Wake Up Excited!

Scott Jenson joins Brad to chat about how UX designers thrive in ambiguity and why wrestling with confusing, failing experiments, especially around AI, can signal real progress. The conversation covers open source’s multiplier effect, the need for sustainable funding, and Scott’s work with Mastodon. Jenson also describes practical AI value for prototyping and coding, while emphasizing nuance, trust, and asking questions over online pile-ons.

Topics:
  • (00:00) - Why Ambiguity Excites
  • (06:33) - Designers and the Messy Unknown
  • (10:45) - Tech vs Capitalism
  • (14:23) - Compromise and Stability
  • (18:29) - Fixing Social Media Conversations
  • (28:50) - Persistence and Craft Over Time
  • (36:29) - Open Source as a Model
  • (39:48) - Mastodon and Lowering Costs
  • (46:54) - Consulting and Client Trust
  • (52:38) - Designers vs Programmers
  • (01:08:02) - Open Web vs AI Incentives
  • (01:15:51) - Music Picks
  • (01:19:22) - Where to Find Scott Jenson

Links:
◉ Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin
◉ The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
◉ Finding Nemo (Pixar, 2003)
◉ Jurassic Park (1993)
◉ Die Hard (1988)
◉ Pluribus (Apple TV+)
◉ Take Five – Dave Brubeck (Time Out album)
◉ Fleeting Future by Aksumi
◉ Sax Pax for a Sax by Moondog

Creators and Guests

Host
Brad Frost
Creator, web designer & developer, teacher, consultant, speaker, writer, musician, & artist. Author of Atomic Design. Enthusiasm enthusiast.
Guest
Scott Jenson
Product Strategy Advisor to Mastodon Core team. Previously UX Strategy: Apple System 7, Newton, and Apple Human Interface guidelines.

What is Wake Up Excited!?

Inspiring conversations with exuberant humans about how to live a creative, fulfilling, and authentic life. Hosted by enthusiasm enthusiast, Brad Frost.

We experience a brief moment of truth when we first wake up in the morning. Before the cold shower of reality, our infinite to-do lists, and macro-level woes seize our consciousness. We experience a brief moment of excitement — and this pure moment tells us something important about ourselves.

There are people out there who seem to move through life with intention, authenticity, creativity, kindness, and enthusiasm. And they do this despite the deeply inperfect world we inhabit. This podcast is an attempt to learn from these people.

Through wide-ranging conversations, Wake Up Excited explores guests' passions, interests, enthusiasms, and philosophy of life.