This Is Creating

Sara Tavasolian
  • 0.0 (0)
  • Business
  • Updated weekly

SUBSCRIBE FOR HIGH LEVERAGE FOUNDER INSIGHTS How high-impact companies are really built. I'm Sara Tavasolian — founder, interaction designer and tech strategist. Each episode breaks down the trade-offs, decisions and scaling challenges behind the world's most durable ventures across technology, AI and design, focusing on the systems, incentives and capital dynamics that determine who wins. I’ve built startups, designed award-winning products, and created immersive experiences exploring technology, design and strategy. This show is about seeing those patterns clearly before they cost you.

  1. 3 days ago ·  Bonus

    Every Donor Deserves To Know — Here's Exactly Where Your Money Goes | Philip Börjesson

    Philip Börjesson argues that's the wrong question. With 50 million people on nonprofit payrolls and 200 million volunteers globally, the sector is underfunded at the core. Donors still measure overhead instead of growth. A high overhead that doubles your impact every year can beat a lean budget that grows 2% annually. This episode breaks down why the nonprofit sector struggles to innovate, why transparency alone won't fix the trust gap, and what donors should actually be looking at. 👉 “Why Your Donations Don’t Work the Way You Think” Subscribe for more content here:→ https://www.youtube.com/@Tavasolian Connect with me:→ https://www.instagram.com/thisiscreatingpodcast/→ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-tavasolian/

  2. 3 Sept

    How to Become a "Full-Stack Professional" in the AI Era | James "JP" Poulter

    What happens when AI can do the work, but you haven’t had the years of experience needed to know if the work is any good? James “JP” Poulter explains why job obsolescence isn’t only about losing jobs. It’s also about what happens when young people lose the formative years where they learn their craft, build character, and learn how to work with other people. James is an AI specialist, founder of Vixen Labs, and author of AI at Work. He spent 8 years focused on AI and previously worked on emerging platforms and social media innovation at LEGO. He explains: Why the first 5 years of work are about more than learning a job Why AI could disrupt character formation for younger workers Why we need the wisdom of people who worked before AI Why AI has knowledge but not wisdom Why every profession has its own language and why that gives you an advantage with AI Why knowing how to prompt AI isn’t the same as knowing your craft Why FOJO, the fear of job obsolescence, is already shaping how people use AI(00:00:00) Intro(00:00:53) Who Is James “JP” Poulter?(00:02:17) From Social Media to AI(00:03:41) How AI Is Changing Communication(00:06:03) Why Bad AI Experiences Destroy Trust(00:09:01) Do Different Generations See AI Differently?(00:10:04) Why Gen Z Is Worried About Learning the Craft(00:11:16) Will Junior Jobs Disappear?(00:12:14) Which Jobs Are Most at Risk From AI?(00:15:18) Why We Need Character Formation at Work(00:17:27) Do Businesses Have a Responsibility to Hire Young People?(00:20:50) Why AI Adoption Isn’t About Age(00:23:19) Why Mindset Matters More Than Age in AI(00:26:03) Cyborg vs Centaur: How We Work With AI(00:28:03) Treating AI as a Co-Worker, Not Gospel(00:30:10) What Happens to Your Value When AI Does It Fast?(00:32:14) Who’s Responsible for AI Safety?(00:38:49) Are AI Chatbots Designed for Affection?(00:39:56) FOMO vs FOJO: Fear of Missing Out vs Job Obsolescence(00:41:46) Which Roles Will Stay Safe in the AI Era?(00:44:54) How AI Can Elevate Human Creativity(00:46:21) Why Industry Language Gives You an Edge(00:50:44) Why Foundational Skills Matter More Than Ever(00:51:14) What Is a Full-Stack Professional?(00:55:24) Why Wisdom Outvalues Data(00:59:03) Creative Resistance vs Complaining About AI(01:01:13) AI Bias, Global Perspectives, and Local LLMs(01:04:06) How to Future-Proof Your Career(01:06:45) Why Voice Notes Are the Ultimate Way to Prompt(01:10:54) How Organizations Should Roll Out AI(01:15:45) Avoiding AI Burnout as an Entrepreneur(01:16:36) The Best Career Advice JP Ever Received(01:18:13) What JP Believes Now That He Didn't 5 Years Ago(01:19:17) The Hardest Business Lesson and How It Changed Him Follow James:LinkedInWebsiteAI At Work Book Connect & Subscribe:Subscribe on YouTubeInstagramLinkedIn

  3. 3 Sept ·  Bonus

    The Secret Of Standing Out In A Crowded AI Market | Patrik Kägu

    Building AI without watching what's coming next. Patrik Kägu has seen it happen. A company that's relevant today can be gone next week when a faster model drops or a cheaper solution launches. In this clip he breaks down why product market fit in AI is still unsettled and why the bigger risk is assuming you have time to figure it out. Watch now on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts 🎙️ Subscribe for more content here:→ https://www.youtube.com/@Tavasolian Connect with me:→ https://www.instagram.com/thisiscreatingpodcast/→ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-tavasolian/

  4. 16 Aug

    Are programmers being replaced by AI? | Fredrik Scherstén

    Fredrik actually started out wanting to be an airline pilot before he switched paths and went to Chalmers to study engineering. It wasn't until he got into consulting, though, that it really clicked for him: code on its own doesn't mean much if you don't actually get the business problem you're trying to solve. Today he's a CTO leading a senior engineering team, and he decided to go all-in on AI-first development. That move led to a smaller team, way faster prototyping, higher overall output, and they ended up folding UI/UX work right into the engineering team instead of bringing on a dedicated designer. His main takeaway is that engineers have to stop thinking of themselves as just programmers and start acting like problem solvers. Raw code isn't a company's most valuable asset anymore. What really matters now is collective domain knowledge, human judgment and smart prioritisation. In this chat, we dive into why traditional coding tests are pretty much a waste of time, how small senior teams are beating out bigger, traditional setups, why Europe's at risk of falling behind the US and China in AI, and what happens to tech careers when writing code by hand becomes a thing of the past. Make sure to subscribe if you want more conversations like this. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro(01:15) Why a Tech CTO Almost Became an Airline Pilot(03:41) The Moment I Realised Code Isn't Everything in Tech(05:07) Are You an Engineer or Just a Coder? The Tech Identity Crisis(07:09) How We Adopted AI to Double Our Engineering Output(11:40) Why Traditional Coding Tests Are a Complete Waste of Time(13:35) Is a Computer Science Degree Still Worth It in 2026?(15:37) Should Companies Fear AI Tools Stealing Their Code?(18:42) Why We Replaced Traditional UI/UX Roles With AI Prototyping(21:00) Designers vs. Engineers: Who Will AI Replace First?(24:08) The Blind Spots Data and Analytics Can Never Show You(27:21) The Hardest Prioritisation Decisions for CTOs in the AI Era(28:35) Is Europe Falling Too Far Behind US and China in AI?(30:55) Who Is Liable When AI Code Makes a Fatal Mistake?(32:44) The Chanel Bag Effect: Why Human Experts Still Matter(34:07) What Phone Apps and Tech Work Will Look Like in 5 Years(36:56) "I'd Need a New Career": The Pain of Going Back to Manual Coding(40:36) The First Step Every Tech Team Must Take to Adopt AI(42:23) The Best Career Advice for Early Software Engineers(43:17) Buy Bitcoin & Tough Lessons Learned From Building Systems Follow Fredrik Scherstén: LinkedIn Subscribe for more content here: YouTube Connect with me: InstagramLinkedIn

  5. 4 Aug

    Recruitment Expert: I'd Still Rather Talk To A Human Than AI | Jon Jönsson

    Jon Jönsson thought AI would completely replace recruiters. Then he built the tool himself, and that's what changed his mind. He started in sales, then built Sacore, a recruitment firm that runs across 4 Nordic countries. To fix his own hiring bottlenecks, he built an AI sourcing tool. It worked well enough that other agencies started using it too, and that eventually became Instalent. His view: software can handle the sourcing completely, searching billions of people faster than any person could. But you're still left with 2 people deciding if they actually want to work together, and that part stays human. In this conversation we get into how candidates should show up online to actually get found by AI tools, why small recruitment teams can compete with much bigger ones right now, what it took to leave a 9 to 5 and build something from scratch, and where he thinks AI is doing real harm to how people think. Subscribe for more conversations like this. Timestamps(00:00) Intro(01:15) How Candidates Get Discovered by AI Tools(03:11) Why Jon Was Drawn to Sales(04:59) The Most Complex Sale in Business Explained(06:42) Why Jon Changed His Mind on AI Replacing Recruiters(08:37) Why AI Won't Replace Human Recruiters(09:36) How AI Agents Search Billions of Web Profiles(10:35) Portfolio Strategies to Beat Automated AI Filters(12:49) The Biggest Bottlenecks Hurting Modern Recruitment(13:48) How Small Teams Sourcing Talent Outpace Massive Agencies(15:02) When Humans Must Step In Over AI Systems(16:04) Is Automated Screening Less Biased Than Human Recruiters(16:49) Should You Put a Profile Picture on Your CV(18:08) Automating Manual Work Without Losing Human Touch(18:58) How Recruitment Agencies Stay Relevant in Tech Shifts(20:15) How Small Teams Compete With Big Agencies(22:26) Will AI Agents Make It Harder to Get Hired(23:31) Leaving a 9-to-5 to Build a Business from Scratch(26:38) The Hardest Realities of Running a Startup(28:56) How Founders Land Their First Paying Customers(30:03) The Single Best Advice for Early Founders(31:15) What Five Years in Business Taught Me About Reality(32:24) The Risk of AI Replacing Critical Thinking FollowJon Jönsson on LinkedInInstalentSacore Subscribe for more content here:YouTube Connect with me:InstagramLinkedIn

  6. 14 Jul

    Why the Future of Design Needs Human Judgment | Ziqq Rafit

    What happens when you're offered a quarter-million dollars to build a dream project—and you walk away from it? Early in his career, design leader and educator Ziqq Rafit did exactly that. He realized a hard, uncomfortable truth that most builders ignore: "Sometimes, not designing anything is much better than designing something that will cause more harm than good." In a world completely obsessed with hyper-growth, shipping products at lightning speed, and automating everything with AI, Ziqq is an advocate for the industry's missing variable: true human judgment. As an alumnus of the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London, and now a lecturer teaching hundreds of future designers at the Singapore Institute of Technology, Ziqq has watched the industry shift from physical architecture to digital UX, and now to bleeding-edge AI governance. In this incredibly honest chat, Ziqq breaks down how to navigate the messy intersection of tech, ethics, and business without losing your mind or your integrity. ✨ Subscribe to the channel for interviews with world-class leaders and innovators! Timestamps (00:00) How Ziqq first got into design (Making design documentaries)(02:23) Designing for human experience: Core intentions across disciplines(03:41) Childhood roots: Living in stories, double A batteries, and picking Interaction Design(07:11) UK vs. Singapore: Navigating design maturity and vendor dynamics(10:09) The AI Revolution vs. The 1980s Desktop Publishing Revolution(13:06) The "Judgment" gap: Why engineers need UX designers to evaluate prototypes(14:32) The modern designer's shift from maker to industry gatekeeper(15:59) The Contrarian Hook: Turning down a quarter-million dollars for a third-world project(19:06) When good intentions backfire: Why projects like PlayPumps fail local communities(23:26) The A-B-C Framework of Design Ethics (Alignment, Best Practice, Consequences)(26:52) Managing bias and data audits in AI hiring tools(27:12) Reframing AI: Treating algorithms like interns under human oversight(30:36) The Ultimate Advantage: Building Emotional Intelligence (EQ) over Artificial Intelligence(33:42) AI adoption anxiety: Managing job redesign and human friction in organizations(36:43) Legacy data vs. real value: Ziqq's response to raising hard questions as a designer(38:30) Where is the future of design headed? Fluid disciplines and complex problems(42:55) Transitioning from physical architecture to the digital building world(44:44) Reversing explainability: Forcing students to critique AI outputs(48:09) Career advice to his younger self: The power of finding a mentor early(49:34) Overcoming the "Starving Artist" mindset: Reframing money as sustainable energy(51:51) The hardest lesson learned about human connection and building trust Follow ZiqqLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ziqq-rafit/Website: https://www.ziqq-rafit.com/ Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@tavasolian?si=HA472eJP7FAGUu3B Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saratavasolianLinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/sara-tavasolian

  7. 22 Jun

    Finance Expert Reveals His Secrets To Financial Clarity | Hassan Zaman

    Most founders are flying blind with their money — chasing growth with no clue what runway they have or what bills are coming. That's the problem Hassan kept seeing in commercial finance, so he built Flocast: a tool giving startups real, clear visibility into cash flow, runway, and financial decisions. Hassan shares why cash flow is misunderstood, how he went from corporate finance to founding his own fintech, and the lessons he's learned along the way. We talk about: Why "leaving it to the accountant" gets founders in troubleWhen to start paying attention to your numbersMaking finance feel less scaryHis biggest hiring mistake (and the lesson)How to land your first real customersWhat investors actually care about in your financialsBuilding better financial habits as a founderHassan is honest about leaving a stable job, building a product from scratch, and why financial clarity is one of the biggest advantages a founder can have. Timestamps (00:00:00) Intro(00:00:21) How Hassan started his entrepreneurial journey(00:01:53) The birth of Flocast and solving the cash flow problem(00:02:52) The moment Hassan realised founders needed better financial visibility(00:04:27) Why founders struggle with understanding finance(00:06:27) Making finance simple and founder-friendly(00:08:06) When should founders start paying attention to cash flow?(00:10:06) Leaving a finance career to become a founder(00:12:45) The reality of moving from a 9–5 to entrepreneurship(00:15:18) Knowing when it's the right time to leave your job(00:16:41) Does having a family change the founder journey?(00:19:00) Why experience can become an advantage when starting a company(00:21:54) Biggest fears when building Flocast(00:22:24) The power of mentors and networking(00:24:48) How to overcome the fear of reaching out to people(00:27:41) Building confidence as a founder(00:30:31) Hassan's biggest startup mistake(00:34:13) How Flocast found its first customers(00:38:26) How Flocast helps founders understand cash flow and runway(00:41:28) Why accountants don't always provide business advice(00:43:31) Why investors and VCs are interested in financial visibility(00:46:43) Fundraising lessons: what investors really want(00:50:02) The future of Flocast(00:51:10) The advice Hassan would give his younger self(00:52:14) What Hassan believes now that he didn't before(00:53:34) The hardest lesson learned as a founder(00:54:57) Moments when he wanted to quit(00:56:30) Finding the first investor in an unexpected place(00:56:52) Final thoughts and advice for founders Follow Hassan ZamanFlocast: https://flocast.co.ukLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hassan-zaman-a1404198/ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@TavasolianIG: https://www.instagram.com/thisiscreatingpodcast/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-tavasolian/

  8. 10 Jun

    How to find your purpose | Christophe El-Khoury

    Struggling to find purpose beyond career success? In this clip, Christophe El-Khoury shares the question that guides his decisions and helps him stay focused on what matters the most. Listen to the full episode for a deeper conversation on purpose, business, and personal growth.

See All (21)

About

SUBSCRIBE FOR HIGH LEVERAGE FOUNDER INSIGHTS How high-impact companies are really built. I'm Sara Tavasolian — founder, interaction designer and tech strategist. Each episode breaks down the trade-offs, decisions and scaling challenges behind the world's most durable ventures across technology, AI and design, focusing on the systems, incentives and capital dynamics that determine who wins. I’ve built startups, designed award-winning products, and created immersive experiences exploring technology, design and strategy. This show is about seeing those patterns clearly before they cost you.

Information

  • Creator
    Sara Tavasolian
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sara Tavasolian
  • Show Website
    This Is Creating