-lagree-fitness

https://pilatesmatters.com/products/lagree-fitness-m3s-megaformer-machine-pre-order

https://www.theflowspace.com/physical-health/prevention-longevity/lagree-pilates-guide-2960866/

https://www.lagreefit415.com/blog/celebrities-love-lagree-fitness

***

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 Intro

00:33 Guest Intro: Aumi!

02:06 Understanding LaGree Pilates vs. Traditional Pilates

04:31 Hot Take: Sticky Socks or Bare Feet

06:24 Trivia Q1

07:04 Sebastian Lagree

08:26 Origins of Lagree

10:03 Aumi's Journey Into Lagree

13:15 Teacher Training and Certifications

19:09 Trivia Q2

19:32 Megaformer and Class Prices

23:51 Crafting Routines and Fire Playlists

29:20 Don't be 'That Person' with the Springs

30:59 Celebrity Influence in Fitness Culture

33:56 The Appeal of LaGree Pilates

35:34 Building Community Through Fitness

37:50 The Instructor's Perspective on Teaching

43:04 Finding Purpose in Teaching

47:09 Guys Doing Lagree

48:19 Come to Aumi's Class in SF!

This week’s episode of Trivia Tangents is a bit different. Since it falls on September 11th, I wanted to pause our usual trivia format to honor and remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the attacks of 2001. In this brief tribute, I reflect on the four hijacked flights, the courage shown by passengers and first responders, and the lasting impact of that day.

We will never forget.

Website: https://triviatangentspodcast.com/