Products of the Mind Episode 17: Author Marina Krakovsky on the Value of Middlemen
Welcome to Episode 17 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with reporter and author of The Middleman Economy Marina Krakovsky.
“I noticed that people have this very conflicted, often ambivalent attitude toward middlemen; we need them but we often resent them.”
“What is a fair price of a snow shovel after a snowstorm?” Today we chat with Marina Krakovsky, a reporter, researcher, and author. We chat about behavioral economics, or what happens the intersection of psychology and economics. Marina tries to answer the question, “How do people behave in economic situations?”
What is the true role of those “wheelers and dealers” known as economic middlemen? Do middlemen profit fairly; what value do they provide? How is Craigslist both a middleman and a platform for other middlemen? Why is eBay’s “power seller” award a highly coveted middleman status?
Also: Why we use Amazon; why your cable company might be the most reviled middleman; friction-free capitalism; and the six categories of middlemen.
All this and more today with Marina Krakovsky.
Honorable mentions from this episode:
Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind!
If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the top and bottom of this page.
Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I read every one.
Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live.
Here are instructions on how to subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes.
The Credits
Products of the Mind is produced by Mana Monzavi.
The theme music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!
This episode and these show notes © 2016 David Lizerbram
Products of the Mind Episode 16: Srinivas Rao, the Unmistakable Creative
Welcome to Episode 16 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with Srinivas Rao, author and host of Unmistakable Creative podcast.
But First…Brandon Uttley
Brandon Uttley joins us to talk about his new book, Pod Castaway.
Srinivas Rao
About his show, Unmistakable Creative: “The thread that ties them all together is that they’re just insanely interesting people that are up to fascinating things in the world…I’m a curator of insanely interesting people.”
From blogging to hosting Unmistakable Creative, tune in today for Srinivas Rao—author, digital story teller, curator of interesting people, and of course—podcaster.
Hear about the evolution from blog to podcast. Get insights on naming the show; using the internet to make unmistakable things; finding fascinating people and content; and designing the “unmistakable.”
Also: stories that attract people; the “craft” of podcasting; finding the ethos of your work; and, why not to go to business school.
Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind!
If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the top and bottom of this page.
Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I read every one.
Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live.
Here are instructions on how to subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes.
The Credits
Products of the Mind is produced by Mana Monzavi.
As always, the music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!
This episode and these show notes © 2016 David Lizerbram
Products of the Mind Episode 15: Wilco Guitarist and Jazz Legend Nels Cline
Welcome to Episode 15 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with Wilco guitarist and jazz legend Nels Cline.
“We wanted to be hippies; we wanted to be Rock & Roll wizards.”
Not everyone who goes to L.A. makes it big, but some people who are from there can go all the way. Today we speak with Nels Cline, guitarist for indie rock megastars Wilco and longtime solo artist (including with his band The Nels Cline Singers) and collaborator with countless other music legends. Nels talks about growing up in West L.A.; being “one half” of a set of twins; cultural music lessons in public school; and inspiration from Ravi Shankar.
From sitar to guitar, Nels unravels his journey to finally making it big with Wilco.
Hear what it’s like to survive as an artist: Volvo trips from L.A. to the bay; the struggle to make rent; regular life “getting in the way” of the dream; and opening for Primus.
And of course we learn about Nels’ inspirations, including (but certainly not limited to): Humble Pie, Jimi Hendrix, and John Coltrane.
Other musical gems:
Nels Cline Homepage
Nels’ Twitter @nelscline
The songs played in this episode:
Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind!
If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the top and bottom of this page.
Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I read every one.
Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live.
Here are instructions on how to subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes.
The Credits
Products of the Mind is produced by Mana Monzavi.
The theme music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!
This episode and these show notes © 2016 David Lizerbram
Welcome to Episode 14 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with Seth Siegel, author of Let There Be Water.
Seth Siegel
“If you have a country like Israel which is mostly desert, and it has achieved this water status of self-sufficiency of even being a water superpower, then why can’t everybody do that?”- Seth Siegel (On why he is an optimist on the future for water.)
Israel is over 60% desert yet still manages their water resources better than any other place in the world.
Did you know our current drought wasn’t expected to hit until 2025; or that there are over 4,600 water authorities in Texas alone? On this episode author and water expert Seth Siegel tells us about the research journey that led him from listening to a lecture from the Council on Foreign Affairs to doing over 200 hundred interviews with Israeli water experts.
Seth’s book tells the success story of Israel’s ability to manage this precious resource, and this interview is an informative peek inside. We discuss topics like the socialization of water; how crises impact policy; agricultural reform; and, why the United States should look at Israel as a successful model for water management. And if that’s not enough, we’ll learn how this author got to produce a Broadway musical, for which he was nominated for a Tony award.
Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind!
If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the top and bottom of this page.
Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I read every one.
Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live.
Here are instructions on how to subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes.
The Credits
Products of the Mind is produced by Mana Monzavi.
As always, the music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!
This episode and these show notes © 2015 David Lizerbram
Welcome to Episode 13 of Products of the Mind. On this episode, I speak with Tom Schwab, Digital Marketing Engineer and John Lee Dumas of EOFire.
John Lee Dumas
First we hear from John Lee Dumas of EOFire. John takes a few minutes to talk about his new project, The Freedom Journal. You can check out The Freedom Journal and contribute to the Kickstarter on TheFreedomJournal.com.
Tom Schwab
What is inbound marketing? Should I blog or podcast for my business? How do I build-up my e-commerce business? What does nuclear engineering have to do with sales and marketing? If these questions have plagued your business, listen in to digital marketing engineer Tom Schwab.
Tom tells us about his career trajectory from running nuclear reactors in the Navy, to operations, to sales and marketing for a Fortune 500 company. Tom explains the importance of systems; how he came to own his own distributorship; and how his business solution is like Preparation H.
Also in this discussion: submarine life; golfing with the Emir of the U.A.E; how to turn customers into advocates; and the move from blogs to podcasts.
Learn more about Tom’s first gig in the Navy: http://www.navysite.de/cvn/cvn72.html
More about Tom’s business and how he can help yours here: http://tmschwab.com/
Tom on Twitter: @TMSchwab
Finally, you can find Tom’s giveaway at TMSchwab.com/Products
Thanks for Checking Out Products of the Mind!
If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the top and bottom of this page.
Also, please consider taking the few seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes. They’re very helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and I read every one.
Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcast app to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live.
Here are instructions on how to subscribe, rate, and review the show in iTunes.
The Credits
Products of the Mind is produced by Mana Monzavi.
As always, the music for this episode was provided by Le Chateau. The track name is “Bury You.” Go buy it on Soundcloud!
This episode and these show notes © 2016 David Lizerbram