Code Red by Red Swan

"Scrum masters and hackathon enthusiasts will hate us." In this episode of Code Red: Technology, Madness, and the Future of Humanity, hosts Ursula Eysin, CEO of Red Swan, and Silicon Valley’s Chris Kalaboukis, tackle a hot question in the world of corporate innovation: Are hackathons a real innovation driver, or just corporate theater? You’ll be surprised by their take on what really goes on behind the scenes at these events—and why they often fail to deliver results. 🚨 Key points: → Hackathons Unmasked: Why most hackathons are more about optics than actual innovation. →The Innovation Black Hole: What happens to great ideas after the event, and why so few make it out alive. →Employee Frustration: How poor communication kills motivation and leaves employees burned out. →Agile & Scrum: Friend or Foe?: The real reason why these frameworks often lead to mediocrity, not breakthrough ideas. →Why Innovation Fails: The dangers of short-term thinking and why long-term vision is the only way to drive true change. →Internal vs External Innovation: Why companies spend millions on outside startups instead of leveraging their own creative talent. 🎙️ Ursula and Chris dig into real-world examples and share their experiences working with top global companies, offering fresh perspectives on how to break the cycle of stagnant innovation. 👉 Subscribe for more no-BS discussions on the future of technology and how it shapes humanity! 💬 Join the conversation: Have you participated in a corporate hackathon? Share your experience in the comments! #Innovation #Hackathons #TechPodcast #FutureOfWork #HumanCreativityUnleashed

In this episode of Code Red - Technology, Madness, and the Future of Humanity, Red Swan CEO Ursula Eysin and former Head of IP Innovation at Yahoo, Chris Kalaboukis, dive deep into the age-old question: Why can't AI handle our everyday chores yet? From robots that can’t set the table or do the laundry to AI taking over white-collar jobs, we explore the irony that AI seems to replace the people who deemed themselves irreplaceable, not the ones they looked down on. 🤖 Key Discussion Points: →Why AI dominates the virtual world but still struggles in the physical realm →The myth of AI replacing blue-collar jobs—turns out, it’s coming for white-collar workers first →How junior programmers and lawyers are at risk of being displaced by AI →The future of trades—welders and plumbers are becoming the true untouchables →Why CEOs might get fired before janitors in the age of AI 🛠️ Are Trades the New White-Collar? Discover how AI's limitations in manual labor mean that physical work is more valuable than ever. While AI might outsmart your office job, it still can’t fold your laundry! 🚨 Call to Action: Worried about your job’s future? Want to learn how to future-proof your career in this rapidly changing world? Reach out to Ursula for your personalized future creation at office [at] redswan.at. 🔗 Subscribe for more Code Red episodes exploring the intersection of technology and humanity. Follow Code Red by Red Swan here on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

And don't forget to join our free Substack community (https://substack.com/@coderedbyredswan) for more insights. #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfWork #AIJobs #CodeRedPodcast #TechnologyAndHumanity #AIinBusiness #WhiteCollarVsBlueCollar #TheValueofTrades #RedSwan #FutureCreation

🧠 Welcome to the digital age, where attention spans have shrunk to the size of a TikTok video. In this episode of Code Red - Technology, Madness, and the Future um Humanity, Chris Kalaboukis and I dive headfirst into the phenomenon we're calling "TikTok Brain"—a state of mind where anything longer than 15 seconds feels like a marathon. But don't worry, we promise this episode will hold your attention for more than a blink. 📲 What's Happening to Our Minds?Are we witnessing the downfall of deep thinking? Or is this just evolution in action, speeding up to match our scroll-happy thumbs? In today’s chat, we explore how TikTok is rewiring our brains, making us crave instant gratification like a toddler with an iPad (because who has time for patience these days, right?). 🎧 Highlights in this Episode: ▶Why focus is now a luxury item (available only to those who can stay off social media for more than 10 minutes). ▶The surprising science behind why your brain loves—and hates—TikTok. ▶Tips for reclaiming your attention span, or at least stretching it to a solid 30 seconds. 🤔 Spoiler Alert: By the end of this episode, you might just be convinced that the next big thing in self-help will be a "how to focus" course taught in 7-second soundbites. But at least you’ll have fun getting there. 🛑 🔗Call to Action: Before your attention wanders off to the next trending dance challenge, hit that Subscribe button and turn on notifications so you never miss an episode here on Spotify, Youtube, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts from. Also, don't forget to join our free Substack community (https://substack.com/@coderedbyredswan) for more insights. 🖋️And if you can focus long enough, drop a comment below—tell us if you think “TikTok Brain” is a real thing or just another overhyped trend. ♥️ Isolated we are weak. Together we are strong. So, let’s connect. I am happy to hear from you. (office (at) redswan.at) #TikTokBrain #AttentionSpan #DigitalAge #Podcast #SocialMedia #Focus #DigitalDetox

The modern workplace, much like Queen's iconic song, is "Under Pressure." 🎶 Existential angst has always been present, but rapid advancements in AI, massive layoffs by tech giants, and the isolation of digital meetings have introduced new fears—fear of obsolescence and fear of dying alone in our offices, unnoticed. 😨

In this episode of Code Red: Technology, Madness, and the Future of Humanity, we tackle the harsh realities of tech's dehumanizing grip on the workplace:

▶People are trained like machines, only to be threatened with replacement by machines. The solution? Refuse to act like machines. 🛑

▶An anecdote from a future-of-work scenario workshop reveals how digitization can lead to complete isolation.

▶The psychological toll of acting like robots and how it increases the risk of being replaced by actual robots.

▶The constant state of overwhelm in digital workspaces and its impact on our humanity.

▶How C-level executives’ refusal to make decisions reflects a deeper systemic issue.

Join Ursula Eysin, founder & CEO of Red Swan (www.redswan.at), and co-host Chris Kalaboukis, a Silicon Valley-based inventor and philosopher, as they explore these pressing issues and offer solutions to reclaim humanity in an increasingly mechanized workplace. 🎙️

👉 Key Topics Covered:

▶Existential angst in the modern workplace

▶Impact of AI and tech layoffs

▶Isolation from digital meetings

▶Strategies to refuse acting like a machine

▶How to actualize untapped human potential

▶Overcoming constant overwhelm and decision paralysis

▶Future-proofing your job by fully embracing human potential

🔗 Don't forget to subscribe for more insights and join our free Substack community (https://substack.com/@coderedbyredswan) and follow Code Red by Red Swan here on Spotify, YouTube, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts from!

♥️ Isolated we are weak. Together we are strong. So, let’s connect. I am happy to hear from you. (office (at) redswan.at)

#UnderPressure #DehumanizingTech #TechWorkplace #AI #Automation #HumanityAtWork #CodeRedPodcast #RedSwan #UrsulaEysin #ModernWorkplace #PodcastEpisode #TechIndustry #FutureOfWork #ThinkFuture

🤩Oh, social media—those wonderful platforms that use intermittent reinforcement patterns to keep us blissfully addicted. Their algorithms? Totally transparent and unchanging...just kidding! They change all the time, like capricious, moody lovers who sometimes give us attention, care, affection, or validation—when they feel like it. Who doesn't love the thrill of never knowing if we'll be rewarded or punished next? 🤯This delightful inconsistency is carefully cultivated to keep us hooked, much like someone with an anti-social personality disorder. Yes, you heard me: it’s ANTI-social, not social. But hey, who cares if it's as addictive as heroin and just as detrimental, right? 🎧🎬In this month’s episode of the Code Red Podcast, join Chris Kalaboukis and me as we explore the addictive behaviors driven by anti-social social media platforms. We also delve into four different future scenarios for the evolution of social media. 💡What do you envision for the future of social media? Which of these scenarios resonates with you the most, and how can we work together to make it a reality? 👇Share your thoughts in the comments ♥️. 💬Do you know three people who would also enjoy the content? Then please share it with them, it would mean the world to us and support our work. Image: (R)Xaver Kettele & Chris Kalaboukis Video: (R)Xaver Kettele for Red Swan Music: AudioJungle ----- 🎯If you're eager to take charge, break through barriers, and envision future scenarios for your business, I've got a great tool for you: it's called future scenario thinking. Developed by the U.S. Air Force back in the 1940s, this technique dives deep into what drives decisions, helping us understand the root causes and mechanisms behind them. It's all about working together to shape the future we really want. 🫶This approach brings what's lurking in your subconscious to the forefront, helping you gain clarity, craft a long-term vision, and make confident choices. When we're intentional about our decisions, everything shifts dramatically in our experience. 💌I work with courageous individuals with an open mind for a different view who are brave enough to change the world by starting with themselves. ⚓Need help navigating through the process? Or just want to chat to see if it's the right fit for you? Reach out to me at ursula.eysin (at) redswan.at. 👉Read more about the process here — it helps to break through barriers and gain a competitive edge: www.redswan.at 🚩A word of caution: This could lead to a total pivot in your business.

With over 75 million users worldwide, Tinder might be a hidden gem for recruiters. 18% of people on Tinder are in fact open to job opportunities. And 30% of millennials are using dating apps for networking. That's right! Tinder's not just for finding love anymore—it's a hotspot for making professional connections. That makes 58% of HR experts believe unconventional methods like Tinder can snag you the right candidates.

In this conversation with former Yahoo! Head of IP Innovation, Chris Kalaboukis, I discuss opportunities and risks of swiping right for labor. What do you think? Is swiping right for labor a promising strategy or a failing love-affair? Let me know in the comments. In any case, I wish you a wonderful day, my dear friends. ♥️ ----- 🔗👉: If you like this, you can get the monthly Code Red Podcast directly into your inbox by subscribing to the free Code Red Substack community. It would mean the world to us and greatly support our work to see you there: coderedbyredswan.substack.com ♥️

I certainly don't. How about you?

As a European, indulging in our rich food culture is so important to me that I clearly say, 'Get your robotic hands off my food.' But can Chris convince me that the 3D-printed pizza is a good idea?

-------- Modern high-tech kitchens offer a plethora of options, from liquid nitrogen-infused drinks to lab-grown burgers to ultrasound-modified spices. 3D printers have made their way into the culinary world as well, creating intricate chocolate art that transforms patisserie into miniature masterpieces.

However, the idea of a 3D-printed pizza from NASA may not appeal to everyone. What amounts to a quantum leap on Mars isn't necessarily a big step for humanity.

As many cultures understand very well: Coming together to cook and dine is about much more than just getting food into your body. It’s a social event to connect and bond with other people.

So don’t let robotic high-precision machines take all pleasure out of your meals and enjoy La Dolce Vita together with your fellow human beings!

3D printers are a fascinating invention in their own right with highly useful applications. Just think of all the rare spare parts we can now print easily.

However, keep your robotic hands off my food! -------

------ 🎧🎬I hope you enjoy this month’s episode of Code Red: Technology, Madness, and the Future of Humanity. The monthly podcast for people who are pissed off about technology going rogue, want to do something about it, and wish to use technology in a positive way to create a better future for humanity.

🎯If yes, I would love you to also join our Substack Community at coderedbyredswan.substack.com ♥️.

In any case, I wish you a wonderful Sunday, my dear friends ♥️. I hope you enjoy it with friends and family, indulging not only in delicious food but also in deep human connection.

To the life you want to live!

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🎯💡If you'd like my help to develop future scenarios for a new product you want to develop or launch (I hope it’s not a 3D printed Pizza 😅), just toss me an email (office (at) redswan.at) and we'll chat about the options including open scenario workshops, in-house work-alongs with your team, one-on-one sparring for you, or monthly scenario sessions for your company regularly.

👉Read more about it here: The Red Swan Monthly Future Scenario Sessions.pdf

💌 Would you like me to navigate you through the process? Or even just chat to see if it is right for you? Get in touch with me: ursula.eysin (at) redswan.at.

⚓We work with courageous business leaders, team captains, and individuals with an open mind for a different view who are brave enough to change the world by starting with themselves.

♥️Thank you for your bravery.

--------- 🎬 Video, design concept & production by the incredibly talented Red Swan Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Xaver Kettele (🙏😊); photos&footage: Unsplash🎵 music: audiojungle

As we sail into the end of March, most New Year's resolutions are long forgotten and it's time for a reality check. Ready to grab life by the horns?

23% of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions one week into the new year. 43% quit by the end of January.

The new habit they wanted to form, all the exercise they said they intended to do, the diet that always starts tomorrow… Let’s face it: New Year’s Resolutions just don’t work. They never will. And technological devices are putting fuel into the fire.

In this Code Red Episode Silicon-Valley based 354-fold patent holder Chris Kalaboukis and I discuss why and what to do about it.

💭There is a difference between dreamers and doers. The cheap dopamine hits dreamers rely on don’t work long-term. They destroy your life. You want the real deal—you want to reshape the future instead.

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I hope you enjoy this month’s episode.

🎯If yes, I would love you to also join our Substack community♥️: https://substack.com/profile/33842661-red-swan?utm_source=profile-page

To the life you want to live, my dear friends ♥️.

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🎯💡If you'd like my help to develop future scenarios for your business, just toss me an email (office (at) redswan.at) and we'll chat about the options including publicly open scenario-workshops, in-house work-alongs with your team, one-on-one coaching for you personally, or monthly scenario sessions for your company, etc.

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🎬 Video, design concept & production by the incredibly talented Red Swan Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Xaver Kettele (🙏😊); photos&footage: Unsplash

🎵 music: audiojungle

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♥️ If you like, you can read the Code Red column which was the basis for our conversation here: https://open.substack.com/pub/coderedbyredswan/p/new-years-resolutions-dont-work-and?r=k5d5x&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web.

Many people think AI is a recent invention. But it’s not. In 2026 it will turn 70 years old. But autonomous cars are new, right? Also, not. The first driverless car hit the roads of New York in 1925 – that’s almost 100 years ago. In this brand new podcast episode Silicon-Valley based 354-fold patent holder Chris Kalaboukis and I talk about The Hype, the Myths, and Little Pieces of History of Artificial Intelligence. I hope you enjoy this month's episode of Code Red: Technology, Madness, and the Future of Humanity. The monthly podcast for people who are pissed-off about technology going rogue, want to do something about it, and wish to use technology in a positive way to create a better future for humanity. 🎯If yes, I would love you to also join our Substack community to get new episodes and columns directly into your inbox: https://coderedbyredswan.substack.com?utm_source=navbar&utm_medium=web&r=k5d5x 🎬 Video, design concept & production by the incredibly talented Red Swan Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Xaver Kettele (🙏😊); photos&footage: Unsplash 🎵 music: audiojungle ♥️ You can also read the written Code Red column, which was the basis for our conversation, if you like: https://open.substack.com/pub/coderedbyredswan/p/ai-and-autonomous-cars-are-not-new?r=k5d5x&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web 🎯💡If you'd like the Red Swan team's help to develop future scenarios for your business or any other topic, just toss us an email (office (at) redswan.at) and we'll chat about the options including publicly open scenario-workshops, in-house work-alongs with your team, one-on-one coaching for you personally, or monthly scenario sessions for your company, etc.

I wish you a good day, or a good night, and in any case, a good life, my dear friends ♥️.

What is the path to real, sustainable success in the crazy startup world? There is certainly no one-size-fits-all recipe for this, but in this Code Red episode titled "Modern-Day Gladiators: Diving With Sharks and Fighting With Lions in the Startup Arena" former Yahoo! Head of IP Innovation Chris Kalaboukis - currently running 9 businesses - and Red Swan CEO Ursula Eysin (www.redswan.at) discuss useful ingredients for success.

We hope you enjoy this month’s episode, our dear friends ♥️.

🎯💌 If yes we would love you to join our Code Red Substack Community to get new episodes directly into your inbox ♥️: coderedbyredswan.substack.com

🎬 Video, design concept & production by the incredibly talented Red Swan Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Xaver Kettele (🙏😊); photos&footage: Unsplash

🎵 music: audiojungle

🎯💡If you'd like our help to develop future scenarios for your business, just toss us an email (office'at'redswan.at) and we'll chat about the options including publicly open scenario-workshops and panel discussions, in-house work-alongs with your team, one-on-one coaching for you personally, monthly scenario sessions for your company, etc.

With good reason, we find it difficult to relinquish control to technological devices. This is particularly evident in the idea of self-driving cars, but even small things, such as the refrigerator that automatically restocks milk without being asked for it, meet with resistance.

Human beings are creatures of free will and staunch defenders of our own agency.

And any technological advancement that fails to acknowledge this essential human trait is doomed to fall short.

Further more: Trying to define the future based on yesterday's data is never a good idea.

Very welcome to the Code Red: Technology, Madness, and the Future of Humanity. The monthly videocast for people who are pissed-off about technology going rogue, want to do something about it, and wish to use technology in a positive way to create a better future for humanity.

In Episode 3, I discuss why nobody seems to want the undead autonomous refrigerator that promises to automatically reorder milk for 20 years. I delve into this topic with Chris Kalaboukis, a Silicon Valley-based tech luminary, futurist, innovator, inventor, writer, and idea-generating machine.

How did I come across the refrigerator story?

Nearly two decades ago, I attended a talk by a bright-eyed researcher who impressed the audience with tales of an intelligent refrigerator that could – almost unbelievably – reorder milk all on its own. I was impressed, too. Fast-forward 18 years, and I find myself seated in the same auditorium, listening to the same researcher touting the same revolutionary appliance. The autonomous fridge, it seems, is still a milk-ordering powerhouse. Yet somehow this miracle product has failed to catch fire in the marketplace.

What happened? Did it fall prey to lactose intolerance?

Unlikely.

Since then, other “intelligent” assistants have joined the refrigerator in its endeavor to restock consumer goods: From the Amazon Dash Button to Alexa to Google Home and beyond, an army of devices now stands at the ready, poised to reorder not just milk, but a dizzying array of goods and services. And yet, even in this era of hyperconnectivity, no one seems to want the poor autonomous refrigerator.

I hope you enjoy this month’s Code Red Videocast episode entitled "Honey, the Refrigerator Reordered Milk, Again!", my dear friends ♥️. 

🎯💌 Subscribe to Code Red to get the new episodes directly into your inbox ♥️: coderedbyredswan.substack.com or follow us on YouTube @coderedbyredswan

🎬 Video, design concept & production by the incredibly talented Red Swan Vienna Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Xaver Kettele (🙏😊) 

🎵 music: audiojungle

🎯💡If you'd like our help to develop future scenarios for your business, or any other topic, just toss us an email (office@redswan.at) and we'll chat about the options including publicly open scenario-workshops and panel discussions, in-house work-alongs with your team, one-on-one coaching for you personally, monthly scenario sessions for your company, etc.

In this Code Red Episode we discuss the incredible story of Google Glass tracing back to an Austrian R&D project back in 2004 and how one of the Austrian team members became Google's head of Google Glass.

Austrian Professor Alois Ferscha describes his work with the "Spectacles" project as both his greatest success and his greatest failure. The project was a collaborative effort between Ferscha's team at Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz and the Austrian eyewear manufacturer Silhouette, resulting in the creation of a pair of cutting-edge data glasses back in 2004. 

As Google Glass, the technology became a world sensation - without Prof. Ferscha's involvement.

👓As early as 2003, Professor Alois Ferscha and his team of researchers at JKU began toying with the idea of creating a computer built into eyeglasses. A year later, they partnered with Austrian eyewear manufacturer Silhouette to bring their vision to life.

🔚In 2007, the prototype of the data glasses was completed. But then the project came to an abrupt end because Silhouette had other challenges to overcome and could not bring the product to market.

🏁Google, on the other hand, could!

✨In 2013, a member of Professor Ferscha's former Spectacles research team presented the technology from back then in Zurich, Switzerland. Only in his presentation, it was called Google Glass. And he was now heading the Google Glass division at the world's largest search engine company.

💭In Code Red Episode 2 we discuss this Google Glass Story with 354fold patent holder Chris Kalaboukis who was running Yahoo!'s innovation program for five years and explains that a team at Yahoo! had also developed similar technologies in 2007.

🎯💌 Subscribe to Code Red to get the new episodes directly into your inbox ♥️: coderedbyredswan.substack.com

🎬 Video, design concept & production by the incredibly talented Red Swan Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Xaver Kettele (🙏😊)

🎵 music: audiojungle

🧨“To disrupt” means “to tear apart,” “to divide,” or “to destroy.” Sounds brutal? It is. It’s about creating something new through destruction.
💥“Traditional business models, products, technologies, services, and entire industries and markets are to be destroyed, upended, and revolutionized. A disruptive innovation is supposed to completely displace the old.”

💡Since this famous postulate by the Austrian-born political economist Joseph Schumpeter, the creative power of destruction fascinates people in the technology world as much as in business.
🤔But what many fail to notice: Most of the time, the creative power lies not in destruction, but in creating something new. 
🧾And it is not at all easy to destroy something that's already out there - like once a tax is in place it never goes away 😅 - , as my fantastic Code Red co-host, Silicon Valley based tech luminary, futurist, innovator, writer, philosopher, and idea generating machine Chris Kalaboukis (https://thinkfuture.com/) explains in this very first Episode of Code Red - Technology, Madness, and the Future of Humanity.

♥️: Join our Substack community for updates on the written Code Red Column as well as our monthly podcasts at https://coderedbyredswan.substack.com/

🎬 video concept & production by my great Red Swan Vienna Chief Creative Officer Xaver Kettele (thank you Xaver😊) 

🎵 music: audiojungle