Tech Can't Save Us

Literal Humans
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Every week, hosts Paul David and Maya Dharampal-Hornby sit down with founders, CEOs, and innovators at mission-driven tech companies to discuss how tech can help solve the most pressing issues of our time— and how to avoid losing sight of the humans it affects.

  1. Fixing Remote Work Burnout with Steven Puri, Founder & CEO of The Sukha Company

    5D AGO

    Fixing Remote Work Burnout with Steven Puri, Founder & CEO of The Sukha Company

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Steven Puri, founder and CEO of The Sukha Company. Steven has led a fascinating career, transitioning from a high-level studio executive and producer at major Hollywood studios like DreamWorks and Sony to raising $21 million in venture funding across three tech startups. Together, they explore how remote work has broken traditional productivity models and why "presenteeism" and surveillance software are failing strategies for modern leadership. They discuss the foundational challenges of the digital age, where the business models of the highest market cap companies are designed to "steal your life" through behavioral engineering. Steven explains how The Sukha Company acts as an ally in this tug-of-war, helping knowledge workers like designers, developers, and writers reclaim their focus through a "work fitness" approach. The conversation delves deep into the science of flow states, inspired by the seminal work of psychologist Mihai Csikszentmihalyi. Steven shares how Sukha facilitates these states by integrating distraction blocking through a smart assistant that gently checks in when users stray to non-productive websites or pick up their phones. The platform also features curated flow music and naturescapes, such as "Himalayan Dream Rain," designed to help users enter deep work. Furthermore, the app optimizes task management by hiding overwhelming lists and focusing users on their top three goals to reduce cognitive load and paralysis. Steven also offers a vision for the future of white-collar work, predicting that AI will change the workforce by automating routine "paper pushing" jobs and making high-level strategy more essential than ever. He suggests that the most successful leaders will be those who define work by outcomes and the quality of output rather than by time or place. Find more about The Sukha Company here: https://thesukha.coFollow Steven Puri here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-puri/

    42 min
  2. Tackling Waste in Our Homes and Communities with Tessa Clarke, Co-founder and CEO of Olio

    APR 2

    Tackling Waste in Our Homes and Communities with Tessa Clarke, Co-founder and CEO of Olio

    This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Tessa Clarke, co-founder and CEO of Olio, a free app on a mission to tackle waste in homes and local communities. Since its launch in 2015, Olio has grown to over 8 million users who have collectively shared more than 130 million meals and prevented 300,000 tons of CO2 emissions. Tessa discusses how waste has become endemic across society because environmental and social impacts are not factored into business models, making it often more profitable to waste than to prevent. The conversation explores how Olio catalyzes behavioral change by tapping into the primitive human instinct to share precious resources rather than throwing them away. Tessa explains that while most people assume demand is the biggest hurdle, the real challenge is encouraging people to take a few seconds to share an item rather than binning it. To address large-scale surplus, Olio utilizes 100,000 food safety trained volunteers through their "Food Waste Heroes" program to collect unsold food from major retailers like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Iceland for redistribution to neighbors. Paul and Tessa also dive into Olio's growth strategy, which relies heavily on organic word-of-mouth and a network of 50,000 ambassadors who perform hyperlocal marketing. Looking ahead, the company is shifting its focus toward driving demand within the student community and pursuing "surgical" international expansion by partnering with flagship retailers in markets like Singapore. Tessa reflects on her leadership journey from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, emphasizing the importance of showing up authentically and balancing IQ with high EQ to build a truly impactful mission-driven culture.Find more about Olio here:https://olioapp.com/business/Follow Tessa Clarke here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessaclarkeolio/

    35 min
  3. AI Agents for the Next Generation of Channel Partnerships with Leo Crowe, CEO of Souk

    MAR 26

    AI Agents for the Next Generation of Channel Partnerships with Leo Crowe, CEO of Souk

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Leo Crowe, the co-founder and CEO of Souk, a newly launched AI platform transforming how companies build and scale channel partnerships. Selected for Antler’s 2025 London cohort from over 150,000 applicants, Leo brings a wealth of experience from leadership roles at Deel and Papaya Global to solve the age-old inefficiencies of partnership management. They discuss the rising importance of partner-led growth, noting that giants like Salesforce and HubSpot now derive over 50% of their revenue from partnerships. Leo explains why these relationships often fail, citing that historically, 9 out of 10 partners never refer a single lead due to friction in finding, activating, and paying them. Find more about Souk here: joinSouk.comFollow Leo Crowe here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-crowe-457815121/

    33 min
  4. Bringing Modern EdTech to Underserved Schools with Robby Cobbs & Kyle Sumrow of Tech My School

    MAR 19

    Bringing Modern EdTech to Underserved Schools with Robby Cobbs & Kyle Sumrow of Tech My School

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Robert "Robby" Cobbs, CEO and founder, and Kyle Sumrow, director of development at TechMySchool. As the Caribbean’s leading EdTech consulting nonprofit, TechMySchool serves over 40 schools across Puerto Rico, the U.S., and internationally, helping them modernize systems and create student-centered learning environments. They discuss the fundamental disconnect in modern education, where schools often have more technology than ever but feel overwhelmed and underprepared to use it effectively. Robert and Kyle explain how educator hesitation and a "retreat from technology" driven by parental concerns about screen time are shaping the current landscape. Key conversation points include: Individualized Tech Plans (ITPs): How TechMySchool uses a non-judgmental, data-driven approach to diagnose school needs across educational systems, adult learning capacity, and student empowerment. The "Flock Leader" Program: A sustainable model that pays stipends to teachers to step into leadership roles, ensuring schools build long-term internal savvy rather than relying on one-off workshops. The Puerto Rico Context: The unique challenges facing students in Puerto Rico, who often lack access to basic infrastructure like public libraries and enter the continental U.S. workforce several grade levels behind their peers. Leading Through Curiosity: Why the most successful school transformations happen when leadership prioritizes a growth mindset and models a love of learning for their students. Robert and Kyle also share insights from their international careers—spanning from Saudi Arabia to Switzerland—and explain why their "terrible business model" of trying to work themselves out of a job is the most ethical way to support schools. Find more about TechMySchool here: https://techmyschool.orgRobert Cobbs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertcobbs/Kyle Sumrow: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-sumrow-869516183/

    39 min
  5. How Lori is Building the AI Operating System for Patient Stories with Asmaa Bencherif, Founder of Lori

    MAR 12

    How Lori is Building the AI Operating System for Patient Stories with Asmaa Bencherif, Founder of Lori

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Asmaa Bencherif, founder of Lori. Lori is an AI operating system designed to make real-world patient stories and outcomes usable at scale, helping individuals find health products that genuinely work in a crowded and often untrustworthy market. Asmaa shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition and the difficulty of navigating vague online reviews and unverified forums while trying to manage her health outside the doctor's office. They discuss how Lori addresses these challenges by asking the right questions at the right time to generate structured, contextualized feedback from verified buyers. The conversation covers: The Power of Storytelling: How Lori turns personal health narratives into searchable data assets and short-form content for brands. Trust as Currency: Partnering with science-backed companies in sectors like Neurotech, SleepTech, and FemTech to ensure a high standard of proof. Ethical AI & Compliance: Navigating strict regulations to ensure patient testimonials are safe and do not make unsubstantiated medical claims. Intentional Growth: Asmaa’s philosophy on "growing slow" to maintain data integrity and protect the customer relationship during her current £600,000 pre-seed fundraising round. Asmaa also highlights the shift toward direct-to-consumer medical devices and why a trusted filter is necessary to reduce the "trial and error" often experienced by those living with chronic conditions. Find out more about Lori here: https://lori.healthFollow Asmaa Bencherif here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asmaa-bencherif

    34 min
  6. Rethinking the Future of the Internet with Galen Wolfe-Pauly, Co-Founder of Tlon

    MAR 5

    Rethinking the Future of the Internet with Galen Wolfe-Pauly, Co-Founder of Tlon

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Galen Wolfe-Pauly, co-founder of Tlon. Tlon is a company radically reimagining the internet's foundation to create a simpler, more personal computing experience. They discuss the structural flaws of the modern internet, where users rely on centralized identifiers and servers they do not own, leading to issues with privacy, data mining, and a lack of digital permanence. Galen explains how Tlon addresses these failures through a peer-to-peer network of nodes, where every individual owns their own cryptographic identity and "virtual machine". The conversation covers: Digital Sovereignty: Why owning your entire computing stack is essential for building products that truly serve people. Architecture & Longevity: How Galen’s background in architecture influences his vision for digital tools that can last for decades or even centuries. The Tlon Messenger: A look at their current product—a highly customizable, extensible "super app" that allows communities to run their own servers. Craftsmanship in Software: Why the next "battle" on the internet is shifting from mediocre, ad-driven platforms to high-quality, carefully crafted digital environments. Galen also shares the immense technical challenges of building a new programming language and operating environment from scratch and why Tlon’s mission to create software that outlives its creators provides a deeper sense of purpose. Find more about Tlon here:https://tlon.io/ Follow Galen Wolfe-Pauly here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/galenwolfepauly/

    28 min
  7. Reinventing Urban Delivery Through AI Route Optimization with Richard Savoie, CEO of Adiona

    FEB 26

    Reinventing Urban Delivery Through AI Route Optimization with Richard Savoie, CEO of Adiona

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Richard Savoie, Founding CEO of Adiona, an award-winning AI-powered delivery optimization platform that is reinventing how cities move goods. As urban populations grow and delivery volumes explode, the "last mile" has become the most expensive, complex, and emissions-intensive part of the supply chain. They discuss the "cracks" in modern logistics, where the loss of batching efficiency makes individual home deliveries incredibly costly for retailers. Rich explains how Adiona’s AI engine helps fleets deliver up to 87% faster and 50% cheaper by automating complex dispatch decisions that were traditionally handled manually with paper maps and spreadsheets. The conversation covers: The Sustainability Challenge: Why transport is predicted to be the highest single emitting industry by 2030 and the specific difficulties of electrifying commercial fleets at scale. Digital Twins and Simulations: How Adiona uses historical data to help retailers predict driver needs for peak seasons like Black Friday. The "Knowledge" of AI: Moving beyond human limitations to dynamically prioritize deliveries based on revenue and profit margin during disruptions like snowstorms. Growth and Financing: Rich’s journey from failing to raise VC funds for a commuting app to finding success with a mission-driven, debt-financed model for logistics. Rich also shares insights on the psychological barriers to automation in large enterprises and why he believes the convergence of AI, robotics, and quantum computing offers a path toward a better world for the most vulnerable. Find more about Adiona here:https://www.adionatech.com/ Follow Rich Savoie here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/richsavoie/

    35 min
  8. Tackling the Screen Time Epidemic with Connor Mason and Glenn Stephenson, Co-founders of Fluid Focus

    FEB 19

    Tackling the Screen Time Epidemic with Connor Mason and Glenn Stephenson, Co-founders of Fluid Focus

    This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Connor Mason and Glenn Stephenson, co-founders of Fluid Focus, a Belfast-based company rethinking our relationship with technology. With research showing the average adult spends nearly a third of their waking hours—and Gen Z over six hours a day—on their smartphones, Fluid Focus aims to flip the dynamic from tech consuming our lives to tech enhancing them. They discuss the alarming "attention economy" where products are designed to monetize human focus, leading to fractured productivity, increased anxiety, and a "loneliness epidemic" as physical socialization declines. Connor and Glenn share how their background in big tech and corporate consulting revealed a shared struggle: the inability to focus for more than a few minutes without compulsively reaching for a phone. The conversation covers the Fluid Focus app’s innovative approach, which combines: Deep Work Tools: One-click focus sessions that block distracting apps and utilize curated "focus music" from global leader Mindstream to keep users on task. Gamification and Incentives: A system where users earn "Fluid Coins" for focus sessions, which can be used to enter wellness raffles or provide days of education for children through the charity Mary’s Meals. Data-Driven Habits: Passive blocking rules (like "no social media until 10,000 steps") and tracking tools for mood and productivity. Glenn and Connor discuss their strategic move to partner with academic institutions and workplaces rather than competing in the crowded consumer market, aiming to create a "focus operating system" for the modern world.Find more about Fluid Focus here: https://www.fluidfocus.app/Connor Mason:https://www.linkedin.com/in/connor-mason-2b347b128/ Glenn Stephenson:https://www.linkedin.com/in/glenn-stephenson-1297849a/

    39 min
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About

Every week, hosts Paul David and Maya Dharampal-Hornby sit down with founders, CEOs, and innovators at mission-driven tech companies to discuss how tech can help solve the most pressing issues of our time— and how to avoid losing sight of the humans it affects.

Information

  • Creator
    Literal Humans
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    194
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Literal Humans
  • Show Website
    Tech Can't Save Us

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