In this season two finale, I’m closing out the year with a story that pulls together tech, discipline, and modern leadership.

This episode spotlights Luana Lopes Lara, the youngest self-made woman billionaire in the world and co-founder of Kalshi, the regulated prediction market changing how people think about future events.

Before fintech, before MIT, and long before building an eleven-billion-dollar exchange, Luana was training as a professional ballerina. Years at the barre built the discipline, focus, and patience that later became the foundation for one of the most ambitious infrastructure companies in modern finance.

We break down what prediction markets actually are, why regulation became Kalshi’s differentiator, and how the company fought and won a historic legal battle to offer the first legal U.S. election markets in over a century.

At its core, this episode is about trusting the process. Doing the work long before the outcome is obvious, sticking with it when progress feels slow, and letting consistency quietly do its thing.

Thank you so much for listening this season. I’ll see you back here in February 2026 for season three!

Can a background in broadcast journalism make you a stronger product designer? In this episode of patch, I sit down with Grace Donoso, Managing Director of Content at BlackBerry and former UX designer, to explore her non-linear career path from the arts to the fast-paced world of cybersecurity.

Together, we talk about the art of User Experience (UX): why the best-designed apps feel so intuitive and how thoughtful content design can lead the charge in building better products. Grace shares her methods for writing simply about complex tech, introducing the idea of “invisible value,” or how to inspire trust and urgency without overwhelming users. She also reveals her outlining process that keeps her authentic in the age of AI.

In the lifestyle segment, we chat about her go-to West Coast athleisure staples (lulu, Nike + Beyond Yoga) for trail runs that keep her grounded in Seattle.

In this episode, we take a step back from the AI buzz to ask one of the biggest questions making headlines right now: is there an AI bubble?

AI is here to stay, but when hype and investment start moving faster than real progress, things can get shaky. Looking back at the dot-com era, we dig into what people actually mean when they talk about an “AI bubble,” why the real bottlenecks are infrastructure and energy, and how today’s boom compares to past tech cycles that changed the global economy.

In the lifestyle segment, Kirin shares her first patchperfect holiday work gift guide, a curated list of thoughtful, elevated picks for your family, friends, coworkers, and yes, a little something for yourself too.

patchperfect gift guide:

Frank Green Ceramic Water Bottle

Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 Station

Papier Foiled Planner

Smythson Personalized Stationery

Slip Pure Silk Sleep Mask

Caudalie Beauty Elixir

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen