Practice Ground

Practice Ground explores how we find meaning as automation reshapes work, creativity, and daily life. Host Nifemi interviews artists, engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and builders about the practices they use to stay grounded in a world that moves faster than we can process. These conversations are shaping a book on meaning in the automation era, coming in 2025. New episodes every two weeks.

Practice Ground is a general podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 8 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Practice Ground, a general show with 8 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #7

  Tony Kipkemboi: "Stop Agentifying Everything" - What AI Builders Keep Getting Wrong | Ep 7

  Jul 23, 202657 minS0

  <p>In this conversation, we explore what most teams get wrong when building agentic systems, how to distinguish between problems that need agents and problems that just need a script, and what Tony's obsessive daily practice reveals about finding meaningful work.</p><p></p><p>Tony Kipkemboi grew up in Kaptagat, Kenya — a small town that produces an extraordinary share of the world's greatest distance runners. He came to the US on a running scholarship, served seven years in the US Army (including frontline COVID-19 research at USAMRIID), pivoted into tech by teaching himself Python during late nights while his fa...

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  Episode #6

  Michael Hendrix: AI Gives You the Most Average Thing - Because It's Based on Averages | Ep. 6

  Jul 8, 202645 minS1

  <p>Michael Hendrix is a writer, author, designer, musician, collage artist, and educator. He spent decades at IDEO, where he pioneered the concept of design sensibilities - the idea that emotional intent, not just methodology, is what separates great design from average design. He's the co-author of "Two Beats Ahead," a book exploring what music can teach the creative process. He now lives in Iceland.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation, we explore how emotional intent transfers from maker to receiver, why constraints are essential to creative freedom, what AI actually produces (and why it's almost guaranteed to be...

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  Episode #5

  John Small: The Human Magic AI Can't Replicate in Good Writing | Practice Ground Ep. 5

  Jun 24, 20261h 2mS0

  <p>John Small is a writer, editor, journalist, and the host of Small Talk a Substack newsletter, podcast, and media business about Gen X culture, creativity, and living with intention.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation, we explore why AI will never replicate the human magic that makes a piece of writing worth reading, what it means to finally write for yourself after three decades of writing for others, and the only reliable way to find meaning in a creative idea.</p><p></p><p>We discuss: </p><p>• [4:20] Why the writers who fear AI are the ones who've nev...

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  Episode #4

  Joe Reis: Finding True North in the Age of AI Abundance | Practice Ground Ep. 4

  Jun 10, 202655 minS0

  <p>Joe Reis is the co-author of the best-selling "Fundamentals of Data Engineering" and a polymath who refuses to be put in a box. He's a data engineer, advisor, entrepreneur, DJ, rock climber, writer, and someone who wakes up every morning to have AI agents build things while he reads. <br /><br />He's launching a publishing company and writing his second book, and he believes we're living through the most exciting creative moment in history.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation, we explore the era of abundance for creators, what happens when the barrier to making things drops to...

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  Episode #3

  Jason Mayden: I'm Creating for Centuries, Not Seasons | Practice Ground Ep 3

  May 27, 202625 minS0

  <p>Jason Mayden is an industrial artist and designer who's spent his career creating products as "future ancient artifacts" - objects meant to be studied by future civilizations. </p><p></p><p>He works with Nike and world-class athletes, but his real work is cultural architecture: documenting brilliance, reclaiming heritage, and ensuring his people's contributions can't be erased from history.</p><p></p><p>In this conversation, we explore why he creates for centuries instead of seasons, how AI amplifies rather than replaces human intuition, and why love remains the only technology that truly matters.</p><p></p><p>We d...

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