And We Feel Fine with Beth Rudden and Katie Smith

Episode 16 | The Death of the 10x Coder: Empathy, Inclusion, and Tech Leadership with Autumn Patterson

What happens when we stop chasing the myth of the lone “10x coder” and start building engineering cultures rooted in empathy, predictability, and inclusion? In this candid conversation, we go deep with Autumn Patterson—VP of Technology, veteran engineering leader, and trans woman whose journey has redefined what leadership in tech can look like. Autumn shares how she learned to “climb the mountain,” moving fluidly from the details of code to the big-picture vision of business impact. Along the way, we explore: * Why true agility is about context and predictability, not just speed. * The three pillars of engineering stability: due consideration, understanding, and predictability. * How transitioning unlocked Autumn’s empathy and made authentic leadership possible. * The dangers of “10x coders” and cultures that exclude, versus teams that thrive on mentorship and balance. * How AI tools like Claude, Cursor, and Lovable are reshaping engineering work—for better and worse. * Why inclusion isn’t charity—it’s strategy. This episode is for anyone who wants to rethink leadership, connect code to culture, and build systems where both people and products can thrive. Find Autumn: LinkedIn: Autumn Patterson [https://www.linkedin.com/in/autumn-patterson]Quora: (if you can find her 👀) Brought to you by: * Humma [https://humma.ai/] — Empathetic AI™ made by and for the community. * Bast.ai [https://bast.ai/] — Building the trust layer for our AI infrastructure. Listen, subscribe, share — your support keeps these conversations going.

Episode 15 | Decentralizing the Future: Web3, Labor, and Life Beyond Extraction with Crystal Street

In this conversation, we go deep with Crystal Street — Naropa Institute graduate, journalist, photographer, and bridge-builder between the frontline of crypto and the ethics we desperately need in tech. From whistleblowing in Web3 to building decentralized communities in Web3, Crystal brings lived experience, clarity, and a healthy dose of "enough is enough" to our exploration of how technology can serve people, not extract from them. We talk endings and beginnings: * Ending: extractive systems that consume our time, attention, and sovereignty. * Beginning: a return to open, transparent, community-led tech — the promise of Web1 reborn through Web3. Along the way, we dig into: * Why Web2's top-down hierarchies break inside blockchain's organic ecosystems. * Hyperlocal currencies and cooperative governance as lifelines when old systems fail. * Smart contracts — why lawyers side-eye them, and when they're worth fighting for. * How DAOs like JournalDAO are reimagining journalism from the "basement of the casino." * What voting on-chain could mean for real democracy. * The quiet crisis of Gen X in the job market, and why bridges between generations matter now more than ever. Crystal also shares a raw look at the current labor reality — the silent suffering behind the job hunt, the collapse of safety nets, and why reinvention is both a necessity and a skill set we cannot afford to lose. This episode is for anyone who: * Wants to understand Web3 without the crypto bro haze. * Feels the strain of extractive work systems. * Wonder how local communities can take back power from centralized platforms. * Believes transparency and participation should be baked into the systems that shape our lives. Find Crystal: Twitter/X: @CrystalDStreet [https://twitter.com/CrystalDStreet] Podcast: The Human Layer [https://humanlayer.xyz/] Brought to you by: * Humma [https://humma.ai/] — Empathetic AI™ made by and for the community. * Bast.ai [https://bast.ai/] — Building the trust layer for our AI infrastructure. Listen, subscribe, share — your support keeps these conversations going.

Episode 14 | The Revolution Will Be Rested: Why Burnout Isn’t a Badge of Honor

Welcome back to And We Feel Fine—the radically honest podcast about what’s ending, what’s beginning, and how we build systems of care, not conquest. In this episode, co-hosts Beth Rudden and Katie Smith flip the script on self-care—from something commodified and individual to something collective, powerful, and deeply structural. We unpack why real rest is not separate from leadership—it's at the heart of it. From neurodivergent rhythms to exit strategies for grind culture, we explore what it looks like to plan your breakdown, build rituals instead of routines, and stop treating exhaustion like proof of worth. This one’s for anyone who’s held it all together for too long—and is ready to build something better. 🔍 Topics We Cover: * Why “always on” leadership is a dead end * How neurodivergent and queer folks model new ways to rest and reset * What the engagement economy steals from us (and how we reclaim it) * The link between self-care, collective care, and actual system change * Stories of dance parties, breakdowns, and radical boundary-setting 🕰️ Timestamps: 00:00 – When leaders need to fall apart (and why that’s healthy)  05:00 – Neurodivergence, burnout, and boundaries at work  13:00 – “Always on” tech and the addiction economy  20:00 – Redesigning the workplace for psychological safety  32:30 – Building culture with rest, rituals, and care at the center 💥 Sponsors: ⁠Bast.ai⁠ [http://bast.ai] — Explainable, transparent AI that keeps your data yours. ⁠Humma.AI⁠ [http://humma.ai]— Empathetic AI™ that starts with consent builds with community and delivers cultural relevance at scale. 🗣️ Join the conversation: ✔️ Subscribe for more radically honest talk on society, culture, technology and AI  💬 How do you build in breaks, joy, or boundaries? Tell us in the comments  ❤️ Like if you’re ready for a new model of leadership  🔔 Hit the bell so you never miss a new episode  📬 Want deeper dives and behind-the-scenes posts?⁠ andwefeelfine.substack.com [https://andwefeelfine.substack.com/]

Episode 13 | Walking Out, Building Forward: Julia Pahina on Tech, Trust & Tending Systems

Welcome back to And We Feel Fine, where each week we ask what’s ending, what’s beginning—and what it means to build with care. In this episode, Katie Smith and Beth Rudden sit down with Pacific tech leader Julia Pahina for a radically honest conversation about the intersections of technology, culture, and systems change. We talk: * Why ancestral wisdom and relational intelligence belong in AI * How to name capitalism and white supremacy in tech spaces * What it means to “walk out” of harmful systems and create new ones * The invisible labor of systems change—and the trust it requires * Data sovereignty, trauma-informed design, and the power of community-led innovation Julia shares her journey from surviving deep trauma to building systems change across Aotearoa and beyond—explaining why digital futures need care, not conquest. 📍 Follow Julia @lifeofjuliapahina 🔗 Learn more at https://wolfe.studio/Wolfe [https://www.bywolfe.com] and Fibre Fale [https://www.fibrefale.com] This episode is brought to you by: 🧠 Bast.ai — for trusted, explainable AI 💬 Humma.AI — building Empathetic AI™ rooted in consent and community 🎤 About the Hosts Beth Rudden (she/her) is the CEO of Bast.ai [http://bast.ai], a global data scientist and expert in trustworthy, explainable AI rooted in anthropology and care. Katie Smith (they/them) is the CEO of Humma.AI [https://humma.ai/], a privacy-first AI company that redefines technology through empathy and consent. 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe. 💬 What systems are you walking away from—and what are you building in their place?

Episode 12 | The End of the “Big Man”: How Leadership - and Abundance - Are Being Rewritten

The era of the lone genius CEO is over. What’s rising now? Leadership that’s collaborative, culturally aware, and rooted in care. In this episode of And We Feel Fine, co-hosts Beth Rudden and Katie Smith unpack what leadership means in a world shifting from scarcity to abundance—and why it’s not about being in charge, but showing up with empathy, vision, and community. We explore how AI and systems change are challenging old paradigms, and how the most powerful leadership today might come from the most unexpected places. Whether you’ve led a company, a movement, a family—or are still figuring out what leadership means to you—this conversation offers perspective, challenge, and hope. Watch for: * 💥 Why the “big man” leadership model is collapsing * 🤖 How AI could finally center empathy and equity * 🌱 The radical power of long-term thinking * 🏳️‍🌈 How queer, neurodivergent leaders are shifting culture * 📖 Real stories of rebuilding after burnout, and leading differently Sponsors: * Bast.ai — Transparent, human-centered AI that reflects how people really live * Humma — Empathetic AI™ — Made by and for the Community Timestamps: 00:00 – What’s ending and beginning in leadership 06:32 – Scarcity thinking vs. abundance frameworks 13:15 – Community as a leadership engine 24:40 – Burnout, boundaries, and the myth of the hero 33:02 – Redefining what it means to lead—starting today Join the conversation: ✔️ Subscribe for weekly drops on AI, society, and transformation 💬 Share your stories and questions in the comments—we read them all ❤️ Like if you’re ready for leadership that centers care 🔔 Hit the bell so you never miss a bold take 📬 For deeper dives, exclusive posts, and behind-the-scenes:⁠andwefeelfine.substack.com [https://andwefeelfine.substack.com/]