TJ Pietre | The Future of Design Systems

TJ Pietre | The Future of Design Systems

Mike sits down with TJ Pitre, Product Architect for Design Systems and AI at Figma and the founder of Southleft, a design systems consultancy trusted by teams at NASDAQ, Caterpillar, Indeed, and IBM.TJ explains why sprinkling AI into a design system without proper context creates chaos rather than speed. His framing sticks with you. You are safe while you are walking the AI. The moment it gets ahead of you, you have lost the thread. He walks through FigmaLint, the validator his team built to bulletproof components before handoff, and makes the case that design systems are really just context for the machine.They also get into the reverse design systems workflow that starts from vibe coded products, why Meta's Asterix points at a design system as an API, the Tailwind versus classic CSS debate, and whether off the shelf component libraries still matter.Then the honest agency talk. Loving the work more than the business, giving away your best tools for free, and the million dollar question every founder hits.Topics covered:AI chaos in design systemsWalking or swimming with AIDesign systems as agreementFigmaLint and design system qualityThe million dollar questionEmbrace the cringeWebsite: https://southleft.com────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────────We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Existhttps://coakstudio.com────────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

Pete Sacco | The Bridge Between Humans & Ai

Mike sits down with Pete Sacco, founder and CEO of PTS Data Center Solutions, author of The Bridge and Living in Bliss, and an investor in frontier technology including Extropic and Lemurian Labs. Pete is an ex theoretical physicist turned electrical engineer who has spent nearly three decades designing and building data centers.Pete makes the case that two technologies will define this century. Artificial intelligence, and us. Machines handle optimization, pattern recognition, and the gathering work. Humans handle meaning, judgment, and discernment. He calls it the bridge, and he argues the relationship ahead is symbiotic rather than adversarial.They dig into the history of every technology that unburdened us while quietly building a new cage, why the doomers have been wrong for five hundred years, and the chip that runs at room temperature and is ten thousand times more energy efficient than a GPU.Then the hard question. Where do young people break in when the moat keeps getting higher? Pete has a direct answer.Topics covered:The two pieces of thinkingAI making us smarter, not dumberAI as the next MacintoshThe energy efficiency revolutionTeaching old engineers the new toolsFrom having everything to being miserableWebsite: https://www.petesacco.com────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────────We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Existhttps://coakstudio.com────────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

Chris Fenton | What Does It Mean To Be Valuable?

Justin sits down with Chris Fenton, veteran Hollywood executive and author of Feeding the Dragon. Chris spent seventeen years as president of DMG Entertainment, produced or supervised twenty one films including Iron Man 3 and Looper, and teaches the business of cinematic arts at USC.Chris shares the philosophy that shaped his colorful career. Life is a lottery, so own as many tickets as you can. Every person, every lesson, and every failure is a ticket in the drawing. He and Justin get into chasing opportunity instead of passion, why your network is only worth the currency you can give back, and why money alone will never make you happy.They also dig into the thing every creator wrestles with. Authenticity over clicks, the brutal role of consistency, and why staying true to your mission beats chasing the algorithm.Plus, Chris makes the case for American made film, an industry that employs three million Americans, and his new movie Bad Counselors.Topics covered:Harvesting life's lottery ticketsPursue opportunity, not passionNetworking as the currency of trustMoney cannot buy happinessAuthenticity over clicksConsistency is the key to successWebsite: https://badcounselors.comhttps://fenton-ibsc.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-fenton-chinaexpert/Plate & Ponder Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2dZxONorGM2NHrW2VyixF2?si=de026db061ce46bd────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────────We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Existhttps://coakstudio.com────────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.

Kiko Zang, Founder @ CHOMP | Is Perception Actually Reality?

Justin sits down with Kiko Zang, cofounder and CEO of Chomp, a consumer technology company that captures anonymous human opinion to help people understand themselves and each other. Drawing on a life across four continents and five industries, Kiko blends psychology, technology, and AI to build products rooted in real human behavior. They dig into one of the biggest problems of the digital age. The person sitting next to you lives in a completely different reality, fed by a completely different algorithm, and the platforms have no incentive to bring those worlds together. Kiko explains the wisdom of the crowd algorithm behind Chomp, the difference between what we believe and what we predict others believe, and why every fact was once just an opinion. Then it gets real. Making decisions out of fear, why confidence trumps competence, knowing when to part ways with a cofounder, and how one shared question can bring people back together. If you build products or care about how humans actually connect, this one is a trip. Topics covered: Bridging perception and reality The wisdom of the crowd algorithm Crowdsourcing reality Overcoming fear in decision making Confidence over competence The belief graph that connects people Website: https://chomp.fyi https://www.linkedin.com/in/kikozang/ https://x.com/KayZizzle/ ──────────────────────────────── LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGW Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172 iHeart Radio https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37w SUPPORT THE SHOW Patreon http://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhere CONNECT WITH US LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhere Website https://strictlyfromnowhere.com ──────────────────────────────── FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustin LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/ X https://x.com/cuzzinjustin TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustin Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24 Website https://www.cuzzinjustin.com ──────────────────────────────── FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_cto LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/ X https://x.com/michael_rispoli TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoli Website https://michaelrispoli.com/ ──────────────────────────────── CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakind Website https://www.causeofakind.com LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kind Instagram https://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/ X https://x.com/causeofakind TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakind Newsletter Signup http://eepurl.com/gcc-yj Newsletter Archive https://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627 ──────────────────────────────── OPEN SOURCE PROJECTS CodeDojo https://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-core OCR Ruby GEM https://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/ ──────────────────────────────── COMMUNITY INITIATIVES Long Island Technologists https://www.longislandtechnologists.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networking https://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/ ──────────────────────────────── We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Exist https://coakstudio.com ──────────────────────────────── Brought to you by Cause of a Kind A boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New York Stand up. Show up. Build.

Kim Bode, Founder @ 8THIRTYFOUR | Embrace Your Super Power

Justin sits down with Kim Bode, founder and CEO of 8THIRTYFOUR, a communications and learning company, and the creator of Big Deal Energy. Kim is a Forbes Top 200 PR founder who built her entire company on one idea. People buy from people, not logos.They get into why the billable hour model is broken, how relationships beat transactions every time, and how to stand out without being eccentric. Kim shares the handwritten note habit that has landed her more business than any ad, and Justin explains the two dollar bill he leaves in every pocket.Then Kim tells one of the most jaw dropping survival stories we have had on the show. An embezzlement that nearly destroyed her business, a brutal fight for justice, and how she rebuilt something bigger on the other side. Her motto is tattooed on her arm. Find comfort in the uncomfortable.If you are a founder trying to build something human in an AI world, this one is for you.Topics covered:People buy from people, not logosStanding out without being eccentricHandwritten notes and the two dollar billFrom secretary to CEOEmbracing failure for growthFinding comfort in the uncomfortablehttps://8thirtyfour.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimbode/────────────────────────────────LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMSSpotifyhttps://open.spotify.com/show/1V4SjmlnG2sntDnck8UrGWApple Podcastshttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/strictly-from-nowhere-a-podcast-experiment-by-cause/id1804380172iHeart Radiohttps://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-strictly-from-nowhere-a-po-315649122/YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWAstEyCK6YsKVTTRsQr37wSUPPORT THE SHOWPatreonhttp://patreon.com/StrictlyFromNowhereCONNECT WITH USLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/strictly-from-nowhereWebsitehttps://strictlyfromnowhere.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW JUSTIN ABRAMS | @cuzzinjustinLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cuzzinjustin/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/cuzzinjustin/Xhttps://x.com/cuzzinjustinTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@cuzzinjustinFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/cuzzinjustin24Websitehttps://www.cuzzinjustin.com────────────────────────────────FOLLOW MIKE RISPOLI | @mike_rispoli_ctoLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-rispoli-cto/Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/mike_rispoli_cto/Xhttps://x.com/michael_rispoliTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@mike_rispoliWebsitehttps://michaelrispoli.com/────────────────────────────────CAUSE OF A KIND | @causeofakindWebsitehttps://www.causeofakind.comLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/cause-of-a-kindInstagramhttps://www.instagram.com/causeofakind/Xhttps://x.com/causeofakindTikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@causeofakindNewsletter Signuphttp://eepurl.com/gcc-yjNewsletter Archivehttps://us16.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=847ea1526d6523a41ef1eb5a5&id=48d53e9627────────────────────────────────OPEN SOURCE PROJECTSCodeDojohttps://github.com/Cause-of-a-Kind/code-dojo-coreOCR Ruby GEMhttps://activestorage-ocr-demo.fly.dev/────────────────────────────────COMMUNITY INITIATIVESLong Island Technologistshttps://www.longislandtechnologists.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/long-island-technologists-networkinghttps://www.instagram.com/longislandtechnologists/────────────────────────────────We Build Products, Because We Want Them To Existhttps://coakstudio.com────────────────────────────────Brought to you by Cause of a KindA boutique software development and startup studio from Long Island, New YorkStand up. Show up. Build.