The Long And Winding Answer
Philipp Wolf has spent his career moving between disciplines: software engineering, web development, automotive engineering, journalism, television, film production, entrepreneurship, and now immersive technology. Along the way, he worked on projects connected to productions such as Game of Thrones, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Ghost in the Shell, and Fast & Furious. But this conversation isn't about career achievements. It's about what happens when a late diagnosis forces you to re-examine your entire life. After being diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and giftedness as an adult, Philipp found himself revisiting decades of experiences through a completely different lens. Childhood memories, relationships, school, work, masking, identity, and self-acceptance suddenly started making sense in ways they never had before. In this episode, we explore the realities of late diagnosis, the hidden cost of masking, sensory differences, executive function challenges, and the importance of building environments that allow people to thrive instead of forcing them to fit in. We also discuss Swivel, the company Philipp co-founded to help people experience different perspectives through immersive storytelling and virtual reality. Their mission is simple but powerful: helping people move from judgment to curiosity by better understanding how others experience the world. Whether you're neurodivergent yourself, love someone who is, lead a team, or simply want to better understand human differences, this conversation offers valuable insights into identity, empathy, accessibility, and human potential. TIMELINE 00:00 The shock of a late diagnosis 02:43 Meet Philipp Wolf 04:15 How unexpected connections shape our lives 08:35 Conversations that feel meant to happen 10:00 Discovering autism, ADHD, and giftedness 14:20 An overlooked support available in Canada 15:17 Looking back at life through a new lens 16:16 "You're not a horse. You're a zebra." 16:45 The existential crisis after diagnosis 17:45 The hidden cost of masking 18:35 Why a $120 water bottle changed his life 19:30 Gamification, routines, and self-support 20:00 The five-minute tasks that take months 22:25 Creating environments that actually work for you 23:00 Why showers can be surprisingly difficult 25:30 How COVID disrupted neurodivergent routines 27:30 The origin story of Swivel 29:00 Perspective vs. perception 30:00 Experiencing neurodiversity through immersive technology 32:30 Virtual reality, empathy, and inclusion 35:00 Sensory overload in everyday environments 37:00 Learning to ask for what you need 38:00 Does "neurotypical" even exist? 40:30 The problem with labels 42:00 Thinking in images instead of words 43:50 When your brain moves faster than language 44:20 "This isn't a talent gap. It's an access gap." 46:00 The economic cost of excluding neurodivergent talent 47:15 Leading and supporting atypical teams 49:15 Why many neurodivergent people remain unidentified 50:00 Accessibility benefits everyone 51:00 Conversations are not debates 52:00 Walking in someone else's shoes 52:20 How to support Swivel 53:00 The most important lesson of the episode 54:20 Self-acceptance and human potential 55:20 Closing thoughts
20 episodes
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