New Disruptors 50: A Job Isn't a Four-Letter Word

On New Disruptors podcast, our conversations often emphasize the rewards of going it alone. But what if you could achieve your own dreams of continuous learning and creative expression while also having full-time jobs and getting that mythical thing for freelancers–a regular paycheck? I talk with Alli Dryer and Jenni Leder, user interface/user experience (UI/UX) designers, who changed their lives–and those of their husbands—-to bring their lives closer to what they want within the structure of employment. We talk about that most scary of words to your podcast host, a J-O-B, in this episode. On Twitter, find Jenni @thoughtbrain and Alli at @allidryer.

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This episode is sponsored by Cards Against Humanity, a game for horrible people, whether dear friends or total strangers; and TextExpander, a shortcut expander and more that prevents tedious typing in Mac OS X and in iOS.

Things we mention in this episode:

Somebody said, "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture," but it's entirely unclear who it was. I heard it first on a Laurie Anderson album.

As with me, XOXO 2012 changed Alli and Jenni's lives. We all also attended XOXO 2013. I actually saw someone using a Windows 8.1 touchscreen laptop. Jenni and Alli have one husband each, not two collectively.

For inexplicable reasons, Alli helped bring Bacon Soap into existence. She's not even sure why. My subjects are two of the people featured on UI/UX Designers in Fur Hats, a very niche site I developed after seeing multiple pictures of such people in such chapeaus. (Please submit your own.)

Glenn often winds up in the Twitter stony lonesome, the pokey, the big house, the pen, the calaboose — you know, Twitter jail. He tweets a bit too much. Jenni, Alli, and Glenn are all heavy App.net users. Favd is an iOS app that uses App.net for storage, and can cross-post images across multiple services.

Alli is an expert at Cards Against Humanity, and wrote this article on how to win the game. Max Temkin, one of CAH's inventors, was a guest on this podcast in June.

Capptivate captures app interactions using Reflector, an amazing conduit between an iOS device and a Mac or Windows system.

Maple Mark compiles interesting uses of maple leafs to symbolize Canada. The Baselstab (Basel staff) is used extensively in that Swiss city. Jenni volunteered her time to work on Wake Up, because she loved the product and wanted to help the indie designer improve its utility.


The New Disruptors is a podcast about people who make art, things, or connections finding new ways to reach an audience and build a community. Glenn Fleishman is the host, and he talks with new guests every week. Find previous episodes at the podcast's home.

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