Daring Creativity. Daring Forever.

Russ Mashmeyer's journey from fine art student to Meta's AI Product Design Director reveals the unexpected connections between creativity and code. Growing up in suburban Georgia where "everything was new," Russ found himself drawn to New York's layers of history, studying fine art at NYU before joining a touring indie band called The XYZ Affair. What began as building Flash websites for his band evolved into a career defining how we interact with technology. Now leading Meta's Pathfinding team, he explores rapid prototyping of AI-powered products, helping designers and creators understand AI not as a replacement for human creativity but as an accelerant for bridging skill gaps.Russ brings a unique perspective to AI development, viewing it through the lens of cultural history—from photography's disruption of fine art to desktop publishing's transformation of graphic design. He argues that AI models deliver "mediocre, average expected results" by design, making human taste, perspective, and cultural awareness more essential than ever. Key TakeawaysSoftware as artistic medium requires the same creative intuition as traditional fine art, just expressed through different tools and faster feedback loopsThe best preparation for emerging fields is developing insatiable curiosity about how things work rather than mastering specific technical skillsCultural and historical context matters more than ever in AI development—understanding what resonated with people before helps predict what will matter nextAI models are designed to produce average results, making human taste, lived perspective, and cultural relevance the differentiating factors in creative work"Naïve optimism"—the mindset of "how hard could it be?"—is essential for innovation, especially in spaces where no one is an expert yetChildren benefit enormously from watching adults play, fail with smiles, and create together, normalizing creativity as a lifelong practiceEvery major technological shift creates cultural upheaval, but society consistently figures out how to metabolize new tools and elevate them to art formsThe most powerful use of AI raises the floor of competence in areas where you have skill gaps while you remain exceptional in your core strengthsTreating your first band like a startup teaches essential lessons about entrepreneurialism, feedback loops, and creating products people loveNew technology succeeds when it serves human intent rather than replacing human creativity, becoming a tool that unlocks what people inherently want to doBuilding in public fields where no one is an expert yet levels the playing field—depth of historical knowledge matters more than technical seniorityThe transition from planning perfect UIs in Figma to sculpting functional prototypes with AI represents a fundamental shift from drawing to three-dimensional creationEmergent capabilities in AI models—features that weren't explicitly designed—mirror how creative misuse of instruments led to entirely new musical genres Daring Creativity. Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | [email protected] Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

A short bonus episode showcasing a few stand out moments from this week's guest interview with Lauren Hartstone of Sibling Rivalry ~ Daring Creativity. Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | [email protected] Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

Lauren Hartstone is a Creative Director and Partner at Sibling Rivalry, where she's spent the past decade mastering the art of fusing brand architecture with compelling storytelling. From creating iconic title sequences at Imaginary Forces to revolutionizing sports graphics, her journey reveals how creative fearlessness and systematic thinking can transform entire industries.Growing up with a market research executive father and artist mother, Lauren developed an understanding of both human behavior and visual expression. Her obsession with David Fincher's Se7en title sequence led her to Imaginary Forces for five transformative years. At Gretel, she experienced a humbling moment of having to step back and learn systematic branding. Becoming a mother of two fundamentally shifted her leadership approach—embracing merged work-life roles rather than separation.Now revolutionising sports graphics, Lauren's admission of knowing nothing about the sector became her greatest asset. Her philosophy centers on finding stories that already exist, working smarter as a leader, and maintaining excitement about possibility even after decades in the industry.Key moments: Merge branding with storytelling: The most powerful work happens when systematic brand thinking meets emotional narrative craft—they're not separate disciplines but symbiotic forces that strengthen each otherThe story is usually already there: Stop searching for manufactured insights and bigger concepts outside—the most authentic and resonant stories often exist within the brand, the people, or the culture you're trying to representStrategic fearlessness beats safe permanence: Brands hold back from bold creative choices because they fear permanence, but campaigns are ephemeral—there's more power in being willing to take expressive risks that can evolve over timeFresh perspective is your superpower: Not knowing a sector intimately isn't a weakness—it's an opportunity to bring new eyes, question conventions, and offer what you do best without being constrained by industry dogmaLeadership shifts from hours to impact: As you grow into creative leadership, especially as a parent, your value transforms from volume and hours worked to vision, clarity, and the ability to work smarter and fasterKeep work and life merged, not separated: The stress of maintaining rigid boundaries between creative passion and family responsibilities can be replaced by flexible integration—showing your children what creative work looks like teaches possibilityStay excited about where things could go: After decades in the industry, maintaining genuine enthusiasm for "there's so many places this could go" at the start of each project keeps creativity alive and prevents complacencyFind where you feel your best self: Long-term creative fulfilment requires finding the team, the environment, and the work that allows you to stretch, learn, feel confident, and be authentically yourself. Daring Creativity. Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | [email protected] Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

A short bonus episode showcasing a few stand out moments from this week's guest interview with Luke Woodhouse of RaggedEdge ~ Daring Creativity. Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | [email protected] Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)

Luke Woodhouse, Executive Creative Director at Ragged Edge, shares his 15-year journey from a four-person studio to a 40-person powerhouse creating category-defining brands. This conversation explores the evolution of branding from nice websites to transformative digital ecosystems, revealing what it takes to create work that generates immediate business impact. Luke discusses major projects including Wise's global rebrand and Solflare's bold cryptocurrency positioning, explaining how Ragged Edge works with clients who are "confident in the unknown" to create brands that users adopt and celebrate. He shares practical insights on keeping concepts loose while opinions stay strong, collaborating deeply with in-house teams, and why getting comfortable with uncomfortable is essential for breakthrough creative work.Key takeawaysSelf-selecting clients are the best clients—when you stand for something bold, people who share your mindset will seek you out rather than needing convincingKeep early concepts rough and loose to invite client collaboration, which prevents teams from becoming too precious while helping clients feel ownership of the directionThe concept should be the creative director, not personal opinions—focus on communicating the core idea in the strongest way possible rather than aesthetic preferencesTesting for distinctiveness matters more than testing for likability—brands need to stand out, and uncomfortable feelings toward something new are often positive signalsBuild real-life relationships at project kickoff and during initial concepts when ideas are most delicate and nuanced conversations determine directionDeep collaboration with product and in-house design teams three-quarters through the project helps stress-test brand elements and find the balance between disruption and usabilityCase studies that explain why and how, not just pretty pictures, are crucial for winning new work because people love ideas and storiesSeparation of self-worth from work is essential—celebrate talented people pushing hard while maintaining a "no ego" approach where the work is what mattersDifferent means new, new means unfamiliar, and unfamiliar is uncomfortable—getting comfortable with this discomfort is where breakthrough creativity livesThe trend toward agency and in-house teams working as one unified team will continue growing, leveraging client expertise on their business to get great work launched Daring Creativity. Daring Forever. Podcast with Radim Malinic daringcreativity.com | [email protected] Books by Radim Malinic Paperback and Kindle > https://amzn.to/4biTwFcFree audiobook (with Audible trial) > https://geni.us/free-audiobookBook bundles https://novemberuniverse.co.ukLux Coffee Co. https://luxcoffee.co.uk/ (Use: PODCAST for 15% off)November Universe https://novemberuniverse.co.uk (Use: PODCAST for 10% off)