Podcast
The Crazy One
Hosted by Stephen Gates · EN
The Crazy One is an award-winning podcast for creatives, leaders, and anyone who refuses to settle. Hosted by renowned designer and global design leader Stephen Gates, this show delivers unfiltered honesty, actionable insights, and hard-won wisdom to help you grow your creativity, lead with confidence, and build a meaningful career.
With over two decades leading world-class design teams at companies like InVision, Citi, Starwood Hotels, WW, and McCann Erickson, Stephen has built brands and digital experiences for clients including Disney, American Airlines, W Hotels, Verizon, Acura, and more — work that’s earned over 150 international awards and has been featured by Apple in 10 keynotes, 4 commercials, and the Human Interface Guidelines.
Now as the founder of CRZY, an independent strategy and design studio, he’s helping companies find bold new visions for their brands, experiences, and creative futures. Through The Crazy One, he shares everything he’s learned along the way — from integrating behavioral science with human-centered design to navigating imposter syndrome to building a career and creative life on your own terms.
With over 100 episodes and a loyal global audience, The Crazy One has been named:
• Webby Award Honoree for Best Technology Podcast
• #1 Podcast by Inside Design, HOW Design Live, and Springboard
• 5-star rated across every iTunes Store worldwide
This is more than a design podcast. It’s a wake-up call. A masterclass. A real-talk guide for finding your voice, owning your crazy, and changing the game.
No BS. No buzzwords. Just real insights from someone who’s been there.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Ep 146 AI: Premortems, Because A.I. Won't Wait for a Retrospective
1w ago00:26:17Tap to summarizeThe "ship it, fix it later" playbook was already broken. AI just made it catastrophic. Post-mortems assume you have time to observe, adjust, and course correct. AI has collapsed those timelines, and the damage isn't waiting for a retrospective.In this episode, Stephen argues that pre-mortems aren't a luxury anymore. They're the only way responsible teams can keep pace with and scale AI-assisted work. He walks through six questions every team needs to answer before any project where AI touches the workflow — not as a checklist, but as the conversation you have before the pressure hits.Stephen anchors the argument in a core frustration he's named on the show before: most teams are in the consequence business without ever acting like it. From the Pokémon Go failures to the output-obsessed cultures that celebrate shipping as success, the episode makes the case that individually good decisions can still add up to collectively disastrous outcomes.This one is for any team using AI in their work who hasn't yet had a real conversation about what happens when it goes wrong.In this episode:Why the post-mortem era is over — and what has to replace itThe six pre-mortem questions every AI-assisted project needs answered upfrontHow to map the blast radius before you're in a war room during a crisisThe headline test: writing the failure story before the project startsWhy agreeing on non-negotiables is the easy part — and holding to them under pressure is the real workWhy AI is a culture problem, not a technology problem — and why this episode is the proofSend us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Transcribe →Ep 145 Creativity: Stop Asking AI to Agree With You
2w ago00:17:03Tap to summarizeYou've turned the most powerful thinking tool in history into a yes-machine — and it's making your ideas weaker without you even realizing it.This episode is about a fundamental shift in how you use AI. Not a new tool, not a better prompt library — a completely different posture. Most people learned to use AI the same way they use Google: ask for an output, take the answer, move on. That habit is quietly eroding your thinking. AI is trained to be helpful, which means it's trained to agree. If you keep asking it questions you already know the answer to, all you're getting back is your own assumptions dressed up in more confident language.The fix is treating AI like a sparring partner, not an assistant. That means building the discipline to ask the questions you don't want to ask — the ones that pressure-test your ideas before the room does it for you.In this episode:Why AI's confidence is the dangerous part — it states wrong things with the same authority as right onesThe sparring partner model: how to shift your posture toward AI so you get genuinely better thinking out of itFour types of challenge prompts: failure, assumption exposure, data validity, and pre-mortem — and exactly how to use each oneWhy most people skip this step (hint: it's not because they don't know how)A 15-minute exercise you can do today with any idea you're working onThe people who will be dangerous with AI aren't the ones using the best tools. They're the ones asking the best questions. This episode is for anyone who wants to be one of them.Send us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Transcribe →Ep 144 AI: Your Company Decided Your Value Before AI Existed
3w ago00:22:41Tap to summarizeAI didn't build the case to replace you. It just gave companies the tool to finally act on a decision they'd already made.In this episode, Stephen Gates gets brutally honest about what's actually happening underneath the wave of creative layoffs — and why asking "is AI going to take my job?" is already the wrong question. Using a framework he's shared with teams and mentors for over fifteen years, Stephen maps out the four quadrants that determine your real value inside any organization: human-led execution, AI-led execution, AI-amplified strategy, and human-led strategy — and explains exactly why where you sit in that grid matters more than any performance review, portfolio, or title ever will.He also goes back to the moment that changed how he thinks about all of this: getting laid off while his work was running globally in an Apple commercial. Good work isn't enough. Great execution isn't enough. What matters is what gets said about you when you're not in the room.This is an uncomfortable episode — but it's the one you need to hear.In this episode:Why AI gave companies cover fire, not a new ideaThe four-quadrant framework for understanding how leadership actually thinks about your roleWhy "do you value design?" is the wrong question to ask your leadershipThe question that will actually tell you where you standWhat to do if you don't like the answerSend us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Transcribe →Ep 143 AI: AI Isn't a Tool Problem. It's a Culture Problem.
4w ago00:23:14Tap to summarizeFour years into running CRZY, Stephen has watched AI go from an interesting experiment to an organizational crisis that almost nobody is naming correctly. The problem isn't which model you're using. It's not your stack, your workflow, or whether you've got the right prompts. The problem is culture — and most leaders are treating it like a hardware upgrade.In this episode, Stephen breaks down the most urgent shifts he's seeing inside teams and companies right now: why being "output drunk" is quietly destroying careers and brands, why speed is the new debt, why the organizational pyramid is flipping — and what happens to an entire generation of creative professionals if we don't start solving for that. He also gets into the practical: what you review in meetings, how you hire, what you kill, and why pre-mortems need to replace post-mortems before it's too late.This isn't a conversation about AI tools. It's a conversation about survival — and it's one almost nobody is having yet.Send us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Transcribe →Ep 142 AI: The hidden cost of plausible, almost-right work
Apr 1500:20:40Tap to summarizeAI and cheap tools have given everyone the ability to produce work that looks professional, sounds credible, and feels like the real thing. The problem? It isn't. In this episode, Stephen introduces the term Plausible Noise — the growing layer of almost-right work that's quietly eroding quality standards, collapsing accountability, and making it harder than ever to defend the value of real expertise. He breaks down how it's breaking organizations, why experts are partly to blame, and what you can actually do about it.Send us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Transcribe →Ep 141 Design: A bigger strategy behind Apple’s Liquid Glass?
Jun 1800:14:12Tap to summarizeStephen finally breaks the seal on AI — not with a prompt tutorial or workflow breakdown (he’s got a YouTube video for that), but with a deeper dive into the real conversation: how AI is shaking the creative industry to its core.From WWDC buzz to Liquid Glass backlash, this one’s not about UI drama — it’s about system strategy. Stephen unpacks Apple’s latest moves through a deeper lens: unified design, AI readiness, and what it really takes to build future-proof experiences. Because this moment isn’t just about skeuomorphism making a comeback. It’s about Apple quietly setting the stage for a smarter, more integrated creative ecosystem — and what that signals for the rest of us.Why design decisions at Apple are never just about designThe real story behind Liquid Glass (and why most people missed it)How systems thinking reveals the future of AI integrationWhat creative leaders can learn from Apple’s long gameThis one might age like milk — or prove prophetic. Either way, it’s a must-listen.Send us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Transcribe →Ep 140 Keynote: 'Bet on Yourself" BeMore Festival 2025
May 7, 202500:57:05Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates shares the lessons learned from his journey of leaving corporate America to start his own agency. With over 20 years of experience across industries, Stephen dives deep into the tough decisions that led him to bet on himself. He talks about embracing the fear of failure, navigating imposter syndrome, and overcoming the challenges of creative work in a corporate culture that doesn’t always value it. Whether you’re considering going out on your own, struggling with self-doubt, or just looking for a way to reconnect with your creative passions, Stephen’s story offers valuable insights and actionable advice to help you take the next step in your career. Tune in for a candid conversation about the challenges and rewards of betting on yourself and turning your passion into your profession.Send us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Transcribe →Ep 139 Career: The Hard Truth About Creativity’s Role in Business Today (and Yesterday)
Apr 26, 202500:17:22Tap to summarizeThis one’s part wake-up call, part battle cry. After too many sleepless nights and too many same-old conversations, Stephen Gates climbs up on the soapbox to call out the hard truth: if you’re shocked by the state of the design industry right now, you haven’t been paying attention. From AI disruption to undervalued creativity to toxic corporate cultures, this episode breaks down the brutal reality creatives are living in—and why we need to stop hoping for change and start building it ourselves.Stephen shares personal stories, historical receipts, and one hell of a perspective shift to challenge the narrative, reset expectations, and reframe what creative success looks like in 2025 and beyond.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why most companies never really valued design—and probably never willThe moment every designer faces that kills creative trustWhy AI isn’t the end of creativity—it’s a shift in where the value livesWhat’s really behind career burnout, layoffs, and toxic workThe dangerous comfort of comfort—and why it’s time to get uncomfortableWhere bold creatives are finding better work, better clients, and more impactHow to reframe your mindset, career path, and energy for what’s nextThis is not a pity party. It’s a gut check. A rally cry. A reminder that we’ve always had the power—we just have to stop pretending we don’t.Send us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Transcribe →Ep 138 Creativity: AI Isn’t the Enemy. Complacency Is.
Apr 9, 202500:19:26Tap to summarizeThe AI hype train is moving fast—and it’s already crashing into our creative industry. In this episode, Stephen finally wades into the AI conversation, not to break down tools or workflows (you’ll find that on his YouTube), but to unpack the bigger picture. What’s really at stake for creatives? How do we separate innovation from imitation? And what do we do in a world where originality is being overshadowed by copy-paste culture?Stephen draws on decades of watching tech waves come and go—desktop publishing, digital design, NFTs—and argues why AI is different, but our response doesn’t have to be passive. This is a call to action for real creativity, deeper thinking, and sharper storytelling.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why we’re entering an era of creatives vs. copycats—and how to make sure you’re on the right sideWhat AI can do well, and where it still fails miserablyThe real threat: companies and creatives who treat design as disposableHow to use AI as a tool without losing your original voiceWhy comfort is the enemy of relevance in a rapidly changing industryThis isn’t a hype session or a panic spiral—it’s a push to engage, experiment, and show the industry why creativity still matters.Send us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
Transcribe →Ep 137 Career: The Pros and Cons of Going Out on Your Own
Apr 3, 202500:23:31Tap to summarizeAfter decades inside the system—agencies, in-house, and everything in between—Stephen Gates made the leap. No roadmap. No safety net. Just a decision to bet on himself. Three years later, he’s pulling back the curtain on the truth behind the leap: the real risks, the unexpected wins, and the power in finally doing work that feels like yours.This episode isn’t a glorified founder story. It’s a raw, honest reflection on what happens when you walk away from the broken systems and build something with your own two hands. From burnout and layoffs to reclaiming creativity and control, Stephen breaks down the mindset shifts and hard-earned lessons that have shaped his journey—and why this moment might be your moment too.You’ll learn:• Why chasing validation in job interviews is a losing game• How Stephen reframed fear into freedom (and how you can too)• The unsexy business truths no one tells you about freelancing• Why knowing what you actually want is everything• The emotional weight of owning your failures—and your wins• How to recognize when it’s time to stop surviving and start buildingThis is not about overnight success.It’s about reclaiming your voice, your value, and your vision. Bet on yourself—just make sure you’re ready to do the work.Send us Fan MailSHOW NOTES AND MORE: https://thecrazy1.com/ WATCH MORE CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGates WORK WITH CRZY: http://crzydesign.com/ FOLLOW THE CRAZY ONE: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
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