Best Knapsack Podcasts (2025)

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The Brothers Grimm's "The Knapsack, the Hat, and the Horn" Summary and Discussion 35:46

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14d ago35:46

35:46

Three brothers, tired of poverty, go out into the world. In the forest, they come to a hill of silver and the first brother decides to load his pockets and return home. The second does so with a hill of gold, but the third goes further into a much-larger forest, one of unknown breadth. There, starving, he climbs a tree to look around, wishes for fo…

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The Strange Power of Losing Something Every Day (Anna Mayala Clip) 5:52

2d ago5:52

5:52

If you’re mindful, you’re better able to connect to and serve others. How does one get so? Getting back to what naturally arises. (From a discussion on Von Schönwerth’s “Anna Mayala”) Thank you for the likes! A comment and a subscribe really helps us out! For the full video episode: https://youtu.be/ZGx8Odijcvo Audio episode: https://benomtad.podbe…

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Are we finally at the point of contextual documentation? 39:44

3d ago39:44

39:44

Season 2 Episode 1 Design Systems WTF is the fortnightly podcast where Luke Murphy and Michelle Chin attempt to combat all the amazing wtf in design systems. In each episode, they answer a single question around design system troubles with Q&A from the live audience. We took a few months off and y'all went and changed everything... We dive into the…

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Howard Pyle’s Robin Hood: Little John Lives with the Sheriff 1:30:27

8d ago1:30:27

1:30:27

The Sheriff, out hunting with the town notables, wishes John were with them. The bugle calls, and back at the castle, John awakens. He thinks of his compadres over in Sherwood– the green men, and sees how he’s grown fat in the six Fall and Winter months with the Sheriff. He goes to the pantry and asks the Steward for some meat and bread, and the fa…

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Marshall McLuhan & Technology 1:51:16

10d ago1:51:16

1:51:16

Ian and I discuss McLuhan’s difficult Playboy interview where he answers questions about his philosophy of technology. At the core of our concern is how to live well, connected to people and ourselves as embodied beings, as information technology advances. Perhaps appropriate to the topic, we do struggle some to get ahold of his philosophy and how …

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Is Nature, Including Human Nature, Inherently Good? (Clip) I 2:46

11d ago2:46

2:46

an: Rousseau seems to have an inherent faith in nature, in its goodness. If you believe in that, you have something to aim for, to return to that. I: Rousseau also says that most virtues are negative. (From our discussion “Rousseau, Happiness, & Modernity”) Thank you for the likes! A comment and a subscribe really helps us out! For the full video e…

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137. Why You Shouldn’t Aim for Perfect: Building Design Systems That Deliver Business Value with Noelle Lansford 44:45

16d ago44:45

44:45

Send us feedback or episode suggestions. If you’ve ever struggled to balance perfection with business reality, this episode is for you. In this episode of the Design Systems Podcast, Chris Strahl talks with Noelle Lansford, founder of Shep, about why chasing the “perfect system” often breaks more than it fixes. Drawing on her experience across star…

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Attention is Your Light onto the World and How You See It (Clip) 3:37

16d ago3:37

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Attention is your light, and that can build if you can keep your attention on it. It can grow, and we can see it more truly. Instead of increasing our attention, however, we often instead look for something that seems bright to our minds right now, what is salient, and so forth. Do not take the world as it presents to you now. (From our discussion …

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Von Schonwerth’s “Anna Mayala:” Forbidden Love and Time Forever Lost 1:52:27

19d ago1:52:27

1:52:27

The beautiful Veri and Anna Mayala were in love, but she was poor, and her many suitors were grievous to them. But finally, they were to be married, and on that date imaginative “Crazy Veri” got a roebuck from the woods for the feast and was walking back to the village. At a footbridge, his mind wandering, he noticed the moon had already risen, and…

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Is the King of the Golden Mountain Ruling in the Land of the Dead? (Clip) 3:23

20d ago3:23

3:23

About the Merchant’s son’s character: Early in life he showed faith in his father, himself, the world… How did he change? When he goes back home he is not recognized by the sentries of his hometown. Then he changes into the shepherd’s garb. Perhaps there is something of another world to him, and he isn’t to return to this world? (From a discussion …

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Grimm's “The Three Little Birds” Summary and Discussion 46:18

23d ago46:18

46:18

Back in the time of small kings, one was riding forth with his retinue from the castle to go hunting. Three sisters who were watching their cows saw them, and the eldest pointed to the king and said she would marry him, or none. The second girl answered from the other side of the hill, pointing to the one on the right and saying the same thing. The…

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Bearskin Walks the Earth, a Living Hell (Clip) 1:53

26d ago1:53

1:53

The character of Bearskin: courage, but then he learns perseverance with his seven years of living Hell. He must live truly wretchedly; he cannot even pray. (From a discussion on “Bearskin,” by the Brothers Grimm) Thank you for the likes! A comment and a subscribe really helps us out! For the full video episode: https://youtu.be/4oT1UC1ReKM Audio e…

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Rousseau, Happiness & Modernity 2:29:06

29d ago2:29:06

2:29:06

JJ Rousseau wrote in “Emile” that his principle aim in teaching his student is to feel the beautiful of all sorts to fix his tastes on it and prevent his natural appetites from corruption. In this podcast I try to introduce Ian to Rousseau’s thought and we go off into the wilds of conversation. Thank you for the likes! A comment and a subscribe rea…

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The Brothers Grimm’s “The King of the Golden Mountain” 45:30

1M ago45:30

45:30

A wealthy merchant loses his ships, and a dwarf appears to him with an offer: sacrifice the first thing that touches you when you come home, and I will help you exceed your previous riches. He is dismayed, however, when his son runs up to him, and twelve years later, that son belongs to the dwarf. He is clever, however, and negotiates with the litt…

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The Power of Truth in Business 1:08:28

1M ago1:08:28

1:08:28

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Kasim Aslam—entrepreneur, author, and founder of the world’s top-ranked Google Ads agency—to unpack the truth about scaling, hiring, and building a business that actually works. From growing up on welfare in Albuquerque to selling an 8-figure agency, Kasim’s story is one of grit, truth, and t…

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Various Strands of Buddhism and the Meaning Crisis (Clip) 5:17

1M ago5:17

5:17

Ian talks about various strands of Buddhism, including Tibet and its philosopher rule, and Zen’s founder’s saying a lot of words about the problems with expressing things with words. This is within the larger context of Buddhism in the West and the Meaning Crisis. (From a discussion on “Awakening from the Meaning Crisis, Ep. 13, Buddhism and Parasi…

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The Brothers Grimm's "Bearskin" 47:30

1M ago47:30

47:30

A soldier returns from the wars, and now that his parents have died, he seeks shelter with his brothers. But they reject him, and he wanders, penniless and starving, into a field. The wind shifts, and a sly man in a green coat appears. The soldier is to kill a bear, and he does so unflinchingly, so the green frocked man offers him a deal: if he wea…

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Going the Right Way Without Knowing It (Clip) 2:28

1M ago2:28

2:28

The story teaches that one wants to find the good-hearted, but hard-working parts, and bring in the creative magic, and over time, alchemize the tyrannical ruler, and overcome him, without ruining its good nature. The sharpshooter follows that way, not knowing exactly what is happening, to a place he does not understand that is said to be at the ed…

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The Brothers Grimm’s “The Fisherman and His Wife” 46:08

1M ago46:08

46:08

The Brothers Grimm’s “The Fisherman and His Wife” A fisherman lived with his wife in a miserable pigsty by the sea. When he went fishing, he pulled up a large flounder, a prince who began speaking with him and negotiated his release. The fisherman simply let the talking fish go, leaving a trail of blood behind it. Back home, his wife, surprised tha…

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Two Passive Brothers Mindlessly Moving Through Life (Clip) 4:12

1M ago4:12

4:12

The first two sons of the king’s gardener are passive, choosing the pleasure inn over the shabby one, and they end up as condemned robbers. These hedonistic brothers ignore wise advice and go instead with their senses. Their passivity may be rooted in their upbringing. They may be like the pleasure-seeking erotic man who keeps expanding the outlets…

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Vervaeke Buddhism & Parasitic Processing 1:51:11

2M ago1:51:11

1:51:11

In “Awakening from the Meaning Crisis,” Ep. 13, “Buddhism and Parasitic Processing,” John Vervaeke, based in Stephen Batchelor’s idea that we’ve gravely misinterpreted Buddhism in the West, outlines how we might understand core parts of the Buddha’s teachings. For suffering, he interprets it as a form of parasitic processing, a reciprocal narrowing…

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Unconcerned with Outward Glory (Clip) 3:52

2M ago3:52

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On appearances: Robin Hood voluntarily descends in society. That way, he can see what is happening on the ground. Perhaps those who truly speak to the people attract all sorts. For the full video episode: https://youtu.be/vtACZtly05A Audio episode: https://youtu.be/uslCz3O2V_k For more in this podcast, please go to: Podbean: https://benomtad.podbea…

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The Witch’s Unchanging Having of Beauty in Jonathan Pageau’s “Rapunzel” (Clip) 2:46

2M ago2:46

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Did the evil stepmother queen in “Snow White” grow a bit from then to this story? Well, she is still trying for unchanging beautiful perfection. She does not go the way of nature. (From a discussion on Jonathan Pageau’s “Rapunzel.”) Thank you for the likes! A comment and a subscribe really helps us out! For the video episode: https://youtu.be/eX0YU…

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Go to the Verge of Destruction and Bring Back Shmat-Razum 2:50:53

2M ago2:50:53

2:50:53

The king’s best hunter shoots a bird, wounding it, and it begs him to not kill it, instructing him to bring it home, put it on a window sill, and strike it. When he does so, it turns into a beautiful woman and they marry. She sees that he is wearied by his daily hunting and instructs him to borrow money from everyone he knows to buy silk. She summo…

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The Brothers Grimm’s “The Golden Bird” 57:50

2M ago57:50

57:50

The Brothers Grimm’s “The Golden Bird” A king’s garden is robbed of a golden apple, and he sends his three sons, one at a time, to discover the culprit. The first two fall asleep, resulting in two more missing apples, but the youngest son shoots a feather off the thief–a golden bird–with an arrow on the third night. The king finds it’s so valuable …

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Building Sellable Brands with Neil Twa 1:07:29

2M ago1:07:29

1:07:29

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Neil Twa—e-commerce growth expert, founder of Voltage Digital Marketing, and one of the top minds behind building and scaling private-label brands on Amazon. From going bankrupt to building multiple seven-figure exits, Neil shares the real story behind creating businesses designed to sell. He…

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Howard Pyle’s Robin Hood, Part I 1:59:02

2M ago1:59:02

1:59:02

Robin Hood & the Tinker: The Sheriff of Nottingham sends out a warrant for Robin Hood’s arrest. Local men don’t want to take it up, but a Tinker from out of town brags he will serve it. Robin Hood is able to get him drunk and avoid a fight, but then has to fight him down the road. The Tinker breaks Hood’s staff but the outlaw calls his men, and the…

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Authoritarian Regimes Don’t Take in Feedback from Below (Clip) 2:59

2M ago2:59

2:59

The lack of taking in feedback of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. With many adherents of these ideologies, anything is justified. We are reflecting on Howard Pyle’s Robin Hood, where the outlaw hero gives feedback, often rough, to the leadership of an illegitimate and rapacious regime. RH on Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/file…

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Faith, Focus, and a 7-Figure Agency 51:17

2M ago51:17

51:17

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Ozzy Garner—founder of Advertis, angel investor, and entrepreneur with a passion for helping business owners reclaim their time and scale smarter. From cleaning bathrooms at White Castle to doubling revenue in his first sales job, Ozzy’s path to building a seven-figure agency is anything but …

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Jonathan Pageau's "Rapunzel," Summary and Discussion 54:24

2M ago54:24

54:24

An old woman lives alone in a small cottage in the woods, with bitterness and her rapunzel cabbages as companions. She prizes the plants, however, attending them relentlessly. Now a newly-married woodcutter and his pregnant wife live nearby, and the woodcutter eyes the greens in passing because his wife craves them. The crone notices his taking one…

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Hoarding Your Inner Gold, or Knowing How to Use It: “Spirit in the Bottle” (Clip) 2:27

3M ago2:27

2:27

Going into wholeness or connection, on the one hand, or solipsism and individualism, on the other hand. It seems one can find one’s way to solipsism if one does not “return to school,” and patiently gain virtue so that one can hold one’s gifts non-egotistically and share them with the world. And where the world goes depends on how people use their …

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The Brothers Grimm’s “The Golden Goose” 33:04

3M ago33:04

33:04

LL and I read and discuss this lovely folktale. A man had three sons, the youngest called Dummling (Simpleton), who was mocked and sneered at. The eldest son wanted to hew wood in the forest, and his mother packed him cake and wine. On the way, a small grey man greeted him and asked him to share the food, but the son refused, saying he would have n…

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The Future of Innovation and Authenticity 57:18

3M ago57:18

57:18

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Bernie Youngblood—a rule-breaking marketer, connector, and strategist who’s spent his career reshaping industries and helping businesses, nonprofits, and artists thrive. From a start in finance to building sales and marketing ventures, Bernie has seen firsthand what works (and what doesn’t) i…

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Profitable Growth in 100 Days 48:51

3M ago48:51

48:51

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Bill Canady—CEO, author, and creator of the Profitable Growth Operating System (PGOS). Bill has managed billion-dollar businesses, led tens of thousands of employees, and written bestselling books like The 80/20 CEO. His newest book, From Panic to Profit, takes readers inside the process of t…

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The Six Steps to Stronger Leadership 1:03:27

3M ago1:03:27

1:03:27

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark welcomes leadership expert and coach Jennifer DiMotta, founder of Uprisers. Jennifer has spent over two decades in corporate leadership, eventually serving as Chief Marketing and Digital Officer of a $22 billion company before creating her own coaching practice. Through her structured and results-driven app…

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Robin Hood’s Origins, Little John & The Trickster 1:45:26

3M ago1:45:26

1:45:26

We summarize Howard Pyle’s Robin Hood’s Prologue, on the green-clad Robbing man’s origins and his meeting, being beat by, and joining forces with Little John. Then we discuss Robin Hood as a proper response to the illegitimate and ravenous leader as well as his being a trickster figure that draws attention to problems in leadership, which lead eith…

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Awakening and the Need for Some Kind of Grounding (Clip) 2:32

3M ago2:32

2:32

Robert Pirsig, of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance,” also had an awakening experience, where he said he was in touch with “quality,” the key concept of his metaphysics. But he ended up hospitalized, and we talk about how these experiences need others, an understanding community, teachers, tradition and so forth. Ian says that the biggest …

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“The Spirit in the Bottle” from The Brothers Grimm 1:55:05

3M ago1:55:05

1:55:05

A poor woodcutter sends his son to the high school to have a better lot in life, but the money runs out before the son can complete his studies. He returns home and embarks on his father’s living with a cheerful spirit. They don’t have money for a second axe, and he tells his father to borrow it from the neighbor. At noon, the son sets off deeper i…

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Hollywood Hustle to Startup Success 1:00:42

3M ago1:00:42

1:00:42

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Steven Puri—film executive turned tech founder, productivity expert, and remote work evangelist. Steven’s career path has taken him from producing blockbuster hits like Die Hard and The Wolverine to raising millions in venture capital and building tools that help people focus better, work sma…

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Mystical and Awakening Experiences 1:35:27

3M ago1:35:27

1:35:27

We discuss mystical experiences and higher states of consciousness. We start with an awakening account of a Japanese business executive and Zen student, referenced below. Higher states of consciousness can help us see the underlying unity of things, including of those with ourselves, and make us more compassionate and less egocentric. In other word…

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The CEO Growth Blueprint 46:26

3M ago46:26

46:26

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Patrick Thean—international speaker, serial entrepreneur, bestselling author, and former Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Patrick shares his journey from building a supply chain software company that landed on the Inc. 500 list to coaching CEOs on how to focus, execute, and scale with …

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From Hustle to Healthy Sales 51:04

3M ago51:04

51:04

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Leslie Venetz—founder of the Sales Led GTM Agency, LinkedIn Top Voice, and 2024 Sales Innovator of the Year—to talk about building a profit-generating pipeline without burning out. Leslie shares her journey from the high-pressure world of corporate sales to designing a four-day workweek, prac…

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The Brothers Grimm’s "Rapunzel:" Tears Wash Away Grief 32:38

3M ago32:38

32:38

A man and a woman long for a child. The woman looks out of her back window into the walled garden of an enchantress and desperately desires the Rampion (Rapunzel) plant. Her husband goes to get it for her, but is confronted by the intense gaze of the enchantress. He reasons with her, and she negotiates: he can leave with it if they give her their f…

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A Part of Your Soul Leaves When You Give Up on Getting Better (Clip) 4:02

3M ago4:02

4:02

The image of the dark, ruined castle as the unconscious mind. Then there is a series of steps going deeper and deeper, and silent. And after Hans' repeated bouts of suffering, the princess is able to speak. People don’t want to suffer without encouragement. And even after his first maturing transformation, he is still dependent. The princess leaves…

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Sales, Systems, and Dog Training Wins 43:10

3M ago43:10

43:10

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark chats with Ryan Wimpey, founder of Tip Top K9 Dog Training—a nationwide franchise with over 20 locations and counting. Ryan shares his incredible journey from training dogs behind a Chick-fil-A in a beat-up van to running one of the top-ranked dog training brands in the U.S. From scrappy beginnings to build…

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Leadership Lessons from Table Tennis 48:38

4M ago48:38

48:38

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Emmy-nominated content creator, strategist, and international table tennis competitor Justin Bookey. As the author of Ping Pong Leadership: 18 Principles to Succeed at Any Table in Business, Sports, and Life, Justin shares how his lifelong passion for ping pong evolved into a leadership frame…

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Why Strategic Finance Can't Wait 39:48

4M ago39:48

39:48

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark sits down with Ellen Wood—CEO and co-founder of vcfo—to talk about the power of financial strategy, planning for exit, and how to build a more valuable business from day one. As a pioneer in the fractional CFO space, Ellen has helped hundreds of businesses scale, prepare for investment, and exit successfull…

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Von Schonwerth’s “The Iron Shoes” 1:50:44

4M ago1:50:44

1:50:44

The king’s groundskeeper doesn’t know what to do with his son so he kicks him off the farm with anger. Hans goes out into the world and encounters a dark, ruined castle. Inside, all is silent. Exhausted, he wants to rest, and a woman in black gives him food and wordlessly points to the bed. Three days he endures torture from dark figures, and the w…

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The Loneliness of the Tyrant (Clip) 3:44

4M ago3:44

3:44

The loneliness of the tyrant. Swiveling head, eyes leery of plots real and chimerical. Ian: the need for power to that degree can only come from a misunderstanding of power as the means of procuring some basic need. Thank you for the likes! A comment and a subscribe really helps us out! And please link to or comment with someone I should check out …

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Tech Lessons for Founders Ft. Ben Johnson 57:13

4M ago57:13

57:13

In this episode of The Friday Habit, Mark chats with Benjamin Johnson, serial tech co-founder and founder of Particle 41. With over two decades in software development, DevOps, and startup building, Ben shares hard-earned lessons on what it really takes to lead successful tech initiatives—from bootstrapping SaaS platforms to advising CEOs on digita…