Project Pundits Unplugged Pod

In this Season 3 opener, “It’s 2025, Buckle Up,” Jim and Braden return with their signature mix of irreverent humor and sharp insight as they tackle a new era of chaos and change. They catch up on wild California fires, government shake-ups (yes, even those baffling buyout memos), and the relentless march of technological and economic disruption. Expect candid debates on remote work versus the return-to-office mandate, predictions on a potential housing market correction, and even offbeat forecasts ranging from a breakthrough cure to the first irrefutable proof of extraterrestrial intelligence. Strap in and join the ride—2025 is here, and it’s one heck of a journey, Project Pundits style!

In “The Aftermath,” Jim and Braden tackle the wild fallout from a shockingly one-sided election—where even the so-called experts got it all wrong. The guys scratch a post-election itch with a fast-paced, no-holds-barred chat that weaves together unexpected Trump twists, corporate cash conundrums, and even a quirky nod to nuclear power (yep, Microsoft’s eyeing Three Mile Island!). With their signature blend of irreverent humor and sharp insight, they dissect everything from healthcare, immigration, and the tech revolution to the unpredictable ripple effects on everyday business. Buckle up for a candid, laugh-out-loud ride through political pandemonium and the ever-accelerating pace of modern life—Project Pundits style!

Top-Down or Bottom-Up thinking, designing, and planning? Yes. In this episode the guys chat about the importance of both Top-Down and Bottom-Up thinking in project management. If you’re not already consciously thinking about this concept, you definitely should be. In addition there is some current event chat and talk about hemorrhoids.

Everything is a Problem in the latest episode of the Project Pundits Pod. The guys talk about current events (well… current at the time of recording!) and then get into the importance of problem solving, first principles thinking, critical thinking, awareness and more. They also talk about Presidential politics, demo food at Costco, talking in and bringing toddlers to movies, Jack Black, the actor, flat Earth, moon landing, 9/11, Hawk Tuah, Ozempic, Bill Belichick, Connecticut drivers, and more!

And the guys are back tackling Canadian Pre-crime Laws, Free Speech, Compelled Speech, Hate Speech, Braden’s Cranial Scan, and of course the topic of Healthcare and the role of Insurers (and employers) in how the whole darn thing works. You’ll also get talk on Ozempic, South Park, Star Trek Tricorders, Childhood Bullying, Obamacare, MLR, Government Run Healthcare, Bernie Sanders, Single Payer, even more AI talk, Pharmacy Rebate Programs. Religion, Politics, Nationalism – what more could you want in one episode??

In this episode the guys cover some critical current events regarding the FTC’s push to ban Non-Compete Agreements and Congress passing a bill, that President Biden signed into law, that bans TikTok. The rest of the episode is all about consulting. There is a high level discussion of what consulting is (and is not), how organizations leverage consultants, and some other topics that set the stage for future deeper dive discussions (with more Braden eye rolls!)

Artificial Intelligence. AI. Large Language Models. LLMs. Transformers. Virtual Boyfriends. Virtual Girlfriends. Self-driving cars. Automated machines of war. Jim Carrey, Matthew McConaughey, and Ryan Reynolds. Where’s my thumb? This episode is chock full of greatness. Don’t believe it? Just listen! The guys cover AI in a little more depth superficially. That’s right. Don’t understand that statement? Blame AI…

Meetings. Everyone has stories but not everyone has stories about exploding birds and exploding pockets of pus… In this episode Braden and Jim recount some of the weird and funny things that have happened in meetings. And these stories are just the tip of the iceberg…

In the first episode of the second season of the extremely engaging, highly recommended, overwhelmingly entertaining, very close to award-winning Project Pundits Unplugged Pod Braden and Jim talk about jobs. Yes, jobs. Jim talks about a recent experience posting 1 Job and getting over 1,000 applicants in just 6 days… And how weird the job market is as compared to the health of the overall economy.

The guys cover refreshers on applying for jobs on LinkedIn, resume dos and don’ts, and why, unfortunately, even if you get it all right it may not matter. They get into what you really need to do to find and land your next position.

In the Season 1 Finale of the Project Pundits Unplugged Pod the guys put on their detective gear and investigate The League of Lamentable Stakeholders. That’s right, Braden and Jim discuss how to mitigate the disruptive superpowers of 4 key lamentable stakeholders that all project managers (and really anyone who works in corporate America) face in their daily duties. They discuss The Naysayer, The Whatabouter, The Punching Bag, and of course The MBA.
Watch for the visuals (and amazing AI generated graphics and audio), listen for in-depth knowledge (and humor), and send donations in case they get cancelled…
It’s all riding on this episode, the team is banking on your support going into Season 2 of the PPU Pod to battle another set of party pooping serially sucky stakeholders – will you put on your fedoras, join the battle, and forward this episode to your all your colleagues, friends, frenemies, and family? Or will you enable the Lamentables to continue to wreak havoc? The choice is yours…