Afleveringen
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Before Inside Job’s upcoming profile with Lori, a tax prep accountant working with high-net-worth clients, Aaron and Matt sit down to unpack the bigger question behind the story: what is AI really doing to the way we work?
From entrepreneurs pushing AI tools to their limits, to employees constrained by company systems, to younger workers learning through models instead of mentors, this conversation explores the strange middle ground we are living in right now. AI can feel magical one minute and frustrating the next. It can save hours of work, but it can also make us wonder which skills we are quietly giving up. -
What happens when the future of surgery starts to feel less like science fiction and more like a cockpit?
In this Inside Job reaction episode, Matt and Aaron revisit their profile of Dr. Alex Fondaw, M.D., and bring in Dr. Alisa Coker, M.D., Director of Robotic Surgery and Education at Dell Medical School, to unpack how robotic surgery is changing the operating room.
Dr. Coker explains why surgical robots are not exactly new, how the da Vinci system has evolved over more than two decades, and what it actually feels like for a surgeon to sit at the console and operate with robotic arms. She also gets into the tension between open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgery, the training challenges facing the next generation of surgeons, and why the human surgeon is still very much in control.
It is a conversation about technology, trust, patient care, and professional identity at a moment when AI and robotics are reshaping the way people work. For surgeons, the question may not be whether the machines are coming. They are already here. The bigger question is how humans learn to work with them. -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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What happens when one of the world’s oldest professions begins learning entirely new tools?
Today, Matt talks with robotic surgeon Dr. Alex Fondaw to explore how surgery is quietly transforming in the age of artificial intelligence. But this conversation is about more than medical technology. It’s about what happens when tools evolve faster than training, when human expertise becomes harder to teach, and why the future of work may depend less on replacement and more on how professionals adapt alongside increasingly intelligent machines.
Contact us if you have a story to share, whether it’s your current role, your job search, feedback on a particular episode, or ideas for future conversations, we want to hear from you. You can contribute anonymously or join us as a featured guest.
*Inside Job is a podcast about work told by the people who actually do it. Hosted by Matt Sunbulli
Engineered & Edited by Joe Deshano
Executive Produced by Aaron Calafato -
Inside Jobs Reacts: Host Matt Sunbulli and Executive Producer Aaron Calafato unpack the emotional, ethical, and economic questions emerging from the worker stories behind today’s rapidly changing AI economy — and the headlines reshaping modern work in real time.
This episode, after profiling two workers caught inside the new AI economy, Matt and Aaron come back together to unpack what the shows last two profile episodes reveal about work, automation, and the growing uncertainty surrounding the future of employment.
One worker made nearly $70,000 a year training AI models while still in college. Another spent nearly two decades inside the hidden world of AI data annotation. Together, their stories expose the largely invisible human labor helping build today’s artificial intelligence systems — and the unsettling reality that many of those same workers may now be vulnerable to disruption themselves.
In this episode:
The hidden human workforce behind AI training
Why general AI annotation work is disappearing
Microsoft buyouts, layoffs, and the larger anxiety surrounding AI automation
The growing fragility facing both young workers and seasoned professionals
Whether AI is truly “assisting” workers or quietly replacing tasks altogether
Why the modern economy feels productive and unstable at the same time -
In this episode, Matt Sunbulli (Host) steps inside the hidden world of AI work through two different stories. First, we meet Krista, a longtime AI data worker who has spent more than a decade doing the invisible labor behind recommendation systems, chatbots, generative AI, facial recognition, and data labeling. From her living room in Michigan, Krista explains what it really means to chase tasks across platforms, weigh pay rates against ethics, and live with the instability of work that most people never see.
Then we meet Isaiah, a Northwestern student who stumbled into a $50-an-hour job training AI. What began as a vague recruiter message turned into rent money, long hours, and a front-row seat to how quickly AI models learn. For Isaiah, AI wasn’t just a headline or a threat. It was a job.
Together, their stories reveal the human workforce behind artificial intelligence: the data workers, AI trainers, taskers, reviewers, and invisible laborers teaching machines how to talk, reason, see, and respond.
*Inside Job is a podcast about work told by the people who actually do it. The show is Hosted by Matt Sunbulli, Executive Produced by Aaron Calafato and is a proud member of the YAP Media Network. -
Host Matt Sunbulli and Executive Producer Aaron Calafato introduce this new podcast series.
Reach us at: https://www.insidejobpodcast.com/ -
The team digs through the archives of The Lonely Office and notices a pattern: even as work keeps changing, human nature doesn’t. From AI-driven layoffs to the strange new reality of job searching, Aaron, Matt, Leah, and Ken revisit some of the show’s most revealing conversations about meaning, work, and what might come next.
Important Note from the TLO team:
Hey TLO listeners, for those who enjoyed our bonus series Ask a Recruiter, that conversation is still going. This spring, find AAR live on Glassdoor's LinkedIn and YouTube, where hiring managers, career coaches, and talent leaders give you real talk on the job market - and ask your questions in real time. To be notified, follow us on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/glassdoor
Also, 50 years working at a 7/11, bro gets an email -
Are you embarrassed to work for your company?
In this episode of The Lonely Office, we revisit a story about loud quitting, corporate misalignment, and the tension between survival and integrity in today’s workplace. As ESG debates, layoffs, and corporate reputation shape the 2026 work landscape, we explore how employees decide where their moral line is — and what it means when a job starts to feel like a liability.
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
Why does workplace satire hit so hard? And why does corporate language feel… strangely terrifying?
In this episode of The Lonely Office, we talk with Henry Marken, Director of Social Media/Content Creator at Wunderfan and viral creator known for blending sports fandom, comedy, and office culture.
We unpack how corporate culture trains people to wear masks, and why comedy becomes a kind of survival mechanism. Along the way, we explore what sports pain teaches us about work, how AI is reshaping careers, and why authenticity feels harder inside big organizations.
Special Guest:
Henry Marken
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
Why does applying online feel so frustrating even when the data says it works? The TLO team team talk with career strategist Madeline Mann again. This time about why most applications get buried, how referrals and sourcing really drive hiring, and what job seekers can do to cut the line and get noticed.
Special Guest:
Madeline Mann
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
Jared's answering Slack messages from a cabana in Tulum, mouse jiggler running, calendar blocked just enough to avoid suspicion. This episode of The Lonely Office explores the rise of “quiet vacationing,” why nearly half of workers admit to doing it, and what it reveals about trust, PTO, and modern workplace culture. Is this a clever workaround—or a sign something deeper is broken at work?
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
In this Best of 2025 special, The Lonely Office revisits the conversations that helped job seekers make sense of a new normal—where old career rules broke down and new ones quietly took shape. From power versus status, to remote work as negotiation, to AI’s real impact on hiring, these moments cut through the hype and name what’s actually happening beneath the headlines. Not shortcuts or silver bullets—just sharper language, better frameworks, and a little more agency for navigating work when certainty is gone. This is a great episode to recap 2025 and get ready for 2026!
*Guests Featured
Alison Fragale — Organizational Psychologist, Author & Professor of Management
Daryl Fairweather — Chief Economist, Redfin
Jeremy Schifeling — Founder and CEO, The Job Insiders
Madeline Mann — Career Coach and Founder, Self Made Millennial
Nick Bloom — Professor of Economics, Stanford University
Phyl Terry — CEO and Co-Founder, Never Search Alone
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
Job seekers today are told to “network harder,” but what happens when networking fails to nepo hires? Also is networking just nepotism with better branding? In this episode, we break down why the line between the two and why in the current job market that line is blurrier than ever.
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
A young attorney finds herself trapped in a workplace where the expectations keep shifting and the finish line keeps moving. Her story mirrors what so many job seekers are facing in 2025: disappearing opportunities, unclear roles, and leadership that prioritizes itself over its people. In this episode, Matt, Aaron, and Leah break down how to recognize these red flags early and how to safeguard your career before you get stuck running someone else’s race.
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
Layoffs are rising, AI is being blamed, but the data doesn’t agree. Challenger reports the highest October cuts since 2003 with AI as the #2 reason, while Yale’s 33-month BLS analysis finds no real disruption in high-AI-exposure jobs. We break down the confusion, the “AI layoff boomerang,” and why companies still struggle to get actual ROI from AI.
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
A new trend is spreading through Silicon Valley’s AI startups as job seekers are being sold “hard mode” as a badge of honor. What began as a protest against overwork in China has quietly become a recruitment pitch in America, with some companies normalizing 80-hour weeks as proof of passion and purpose. In this episode, Aaron, Matt, and Leah unpack the rise of the 9-9-6 culture, the strange mix of ideology and ambition driving it, and whether burnout has become the new benchmark for success. Because if working nonstop is the future of innovation, who’s really winning?
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
Job searches are dragging on longer than ever with endless applications, ghosted interviews. Maybe it’s time to stop waiting for someone to hire you… and start hiring yourself.
This week, TLO cohost and serial entrepreneur Matt Sunbulli shares the mindset and the literal script for turning frustration into a startup idea. We talk about why job hunts have become endurance tests, the rise of accidental entrepreneurs, and what it really takes to make the leap from job seeker to founder.
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
In a recent memo AT&T's CEO declared the company had “shifted away” from employment elements rooted in loyalty. Chief Correspondent at Business Insider, Aki Ito, breaks down how the employment contract has collapsed and what “strategic loyalty” looks like when the relationship becomes purely transactional.
*Read Aki Ito's article about The Future of Loyalty
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
Everyone’s using AI. in therapy, at work, even at the doctor’s office. Yet, we still avoid talking about it. AI has become the invisible collaborator behind so much of modern life, but it remains taboo to mention at work and in most public settings. In this episode, we explore the culture lag between private use and public admission and ask: when will saying “I used AI for that” sound as normal as “I used Google”?
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato -
What happens when AI makes average work cheap? How do you stay valuable when AI commoditizes the very skills that once made you special? We explore how comparative advantage, a 200-year-old economic idea, explains today’s career dilemma: when to double down on your craft, when to pivot, and how to uncover the strengths machines still can’t copy. Plus, why narrowing your focus might be the most empowering move in an age obsessed with doing everything.
Hosts:
Matt Sunbulli
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunbulli/
https://www.firstdraft.vc
Aaron Calafato
Listen to Aaron's 7 Minute Stories Podcast
Leah Ova
Follow Leah on TikTok
Editorial:
Matt Sunbulli
Brooks Borden
Ken Wendt
Senior Audio Engineer:
Ken Wendt
Research:
Matt Sunbulli
Zaid Safe
Aaron Calafato - Laat meer zien
