Why do we promote our best engineers into leadership roles they are unprepared for, only to see them burn out? The skills that make a great individual contributor are often the opposite of what’s needed to be a great leader. This is the technical leadership crisis, and it’s costing companies their best talent.

In this episode, Cody sits down with Andrew Hinkelman, a former CTO with over 25 years of experience in the tech industry at companies like LinkedIn, Stripe, and Sony. After experiencing severe burnout in his own career, Andrew founded Priority-1 Group to coach technical leaders on how to avoid the same fate.

Together, they dissect the root causes of this widespread problem and provide a new framework for success.

In this episode, you will learn:

•Why the transition from engineer to manager is so challenging.

•The three definitive signs of burnout you can’t afford to ignore.

•What "human-centered leadership" is and why it’s the counterbalance to a tech-obsessed industry.

•Actionable tools you can use this week to become a more effective leader.

This is a raw and honest conversation for every CTO, engineering manager, and aspiring tech leader who has ever felt like they are great at the tech but struggling with the people.

Guest Information:

•Andrew Hinkelman: Founder of Priority-1 Group, Executive Coach, former CTO

•Website: https://www.pri-1.com/

•LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhinkelman

Watch the full video experience on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7sIJGF6Hz08

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•Website: theweirdcanadian.ca

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In this urgent and revealing episode, we unpack two of the most consequential pieces of legislation affecting Canadian digital rights: Bills C-11 and C-18. While government officials frame these laws as consumer protection measures, the reality is far more complex—and concerning.

Digital rights advocate Miriam Rachel Burr joins us to explain exactly what these bills do, why major tech companies like Meta have abandoned the Canadian market, and how these laws are already affecting everyday Canadians. She shares concrete examples: Amber Alerts that didn't reach people because Meta blocked news sharing, wildfires where critical evacuation information spread only through word-of-mouth, and the chilling effect on entrepreneurs and creators who now face impossible compliance burdens.

But this isn't just a story about government overreach. It's about the future of innovation, competition, and free expression in Canada. The government now has the power to decide which content is "discoverable" online—a level of control that fundamentally changes how digital markets operate. For entrepreneurs, creators, and business leaders, this has direct implications for how you reach customers and operate your business.

Miriam has launched an official House of Commons petition (E6994 ) to repeal these bills. With just 500 signatures, this petition can trigger a parliamentary review and force a conversation at the highest levels of government about whether these laws serve Canadian interests or stifle innovation and freedom.

This episode is essential listening for anyone who cares about the future of digital freedom in Canada, the health of our digital economy, and the principle that government should not control what information citizens can access online.

Watch the Full Video Interview: https://youtu.be/J8pvpVxGziU

Sign Petition E6994: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6994

Connect with Miriam Rachel Burr:

•Twitter/X: https://x.com/miriamrachel75

•LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miriamrachel/

Follow The Weird Canadian:

•YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Weird_Canadian

Key Topics Covered:

•What Bill C-11 and C-18 actually do (explained in plain language )

•Real-world impacts: Amber Alerts, news blackouts, and missed emergency information

•Why Meta walked away from Canada

•The compliance burden on small businesses and creators

•Government control over content discoverability

•How petition E6994 can trigger a parliamentary review

•Why this matters for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and everyday Canadians

#BillC11 #BillC18 #CanadianPolitics #FreedomOfSpeech #DigitalRights #DigitalPolicy #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #CdnPoli #TheWeirdCanadian

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We have more customer service technology than ever before—chatbots, AI assistants, and complex CRM systems. So why does it feel like customer experience is getting worse?

In this episode, I sit down with Abisola Fagbiye, a UK-based Customer Experience (CX) Strategist who has worked with organizations ranging from small startups to the United Nations. She argues that the obsession with technology is causing businesses to lose the one thing that truly matters: the human touch.

Abisola shares her revolutionary philosophy that customer experience is everyone’s job, not just a single department. We discuss why small businesses are uniquely positioned to win by leveraging empathy, building community, and “killing the script.”

If you’re a business owner feeling overwhelmed by the tech race, this conversation will give you a new perspective on how to build a loyal customer base and a brand that people trust.

Key Topics Covered:

•The real reason customer experience is broken.

•Why being a small business is your secret weapon.

•The power of “killing the script” and empowering your team.

•How to build trust, the true currency of the future.

•The role of AI in enhancing, not replacing, human connection.

Watch the full video interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uc6ievOxVU8

#CustomerExperience #Business #AI #CX #Entrepreneurship

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Struggling to understand AI? You don't need a computer science degree.

In this episode of The Weird Canadian, I sit down with Sairam Sundaresan—a veteran AI researcher with over 14 years of experience and author of the upcoming book "AI for the Rest of Us"—to demystify artificial intelligence for non-technical entrepreneurs.

Sairam introduces a revolutionary concept called the "AI Exam": a simple technique where you use AI to poke holes in your ideas before you teach them to others. It's a game-changer for anyone building a business, launching a product, or developing a strategy.

We explore how Canadian entrepreneurs can leverage AI tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and Claude without needing to code, why your unique taste and judgment are more valuable than technical skills in the AI age, and the surprising environmental cost of AI that most people don't talk about.

**What You'll Learn:**

• The "AI Exam" technique: How to test your ideas with AI before you launch

• Why you don't need coding, math, or a technical background to use AI

• How to use ChatGPT, Midjourney, and other AI tools for business

• Why "your taste is the killer app" in the AI age

• The truth about human-AI collaboration (it's not about replacement)

• The environmental impact of AI and how to use it responsibly

• Practical first steps to get started with AI today

Sairam Sundaresan is a seasoned Machine Learning Research Scientist with over 14 years of experience in the tech industry. He currently spearheads advanced AI research and has worked with top tech firms and academic labs worldwide. Passionate about making complex concepts accessible, Sairam created "Gradient Ascent," a newsletter trusted by Silicon Valley's top tech firms. His book, "AI for the Rest of Us: An Illustrated Introduction," is published by Bloomsbury Academic and available for pre-order.

**Connect with Sairam:**

• LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/sairam-sundaresan

• Substack (Gradient Ascent ): https://newsletter.artofsaience.com

• Book: https://aifortherestofus.us

**Resources Mentioned:**

• ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com

• Midjourney: https://midjourney.com

• Claude: https://claude.ai

• "AI for the Rest of Us" (book ): https://aifortherestofus.us

**Subscribe to The Weird Canadian:**

Get practical business advice, Canadian political analysis, and AI implementation strategies for Canadian companies. New episodes weekly.

**Timestamps:**

00:00 - The Problem with AI for Entrepreneurs

02:15 - The Gap in AI Communication

05:30 - What is the "AI Exam"?

10:45 - How to Test Your Business Ideas with AI

15:20 - Your Taste is the Killer App

18:50 - The Environmental Cost of AI

22:10 - First Steps to Get Started with AI

24:30 - Where to Find Sairam

AI, Artificial Intelligence, Entrepreneurship, Canadian Business, Small Business, ChatGPT, Machine Learning, AI Tools, Business Strategy, Innovation, Technology, Sairam Sundaresan, The Weird Canadian

What's one business idea you'd test with the AI Exam? Share your thoughts in the comments or reach out on social media!

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XCU7PnGwkng

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AI software development is broken—and 4x founder Gregory Lind explains exactly why.

In this 22-minute interview, Gregory Lind (CEO of Buildly, 4x startup founder, and author of "Radical Therapy for Software Teams") reveals what's really happening when teams rely too heavily on AI coding tools. From "magic button vibe coding" to the hidden dangers of treating prototypes as production code, Gregory shares hard-won lessons from building four companies.

With a unique background as a professional jazz musician in Portland's legendary '90s tech scene, Gregory brings an unconventional perspective to software development and team leadership.

KEY TOPICS:

• Why AI doesn't write code—it copies it (and why that matters)

• The "magic button vibe coding" trap destroying software teams

• How low-code/no-code tools create technical debt and spaghetti code

• The danger of building proof-of-concept without knowing it

• Why CEOs and product managers need developers involved early

• How playing in a band parallels leading a dev team

• Gregory's philosophy of radical transparency in software

• The limitations of traditional agile methodologies

• Buildly's approach to sustainable software development

ABOUT GREGORY LIND:

Gregory is a 4x founder and CEO of Buildly, a platform combating the chaos of low-code and no-code tools with cloud-native, open-source solutions. He's the author of "Radical Therapy for Software Teams" and a former professional jazz musician who played in Portland, Oregon during the dot-com era.

RESOURCES:

📖 Radical Therapy for Software Teams: https://radicaltherapy.dev

🔧 Buildly Platform: https://buildly.io

🐦 Follow Gregory on Twitter: @gregorylind

CONNECT WITH THE WEIRD CANADIAN:

• Website: theweirdcanadian.ca

• Twitter: https://x.com/Weird_Canadian

• Book a consultation: https://stan.store/The_Weird_Canadian

This is The Weird Canadian - where entrepreneurs build real businesses and challenge the status quo. New episodes weekly covering entrepreneurship, AI business applications, and challenging conventional wisdom.

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Jack Brewster, founder of Newsreel, reveals how toxic algorithms and AI media drive global hostility and presents his innovative, gamified solution to the misinformation crisis.

Episode Overview: The algorithms are broken. Journalist Jack Brewster has spent a decade on the front lines of the misinformation war, tracing viral lies from obscure social media posts to the highest levels of political debate. In this candid interview, he explains how social media systems reward polarization, why the erosion of local news is so dangerous, and even dives into the implications of Canadian legislation like Bill C-8 on media freedom.

But Jack isn't just diagnosing the problem—he’s building the antidote. He introduces Newsreel, an interactive news app designed to deliver high-quality, human-written news in a digestible format, helping users build a healthier information habit and fight news avoidance without the mental exhaustion of doomscrolling. This is a must-listen for anyone seeking clarity in the age of AI slop and digital hostility.

Key Topics Discussed:

•Why digital spaces are designed to drive hostility.

•Tracing viral lies: The infamous Haitian migrant story.

•How algorithms make us conspiratorial.

•The danger of local news erosion and why it matters to national discourse.

•Introducing Newsreel: Gamified news and the "streak system."

•The Canadian Bill C-8 & censorship concerns.

Guest Information:

Newsreel App: https://newsreel.co/download

Connect with Jack Brewster: 🐦

Twitter/X: https://x.com/jbruce218 💼

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackbrewster

Watch the full video version here: https://youtu.be/GDykMW_mNwMg

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In this episode of The Weird Canadian, we tackle a hidden crisis affecting over 822,000 households across the country: energy poverty. While politicians debate carbon taxes, hundreds of thousands of Canadians—seniors, renters, and Indigenous communities—are forced to make an impossible choice: heat or eat.

This is the audio version of our deep-dive YouTube video, where we explore the shocking data from Statistics Canada, break down the four key drivers trapping families in this cycle, and evaluate why current government programs are falling short. We also look at proven solutions from the UK, EU, and US that Canada could adopt today.

Most importantly, we lay out a clear, 6-step roadmap to end energy poverty in Canada, save families thousands, and build a more equitable future.

Key Topics Discussed:

•Defining Energy Poverty: The 10% Rule

•The Shocking Provincial & Demographic Data

•The Landlord-Tenant "Split Incentive"

•Why Remote & Indigenous Communities Are Hit Hardest

•6 Actionable Solutions for a National Strategy

To see the full visual breakdown with charts and graphics, watch the video on YouTube:

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Is your LinkedIn profile optimized for success, or is it just collecting digital dust? In this episode, we sit down with Al Kushner, a 20-year LinkedIn veteran and author of "The AI LinkedIn Advantage," to explore how entrepreneurs can use artificial intelligence to build an authentic and powerful personal brand.

Al reveals that the true power of AI on LinkedIn goes far beyond just generating content ideas. We discuss the art of optimizing your profile to attract high-value connections, the strategy behind creating content that provides genuine value (and avoids the dreaded "pitch slap" ), and how to use advanced tools like Sales Navigator to strategically find your ideal clients and collaborators.

This conversation is a masterclass for any Canadian entrepreneur who wants to stand out in a crowded market and build a personal brand that truly gets noticed.

In this episode, you will learn:

•How to use AI to optimize your LinkedIn profile for maximum visibility.

•Strategies for creating authentic content that resonates with your audience.

•The difference between a “me, me, me” approach and a value-driven content strategy.

•How to leverage LinkedIn Sales Navigator to find podcast guests and clients.

•Why LinkedIn is the most critical platform for B2B entrepreneurs.

Support The Weird Canadian by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/the-weird-canadian

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