The Why with James Hsu

RIOT Games Country Manager - Arun Rajappa (Interview)

Arun Rajappa is the Country Manager for RIOT Games India & South Asia. He is also the author of "Failing Well - A Short Book on Product Management." 0:00 Introduction 3:09 Communicating as a leader 5:49 Being in the back vs. front of the room 9:11 Leadership unlocks great products for customers 13:39 Product failure unlocked Arun's true potential 20:14 Finding balance as a parent (or mentor)  23:34 Empathy is about recognizing differences  27:23 Coaching and understanding context 31:09 How Arun improved his listening skills 33:10 Meditation for beginners 40:35 "Four Thousand Weeks" by Oliver Burkeman 46:12 The ultimate meaning of it all 48:59 Why frame the book around "failing well"? 53:52 Process of writing and editing a book 58:12 Getting feedback on the book 1:02:31 On preserving one's legacy Arun on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun-rajappa-bb9a822/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/arun-rajappa-bb9a822/] Arun's book, "Failing Well - A Short Book on Product Management" → https://www.amazon.com/Failing-Well-short-product-management/dp/B0D2LFCQM8?ccs_id=579cebd0-b1c5-4f0e-aed9-c2c7bfd800e4 [https://www.amazon.com/Failing-Well-short-product-management/dp/B0D2LFCQM8?ccs_id=579cebd0-b1c5-4f0e-aed9-c2c7bfd800e4]

BarBend Founder - David Thomas Tao (Interview)

David Thomas Tao is the founder of BarBend, a strength sports content site. David started the company in 2016 and had a successful startup exit in 2023. 0:00 Intro 1:00 David’s background 5:25 The truth about pre- and post-entrepreneur life 6:29 James’s story, mindset on building wealth 9:07 Life after the startup exit 10:52 BarBend origin story 13:07 The hardest things to do as the CEO 15:18 Mistakes were made 21:40 Guilt 22:53 Support system 25:01 Selling the company, transition period, walking away 28:45 BarBend’s legacy 32:06 Today’s fitness content industry 37:37 Journalistic standards 40:06 Advice for younger entrepreneurs 42:38 David and James get real 44:33 David’s family heritage, post-911 feelings

American Conservative & Gaming Content Creator - Dan Campbell (Interview)

Dan Campbell is the co-creator of the "Hobbies + Happiness" YouTube channel, which covers a wide range of tabletop and trading card games.

A Judge In The Criminal Justice System - Noah Weil (Interview)

Noah Weil is a magistrate judge based in Seattle, Washington. I've known Noah for a few years and first connected with him from a shared interest we have in a competitive card game called Magic: The Gathering. I'm honored to have this conversation with Noah to explore his "why."

The Creative Process - Josephine McAdam (Interview)

Josephine McAdam is an actor, performer, producer and streamer. She recently produced and premiered a new film at Gen Con. If there's one overall theme to Josephine's creative output, it's that she's incredibly dynamic and intentional about her craft. Here, Josephine talks candidly about the mental aspect of being an actor/performer, and shares some of her career aspirations. I had a great time chatting with her and I hope you enjoy this conversation.