42courses Podcast

Is AI making us smarter or lazier? Chris Rawlinson sits down with his old friend Dave Duarte, who spends his days teaching companies how to actually use AI, to compare notes on what's changed in the last couple of months (roughly two decades in AI years).In this episode:- The daily AI habit that makes Chris more curious- Why talking an idea through beats typing it- Why students' homework marks are rising while their exam marks crash- The hackathon rules that get teams making things instead of talking about them- The Rolls-Royce idea every agency billing by the hour should hearFind Dave: https://www.daveduarte.net/Get 3 months of Wispr Flow Pro free: https://wisprflow.ai/roryGet Weekday Wisdom every Tuesday: https://eepurl.com/dfXIM9AI for Marketers course: https://www.42courses.com/courses/ai-essentialsAll 42courses: https://www.42courses.com

Trust is the thing every organisation says it wants and almost nobody can describe.Dan Bennett runs Ogilvy's behavioural science practice globally and curates Nudgestock, the world's biggest behavioural science festival. This year's theme is Trust Issues, so Chris got him on to take it apart: why trust breaks at an identifiable moment rather than quietly drifting away, what aviation worked out about trusting strangers that the rest of us haven't, why conspiracy theories are a trust story, and whether AI has cleverly rebranded lying as "hallucination".Nudgestock 2026 is on Thursday 17 September at The Fireworks Factory in Woolwich, London. Tickets and the free livestream are at nudgestock.com.Ten of the best talks from past festivals are free at 42courses.com/courses/nudgestock

AI is moving faster than anyone can keep up with, and most people are quietly knackered just trying. In this episode we sit down with old friend and fellow educator Dave Duarte to ask the awkward question: what's actually worth learning when every shiny new tool has the shelf life of a banana? Expect philosophy, paperclip machines, surprisingly creepy smart homes, and a genuinely useful framework for staying authentically human while everything else gets automated.Dave Duarte42courses.com

In this episode, Chris and Conor McCarthy explore the move from standard Chatbots to Agentic AI.If you are trying to figure out how to move beyond basic prompts and build systems that actually do the work for you, this conversation is for you. Conor breaks down the confusion between simple workflows and true AI agents, sharing practical examples of how to automate everything from email triage to complex coding tasks.In this episode, we cover:The 3 Levels of AI Interaction: From basic LLMs to "If/Then" workflows, and finally, true Agentic AI.The "Decision" Factor: How to trust AI to make decisions without you watching over its shoulder.Real-World Wins: How to use agents to fix your inbox and optimise marketing ads automatically.The Tech Stack: A look at "Model Context Protocols" (MCPs) and tools like Lindy.ai and Claude Code.Enjoy the show, and to learn more about AI and other subjects that will help you thrive in tomorrow's work, head to 42courses.com

Why does a vacuum cleaner need a transparent case? Why do Pringles need to crunch loudly to taste fresh? And why are we willing to pay a locksmith more if they take longer to open the door?In this episode, we sit down with the legendary Richard Shotton to discuss his brand new book, Hacking the Human Mind. Unlike his previous bestsellers, Richard flips the script this time, analysing 17 of the world’s most successful brands to reverse-engineer the behavioural science behind their dominance.We discuss:- The "Labour Illusion": Why Dyson proudly advertises their 5,127 failures.- The Curse of Knowledge: Why you are probably communicating poorly with your customers.- Sensory Marketing: How the weight of cutlery changes the taste of food.- The AI Trap: New research on why labelling art as "AI-generated" crashes purchase intent by 61%.Whether you are a marketer, an entrepreneur, or just fascinated by human psychology, this is a masterclass in why we buy what we buy.

What do a NASA engineer, a knuckle duster, and a trip to Uzbekistan have in common?We sat down with creative legend Tay Guan Hin to find out. In this episode, recorded fresh from the historic Silk Road, Tay reveals why playing it safe is officially boring.His new book, Collide, argues that the best ideas don’t come from peace and quiet; they come from smashing things together. Tune in to discover how a failed heat pump accidentally became the Super Soaker, why "imperfect" humans are still cooler than AI, and how to turn a little conflict into a lot of magic.

Is AI a job-killer, or is it the spark for a new creative renaissance? Join Chris (CEO, 42courses), Dave Duarte (CEO, Treeshake), and Conor McCarthy (AI Consultant & Engineer) for a candid conversation about navigating the choppy seas of the AI revolution.In this episode, we move past the doom-scrolling and focus on practical optimism. We discuss why AI is the "fastest depreciating asset humanity has ever invented," how to stop being a "secret cyborg" at work, and why the rise of synthetic media is actually driving a massive return to real-world community events. Plus, we share the simple "two Post-it note" strategy to build your AI muscle memory and debate the distinct "personalities" of ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.If you’re looking for a safe, optimistic place to make sense of the changing world, this conversation is for you.

Why do customers say "no" even when you offer them something for free? And how can simply changing a question double your sales?In this episode, Chris chats with behavioural science expert and Mindworx founder Matt Suchánek. A former actuary turned consumer psychology pro, Matt reveals why the secret to boosting sales isn't about giving people more reasons to buy—it's about giving them fewer reasons to say no.We discuss:🧠 The "Free" Trap: Why a travel insurance giveaway failed (and how psychology fixed it).🍕 The Pizza Experiment: How a simple reframe changed topping orders by 100%.🏄 The SURF Model: A practical framework to decode customer behaviour.🚫 Psychological Reactance: Why pushing too hard kills the sale.🎁 SPECIAL OFFER: Matt is offering signed copies of his new book, The Hidden Yes, plus a special bonus exclusively for our listeners! 👉 Get your copy here: https://www.thehiddenyes.com/42

Why are 95% of us deficient in the one nutrient that could slash our risk of disease by nearly 30%?In this episode, we chat with Chris Read, founder of the health company Indi. Chris breaks down his journey from the world of sleep products to becoming obsessed with nutrition, revealing the shocking truths about the food industry, from hidden "nasty emulsifiers" to the problems with traditional multivitamins.Tune in to discover:The simple power of adding just 7 more grams of fiber to your diet.How to feed your "second brain" and why 90% of your happiness starts there.Actionable tips, like the two-kiwi-a-night sleep hack and what to really look for on a food label.The story behind Indi's "indigenous" ingredients and the mission to make health convenient.Visit Indi at https://indisupplements.com/Visit 42courses at https://42courses.com

How do you turn a funny idea into primetime chatter and global buzz? In this lively episode, Mike Sharman shares the “Holy Trinity of marketing” that still wins today: activation first, scale it digitally, then PR the living daylights out of it. He breaks down how his team spoofed My Octopus Teacher" into the cult hit “My Creepy Teacher,” why curiosity is a superpower, and how to engineer virality rather than wish for it.Find out more about Mike at retroviral.co.zaFind out more about 42courses at 42courses.comWhat you’ll learnThe Holy Trinity that powers modern viral campaigns.How “My Creepy Teacher” went from a Cape Town shoot to a global hit.  How to build successful creator partnerships.How to use obsessive curiosity as a career advantage.Why being “worthy of the news” is the bar that keeps work sharp.