The Remote Work Tribe Podcast

Jessica Malnik

The Remote Work Tribe Podcast is the perfect show for remote-first managers looking to level up their leadership skills. On this show, our host, Jessica Malnik, interviews industry experts to uncover some of the tips, tricks, and lessons around team management. Thank you for listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Jun 11

    The Remote Work Tribe Podcast: Rob Walling

    In this episode of the Remote Work Tribe podcast, we talk with Rob Walling, co-founder of TinySeed and MicroConf and host of Startups for the Rest of Us, and one of the most influential voices in bootstrapped SaaS. We explore what actually matters in a world increasingly shaped by AI, including why taste and judgment may become more valuable than ever, how founders can develop product intuition, why mentorship and battle scars still matter, and what AI is truly changing across software, marketing, and entrepreneurship. Rob also shares lessons from building and scaling SaaS companies, how he thinks about attention and audience building in 2026, and why bringing more of yourself into your work may be one of the most durable competitive advantages you have. If you're a founder, creator, marketer, or builder trying to figure out where AI fits into your work without losing the human skills that matter most, this episode is packed with practical insights and thoughtful perspectives. Notable questions covered: Jessica: "How do people develop taste now that pretty much you're almost expected to use AI first?" Jessica: "How do you get those battle scars if all you've known is AI?" Jessica: "How do you move forward fast enough to build momentum and not constantly start and stop?" Jessica: How do you know what you should be building when anything can be built faster than ever?" Episode timestamps Why Rob started writing again after years focused on podcasting and video. (0:25)Using AI to transform podcast transcripts into newsletter content. (2:02)Why taste matters more than ever in the age of AI. (6:07)Can future generations develop taste if AI creates most content? (8:24)The future of attention, distribution, and human-created content. (11:45)Why bringing more of yourself into your work builds stronger audience connections. (13:18)The future of SEO, authority, and search in an AI-driven world. (15:19)What AI is actually killing and what is merely changing. (18:05)Why entry-level workers face a different challenge than previous generations. (20:18)Mentorship, battle scars, and learning skills in the AI era. (21:00)The story of Rob's son spending $210 on Meta ads to learn marketing. (23:40)Founder coping mechanisms, anxiety, and managing uncertainty. (26:08)Why every founder strength eventually becomes a weakness. (27:50)Childhood experiences, confidence, and entrepreneurial risk-taking. (30:25)How founders build momentum despite anxiety and self-doubt. (32:30)The power of making a series of ever-increasing bets. (33:15)Whether the Stair Step Method still works in the AI era. (35:00)Why so many founders build the wrong SaaS products first. (37:25)How to decide what features to build when AI makes development easier. (39:00)Product intuition, product-market fit, and what AI still can't do well. (39:50)How founders can develop stronger product judgment. (44:05)Lightning round questions. (45:15)The surprising impact of podcasting over 16 years. (46:20)Why YouTube changed how people recognize Rob in public. (48:05) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    50 min
  2. Apr 16

    The Remote Work Tribe Podcast: Kevan Lee and Shannon Deep

    In this episode of the Remote Work Tribe podcast, we talk with Kevan and Shannon, co-founders at Bonfire. We discuss the rollercoaster of starting an agency, finding the best way to utilize their time, management styles, and how to ensure clients receive excellent deliverables. We also chat about the importance of betting on yourself, finding the confidence to do hard things, and evolving from in-house to founder. Episode timestamps: How did they come up with the idea for Bonfire? (0:40).How did they know it was the right time to start their own thing? (4:00).Mindset shifts from working in-house to running a business. (6:39)How did they know they wanted to team up instead of going solo? (9:12)Accountability, structure, responsibilities, and more of starting a company. (12:51)Alignment to make sure the best work gets done. (17:36)Team structure and leadership between two cofounders. (21:07)Knowing what they know now, what would they have done differently? (25:28)Managing people: Giving advice vs. internalizing advice - Shannon. (27:37)Managing people: Giving advice vs. internalizing advice - Kevan. (31:54)What did they learn in-house that has helped them be better founders? (35:27)Pressure working for yourself vs. working for someone else. (38:29)What message would they tell themselves 10 years in the past? (40:55) We hope you enjoy it! Podcast links aroundthebonfire.comTheremoteworktribe.comnewsletter.theremotetribe.comJessicamalnik.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min
  3. Mar 19

    The Remote Work Tribe Podcast: Tyler Hochman

    In this episode of the Remote Work Tribe podcast, we chat with Tyler Hochman, AI Solutions Architect and founder at FORE Enterprise. We cover how AI has raised the baseline for software engineers, what separates average AI users from elite ones, how to build a culture of experimentation inside a company, and more. Episode timestamps: How did Tyler get into AI, and what does FORE Enterprise do? (0:23)The pivot from workplace turnover software to AI architecture firm. (2:23)How AI has raised the productivity floor for software engineers. (5:14)What separates a 60% AI user from a 90-95% one in engineering interviews. (7:23)Hiring for non-engineering roles and how AI changes those job descriptions. (10:23)Big data synthesis as the differentiator for elite salespeople using AI. (13:14)The most interesting AI application Tyler has built: parsing sports footage for scouting. (14:23)How to set internal KPIs and performance reviews around AI usage. (16:23)Using senior management to set baselines and weekly AI education for the team. (17:23)How to keep those baselines from going stale as tools evolve rapidly. (18:23)Building an experimentation culture and what that looks like day to day. (19:23)Tyler's current obsession: image recognition and pixel quality with Gemini. (22:23)Lightning round questions. (24:23) We hope you enjoy it! Links mentioned on the podcast: foreenterprise.comTheremoteworktribe.comnewsletter.theremotetribe.comJessicamalnik.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    27 min
  4. Feb 19

    The Remote Work Tribe Podcast: Nick Gray on Investing

    In this episode of the Remote Work Tribe podcast, we chat with Nick Gray, founder of Museum Hack and author of The Two Hour Cocktail Party. We discuss why founders should build their personal brand, how to start sharing online when you have no idea what to post, Nick's approach to asset allocation and investing, and the $50,000 real estate mistake he learned the hard way. Episode timestamps: How did Nick get into living his life "out loud"? (0:55)Why founders need to build a personal brand. (3:23)The biggest reason founders don't start posting online. (6:29)A simple trick to help anyone start sharing on social media. (7:17)What is asset allocation and why should founders care? (14:09)Nick's investing approach and why he's 85% in stocks. (16:08)The best books and resources for beginner investors. (19:19)The $50,000 real estate deal that went sideways. (22:28)Should founders go all in on the business or diversify early? (25:55)Lightning round questions. (31:11)We hope you enjoy it! Links mentioned on the podcast: The Remote Work Tribe Podcast: Nick GrayTri Peak Holdings: Nick Gray's Family OfficePersonalWebsites.org: Discover Personal WebsitesNick Gray's PersonalWebsites.netPatron View: NYC Donor DatabaseNick Gray: The Personal Home Page of Nick GrayThe 2-Hour Cocktail Party BookPatron View Museum Donor Leaderboardstheremoteworktribe.comnewsletter.theremotetribe.comjessicamalnik.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Remote Work Tribe Podcast is the perfect show for remote-first managers looking to level up their leadership skills. On this show, our host, Jessica Malnik, interviews industry experts to uncover some of the tips, tricks, and lessons around team management. Thank you for listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.