Story In A Bottle Podcast

Charles Adler embodies the true spirit of being a maker in the age of the internet - starting with the inception of an idea through prototyping, beta testing and ultimately launching and evolving as he goes. It’s a process he’s developed and perfected over the course of his career - with myriad roles including UX designer, visual designer, developer, founder, and more - in both on and offline companies. It’s this varied background and methodology that lead to his most popular endeavor yet as co-founder of crowdfunding site, Kickstarter, but over Bulleit Rye in WGN’s studio in Chicago, he explains how his background in the budding punk and EDM scenes and the self-starter culture that accompanied it not only lead to creating that platform, but has inspired him since. And that is still true today, as he approaches a new company - furthering facilitating the makers community in a more tangible way than ever before.

Direct download: SIAB_CAdler_v3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:47am EDT

Sara Chipps is, first and foremost, a developer. At a very young age, growing up in New Jersey she was intrigued with the internet and all the possibility it held. As a student, she pursued coding with a passion - overcoming the hurdles that come along with being a woman in a field traditionally dominated by men. Her current startup, Jewelbots, which makes smart friendship bracelets that are designed to inspire girls to get more involved in coding, is the culmination of her experience and this early passion. Over sancerre provided by ABC Wine Co., Sara and I discuss her experience as a temp working a helpdesk, as the CTO of Flatiron school and founder of nonprofit Girl Develop It, that helped her form a company career that teaches people of all ages that not only does coding not have to be intimidating, but that it can be fun as well.

What You’ll Learn

  • How everyone can learn to code if they just give it a try
  • How getting involved in coding at a young age can open up opportunities
  • The key differences between being a CTO and a CEO
Direct download: SIAB_SChipps_v3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:48am EDT

One of the themes of Story in a Bottle is that there’s no one path to a career in ___. Soren Bowie, a writer and editor at Cracked, is certainly the embodiment of that. While Soren was always interested in entertainment, his path to comedy writing was a winding one. From starting out as a child actor and star of some straight to DVD films, to getting paid to watch movies for a living as a DVD quality tester, to a few unintentionally unpaid writing assignments, to finally working his way into Cracked by making funny videos for eHow, Soren kept taking risks and following his interests. In a wide-ranging conversation over Moscow Mules, we talk about his path from rural Colorado to LA, the role of humor in explaining geopolitical drama, the trajectory of a joke on Twitter, why arguing with someone with opposing political views is never going to change their mind and, finally, why all the moms on 80s sitcoms were dead.

Direct download: SIAB_SBowie_v3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:44pm EDT

Gizmodo Night Editor Eve Peyser always knew she wanted to be a writer. However, it was a chance encounter at a bar with a college friend paired with her talent for comedy that has landed her firmly at the intersection of journalism & comedy, especially as a powerful (and hilarious) voice on Twitter. Starting out as a sex and dating reporter, she would often mine her personal life for editorial content. As she has evolved personally, she’s pulled back on the self-professed over sharing and is using humor to delve into more serious topics such as mental illness, the current political climate, and the pitfalls of capitalism.

What You’ll Learn:

- A good scoop can come from anywhere - even Tinder!

- Why the responsibility of the media is more important than ever - even for those in non traditional, journalistic roles.

- The pros and cons of the over sharing culture on the internet.

Direct download: SIAB_EPeyser_v3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:18am EDT

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