Muho Noelke is the former abbot of Antaiji, a Soto Zen monastery in Hyogo, Japan. He now makes jokes on Japanese Twitter while writing books and giving online lectures. I think this episode is great and if you've ever been curious about Zen or Buddhism, then you should watch the whole thing, lots of gems scattered throughout.

This episode is also available to watch as a video podcast: https://youtu.be/0IU5AgLLeIo

Muho's Links

• Muho's Twitter: https://twitter.com/MuhoNoelke
• Muho's German Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@muho
• Muho's English Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MuhoZen
• Antaiji Soto Zen Temple: https://antaiji.org/

Table of Contents

• 00:00:00 - A punch in the face.
• 00:01:28 - Intro
• 00:04:16 - Number One Misconception About Zen
• 00:09:44 - Quitting the Game: Karma in Early Buddhism vs Mahayana
• 00:19:58 - Revisionist History in Zen
• 00:26:21 - Is Zen Popular? Zen vs Christianity
• 00:37:16 - Inkan Shome, Shiho, and Darma Transmission
• 00:43:51 - Is it possible to attain enlightenment without Dharma Transmission?
• 00:48:07 - Ikkyu San
• 00:48:54 - Discord
• 00:50:09 - What is a Zen Master?
• 00:52:27 - Muho on Science Fiction
• 00:55:07 - The most recent thing that made Muho LoL.
• 00:57:02 - What language do you use as your inner voice?
• 01:04:04 - Where does consciousness exist?
• 01:10:03 - Science fiction part 2.
• 01:13:22 - No Self and Two Truths Doctrine
• 01:18:27 - Does a dog have Buddha Nature?

This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-4b5077 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Design Exchange with Thomas Grové.

Todd Sines is a multidisciplinary artist whose work spans from analog techno music production to commercial art direction. Todd is the founder and creative director of +Scale, an NYC-based production company, and Helic.al, a vinyl-first music label.

This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/dtda4j8hAk8

Todd's Links:

• https://scale.la/
• https://www.facebook.com/toddsinesart
• https://soundcloud.com/sines
• https://bandcamp.com/search?q=todd%2Bsines

Table of Contents:

• 00:00 - Teaser
• 00:24 - Intro
• 01:31 - Todd's life path
• 08:42 - Multiple creative interests
• 16:54 - Blemishes in Art
• 19:49 - All Analogue Music Process
• 24:43 - Multitrack sound recording
• 33:13 - The creative process
• 39:04 - Balance between creation and money
• 41:03 - Intersection of Art, Music, and Film

Jon is currently Head of FPT Design at FPT Software in Vietnam. In this beer-fueled conversation, we talk about design, but as often happens with beer, the topics veer more towards life, freedom versus safety, and living abroad.

This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/xQpp43z2_Ag

Jon's Links:

• https://jonderagon.com/
• https://cafescene.com/

Thomas's Links:

• My indie games: https://okipoo.com/
• The best bag for the Nintendo Switch: https://sefu.jp/switch-bag
• Listen to the podcast: https://dxsaigon.com/podcast/

Table of Contents:

• 0:00:00 - Teaser
• 0:00:25 - Intro
• 0:01:51 - Jon's History in Vietnam
• 0:10:36 - Saigon's Dynamism
• 0:21:05 - Saigon's Evolution in Term of Design
• 0:26:43 - Concept of Countries and Borders in The Future
• 0:37:29 - Things as They Are in Local People's Perspective
• 0:42:46 - Effects of Vietnam on Jon's Skin and Ears
• 0:48:59 - The Dark Side of Globalization
• 0:53:45 - Consciousness vs Business
• 1:01:05 - Safety vs Freedom
• 1:13:55 - Safety vs "Being Alive"
• 1:20:25 - Summary
• 1:22:08 - Outro

Julien Noyer is a former VJ and motion graphics designer and currently a practicing hypnotherapist in France. Thomas caught up with Julien in Vietnam, before the pandemic started, to learn about hypnotherapy and to vent his neuroticism on camera ;)

Julien's Links:

• https://julien-noyer.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/julien.noyer.hypnotherapy/videos

This episode is also available as a video: https://youtu.be/dEFhhwFD2XA

Table of Contents:

• 0:01:02 - How Thomas met Julien
• 0:03:01 - Learning to become a hypnotherapist
• 0:10:36 - What is (and what is not) hypnotherapy
• 0:16:20 - Hypnotherapy session
• 0:25:20 - Hypnotherapy won't make you another person
• 0:28:41 - TIps for creative people
• 0:36:01 - About the feeling of not doing
• 0:44:11 - Ethics is relative
• 0:49:24 - Action movies and the Disneyfication of drama
• 0:56:59 - Leisure times
• 0:59:24 - Zen meditation and falling out of enlightenment
• 1:04:00 - Dealing with assholes: Curb Your Enthusiasm and driving in Vietnam
• 1:07:37 - Being too critical; Thomas's identity as a designer, growing beyond personality types
• 1:11:46 - Driving in Vietnam, communicating anger through actions
• 1:17:31 - Women and jealousy
• 1:23:53 - Constant change
• 1:26:07 - Outro

Hachi-san is the founder of Travis Bouldering Studio, located in Hirakata City, Osaka, Japan.

This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/gQ6NL3sfccU

Hachi's Links:

• http://travisbouldering.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/travis_bouldering_studio/
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGgEH-9thyCDPFy2ADfuITg/videos

Table of Contents:

0:00:00 - Start
0:00:29 - Intro
0:01:36 - The State of Japan During Corona Virus
0:06:46 - Opening a Climbing Gym After 1 Year of Practice
0:11:51 - Difficulties to Open a Climbing Gym
0:18:17 - Travis Bouldering Studio's Location
0:25:59 - Comparison with Other Climbing Gyms
0:30:31 - Lead Climbing
0:34:40 - Designing Climbing Walls
0:43:31 - Designing Climbing Routes
0:51:37 - Why Does Hachi Speak English?
1:01:19 - PayPay and Cash in Japan and Pricing at Travis Studio
1:08:41 - Customers' Habits
1:12:46 - Marketing Travis Bouldering Studio
1:14:12 - Outro

Tags:

bouldering, rock climbing, climbing gym, bouldering gym, Kansai, Japan, Osaka, Hirakatashi, entrepreneurship, design, podcast, design exchange, Hiroshi Hachi, Thomas Grové

Daryl Villanueva is the owner of Bandit9, a motorbike design company based in Vietnam. His designs are unlike any other bikes out there. In this episode of the Design Exchange Podcast, we talk about his approach to design and business and get a sneak peek at some of his latest designs.

Daryl's Links:

• https://bandit9.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/bandit9_/

Special thanks to Royal Enfield Vietnam for allowing us to film there! https://royalenfieldvietnam.vn/

This episode is also available as a video: https://youtu.be/NIPM7SdzdgE

Table of Contents:

00:00 - Teaser
00:33 - Intro
04:07 - Building Motorbikes
10:58 - Inspiration for Sci-Fi Bikes
16:22 - Advertising Motorcycles
20:03 - American Chopper and Taking Your First Steps as an Entrepreneur
25:22 - From China to Vietnam
28:07 - Next Projects for Bandit9
30:56 - Advice for Designers - from Sketch to Prototype
35:36 - Electric Vehicles, Motorbikes, DIY, and Cyber Truck
42:29 - Dealing with Haters, Criticism in Design, and Designing for a Niche
46:16 - The Reason for Producing 9 Bikes per Design
48:34 - Luxury vs Mass Production as a Business Strategy
54:08 - Managing Clients and Mitigating Risk
59:40 - Different Kinds of Financial Concerns for Startups
1:08:14 - Managing Work-Life Balance
1:19:18 - Book Project
1:24:08 - Outro

Tung Khi is the founder and creative director of Box, a motion graphics design studio based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

special note: Tung has a thick accent, so we highly recommend watching the video version of this episode: There are subtitles you can read-along with and examples of Box's motions graphics are projected on the wall behind us throughout the interview. You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/yBFEHgc0Vs0

Tung's Links:

• https://www.theboxcollective.tv/
  
• https://www.instagram.com/theboxcollectivevietnam/
  
• https://www.crazymonkey.vn/
  
• https://www.instagram.com/tungcrazymonkey/
  

Software Tung Uses:

• https://www.notch.one/
  
• https://smode.fr/
  

Podcast Links:

• http://dxsaigon.com/podcast/dxp-024
  
• https://youtu.be/yBFEHgc0Vs0
  
• https://sefu.jp/switch-bag/
  

Table of Contents:

00:00 - Teaser
01:09 - What is the Box Collective
03:22 - Tung's Early Career
07:24 - From Employee to Company Owner - Using Your Connections
09:10 - Team Growth, New Offices, and New Branding
11:56 - Where to Find Box on The Internet
14:13 - Typical Box Work and Box Clients
18:18 - Tung'Style
23:13 - Chuck Csuri
24:09 - Projecting on Murals
25:12 - Differences between Hanoi and Saigon
28:20 - Personal Work vs Corporate Work
30:50 - Scaling a Creative Company
32:38 - Typical Staff Background
33:46 - Good Clients vs Bad Clients
36:12 - Video Games: Arcades and Emulators
38:07 - The Story of The Switch Bag
38:59 - Consequences of Aging
44:02 - The Joe Rogan Experience and Elon Musk
45:05 - Tesla vs Vinfast
49:54 - Why Starbucks and McDonalds struggle in Vietnam
53:27 - The Nintendo Switch: Reigniting Videogame Love
57:06 - Design of The Switch Lite
58:04 - Crossplay - Fortnite and Fantasy Strike
1:00:09 - Unity vs Unreal
1:03:17 - Software Used for Motion Graphics and VJing
1:04:33 - Outro

Rafael Masters is the CEO of Vulcan Augmetics, a Vietnam-based startup that develops affordable, adaptable, and upgradable robotic arms.

Links:

https://www.wearevulcan.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rafael-masters-81276678/

Table of Contents:

00:00 - Intro
01:51 - Affordable Prosthetics
11:44 - Design Concerns to Make Prosthetics More Affordable
19:07 - Customer's Journey
29:39 - Amputee's Mental Acceptance
36:06 - Company's Journey
46:14 - Elon Musk / Tessla's Cyber Truck Design
52:21 - First 2 Years of Operations and Investment
59:57 - Design for Maintainance, Practicality, and Dignity
1:07:35 - Outro

Episode Hashtags:

#Augmetics, #Prosthetics, #Robotics, #3dprinting, #Entrepreneurship, #Startup, #Vietnam, #Affordable, #Design, #DXP

This podcast is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/MLRoTsqeBRw

Aaron Shinn is a former #IDEO design lead and the cofounder of August Uncommon Tea who has been a dear friend for many years. We caught up on the streets of Osaka to discuss #futurism, Japan, and the nuts and bolts of designing and selling #tea.

Links:

https://www.aaronshinn.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ashinn/
https://august.la/
https://www.instagram.com/augustuncommon/
https://www.facebook.com/AugustUncommon/

Table of Contents:

00:00 - Start
00:50 - Intro to Aaron Shinn
01:40 - Dontonbori is the Fisherman's Wharf of Osaka
01:52 - Japan Neon, the 80's Future, and a Newer Future in Other Places
03:47 - Aaron Shinn is one of Thomas Grové's Design Mentors
04:40 - KPT Bryce and 90's Art Tools
06:21 - Realtime Rendering, VJing, Cloaking, Crazy Monkey
08:21 - August Uncommon Tea
09:15 - Availability in Japan
10:16 - The Economics of Running and Scaling A Tea Business
16:01 - Acquiring Customers through Advertising: Retargeting vs Prospecting
19:46 - Why Did Aaron and Gina Get into the Tea Business? And Where August Fits Amongst the Different Types of Tea Markets.
28:36 - The Process of Developing a Tea Flavor and the Link between Taste and Smell
34:06 - How Are People Preparing and Drinking August Tea?
39:35 - Random People Join the Fun pt 1
41:38 - Aaron Shinn's Role at August
46:27 - This is a Record of This Conversation
47:20 - Neil Stephenson - Cryptonomicon - Tea and Why Oversteaping Tea Makes It Bitter
53:20 - Can You Cold Brew Flavored Teas?
55:27 - The Development Process - What Percentage of New Blends are Failures?
1:00:26 - Customer Service and Dealing with Negative Feedback
1:10:05 - Random People Interaction Pt 3
1:10:54 - Tools for Ecommerce Pt 2
1:12:05 - Aaron Shinn Says Japan is a Different World. And Hiking the Kumonokodo Pilgrimage Trail.
1:14:03 - Outro

This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/6XuDLZQvO9Y

Dan Cooney is a professional actor, a director, and the founder of The Encore, a musical theatre company in Dexter, Michigan.

Episode Links:

• https://www.theencoretheatre.org

• https://www.facebook.com/Encore.Musical.Theatre

Table of Contents:

• 00:00 - Teaser

• 00:15 - Intro to Dan Cooney

• 00:50 - Dan's Acting Path

• 05:37 - A Pro Actor at Acting School

• 07:50 - "Schmackting"

• 11:47 - Difference between Acting on Stage and on Camera

• 13:30 - Advice for Aspiring Actors

• 20:38 - Learning acting and singing

• 25:34 - Advice for Young Actors - Meditation, Observation, Learn Yourself

• 30:06 - About Method Actors

• 34:18 - Directing

• 42:29 - Show Preparation

• 50:31 - From Acting to Directing

• 54:48 - Why Encore is Moving to a Bigger Space

• 58:12 - The Economic Effects of a Theater in a Community

• 1:02:18 - Outro

This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/GSw1FSvzz08

The Design Exchange Podcast is produced by dxSaigon.

Leo Huynh is the founder and designer of the Sinhtolina fashion brand. She makes the clothes that she wants to wear, characterized by comfortable open-back dresses suitable for warm weather.

Leo's Links:

• https://www.instagram.com/sinhtolina/
  
• https://www.facebook.com/Sinhtolina
  

Table of Contents:

• 0:00:27 - Intro - Vietnamese and Spanish Names
  
• 0:03:55 - The Genesis of a Fashion Brand
  
• 0:06:40 - Challenges with Sizing
  
• 0:12:14 - Femininity in Fashion across Different Cultures and Ages
  
• 0:19:20 - Thomas Thinks Confidence is Sexy
  
• 0:22:52 - Leo's Design and Business Background
  
• 0:30:23 - Influencer Marketing
  
• 0:33:36 - Comparing Interior Design and Fashion Design
  
• 0:40:53 - Shrinking Issues
  
• 0:44:37 - Thomas's Frustration with Mass Production
  
• 0:53:42 - Brand Positioning
  
• 0:56:46 - Finding Inspiration, Human Observations, Corporate Creative Life
  
• 1:00:59 - Where Can You Find Sinhtolina?
  
• 1:03:05 - Origin of the Sinhtolina Name
  
• 1:05:34 - Outro
  

This episode of the Design Exchange Podcast is also available to watch as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/lhecO_8DxwQ

Tags: Fashion, Design, Dress Design, Saigon, Vietnam, Sinhtolina, Leo Huynh, Design Exchange, Podcast, DXP, Business, Entrepreneurship,

Vi Ton is co-founder and CEO of Studio BCA (Bo Cong Anh / Dandylion) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Vi's Links:

• https://studioboconganh.com/
• https://www.facebook.com/StudioBCA
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/vi-ton-b07b9626/

Table of Contents:

• 00:33 - Intro
• 01:04 - Vi's Journey
• 10:33 - Business partnership
• 14:41 - Voice User Interface Design
• 22:54 - Artificial Assistants for Design
• 31:28 - Personal Implication in Entrepreneurship
• 37:05 - Human Resource Management
• 41:23 - Business and Identity Design
• 46:42 - Outro

This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/-GRqScEw6WQ

Check out our podcasting host, Pinecast. Start your own podcast for free, no credit card required, forever. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-4b5077 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Design Exchange with Thomas Grové.

David Dredge is a portrait photographer based in ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We talk about his latest exhibition, Mono, as well as his journey as a photographer and his motivation.

David's Links:

• https://daviddredge.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/daviddredge/
• https://www.facebook.com/DavidDredgePhotography/

Table of Contents:

• 00:41 - Intro
• 01:07 - Art Exhibition "Mono"
• 04:13 - Photo Processing Part 1
• 06:48 - David's Use of Specific Printing
• 09:59 - Photo Processing part 2
• 15:46 - Panoramas
• 19:37 - David's Path to Saigon Part 1
• 29:09 - David's Path to Saigon Part 2
• 38:47 - Turning a Passion into a Job
• 46:07 - Process vs Final Output, Developing as an Artist
• 59:13 - Productivity, Ethics, and the Future
• 1:07:01 - Outro

This episode is also available to watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/iMC-k8ePa8U

Episode Hashtags:

#Cyanotype, #Blueprint, #Printing, #Photography, #Portrait, #Podcast, #Art

Tam is a serial entrepreneur focusing on F&B concepts in Saigon including Saigon Siblings, Modern Hustle, and The Bean Store.

Tam's Links:

• https://saigonsiblings.vn/
• https://www.facebook.com/saigonsiblings/
• https://www.instagram.com/saigonsiblings/
• https://www.facebook.com/modernhustle/
• https://www.instagram.com/modernhustlers/

This episode is also available to watch as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/11pZnayKGjE

Table of Contents:

• 00:33 - Tam's Journey
  
• 02:03 - Saigon Siblings
  
• 06:43 - About Podcasts
  
• 10:22 - The Naked Director
  
• 12:39 - The Brand DNA of Tam's Businesses
  
• 17:23 - Entrepreneur's success and failure
  
• 25:36 - Scaling Business Part 1: Franchise
  
• 30:41 - Working to Cafe Noise, Music, or Silence?
  
• 32:12 - Scaling Business Part 2
  
• 36:31 - Success is Temporary - Entrepreneur's Depression
  
• 41:12 - Other People's Expectations - What is Success in Modern Times?
  
• 48:19 - How Critical is Exercise for Depression?
  
• 49:22 - Outro
  

Episode Hashtags:

#F&B #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Business #Vietnam #Saigon #Cafe #AirBnB #Podcasting #Podcast #DXP #DesignExchange #Depression #Failure #Success

Reggie Doan is a freelance photographer who recently returned to Saigon from Portland. We discuss a wide range of topics in this interview including language, politics, culture, and photography.

This episode is also available to watch as a video on youtube: https://youtu.be/fkz_U8lwgvo

Reggie's Links:

• http://reggiejphotos.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/reggiejphotos/

Table of Contents:

• 0:00:52 - Intro
• 0:02:04 - Reggie Doan's Professional Journey
• 0:11:30 - Vietnamese Guy in the USA
• 0:18:51 - Photography's Context in Portland and Inspiration
• 0:28:22 - Processing Photos
• 0:35:27 - Big Names and Pronunciation
• 0:43:54 - Differences between English, German and Vietnamese Languages
• 0:54:08 - Difference between Cultures
• 1:10:57 - Education and Healthcare Systems
• 1:21:15 - Free Speech
• 1:33:53 - Plus Size Models and Victoria Secret Protests
• 1:41:56 - The Impact of Protests
• 1:57:58 - Creative Industry in Saigon and Japan
• 2:08:17 - Outro

Episode Hashtags:

#gender #pronouns #politics #vietnam #portland #photography #podcast #dxp #designexchange

Jose Silva is a Padi Master DiveScuba Dive Instructor based in Maui, Hawaii. He has certified more than 1,100 divers and has logged over 12,000 dives. You can follow his Instagram @all4reef

Table of Contents:

• 00:31 - Intro
• 01:28 - Jose Silva: Scuba Diving Instructor
• 06:25 - Problem Solving in Diving
• 10:59 - What's in Jose Silva's Mind While Diving
• 14:58 - Underwater Photography and Videography
• 17:08 - Underwater Risks and Skills
• 21:08 - Jose Silva's Top Diving Spots
• 24:53 - Traveling Around The World with Scuba Diving Equipment
• 28:56 - Responsibly Attract New Divers
• 34:45 - Responsible Human Behavior
• 40:13 - Everybody's Impact on The Environment
• 49:15 - Outro

This episode of the Design Exchange Podcast is also available as a video podcast: https://youtu.be/t3nEYa5Jctw

Episode Hashtags:

#padi #scuba #diving #hawaii #maui #DXP #DesignExchange #podcast

Master Mollica is a 9th Degree Black Belt in Shaolin Tiger Kung Fu and a 7th Degree Black Belt in Shuai Jiao. He teaches Kung Fu and Tai Chi in Columbus, Ohio. I became his student 30 years ago.

Links:

• http://mastermatt.com/
• http://dxsaigon.com/

This episode is also available to watch as a video: https://youtu.be/odBU1PEEDzc

Table of Contents:

• 00:00 - Intro Banter
• 00:38 - Chi Kung Meditation
• 01:35 - Mater Mollica's Martial Arts Background
• 06:13 - Master Mollica Was Surprised by The Popularity of MMA
• 10:43 - Thomas Suggests Game Design Inspired Rule Changes to MMA
• 14:21 - Martial Arts - Practice vs Competition, Technique vs Strength, Shuai Jiao / Judo / Wrestling / MMA
• 17:20 - Cardio and Endurance in MMA Competitions
• 21:52 - Everything Is A Technique - Training in Everyday Life and The Traditional Training Techniques of Chang Tung Sheng Shuai Jiao
• 28:45 - The Importance of Strategy in Martial Arts
• 29:55 - Taiyo Marang - Comparing Martial Arts Styles and Passing the Torch to The Next Generation
• 36:08 - Traditional Shuai Jiao Strength Training Exercises Demonstrated
• 40:45 - Tai Chi's Combat Application is Wrestling!
• 43:11 - Outro

Episode Hashtags:

#Kung-Fu #Shuai-Jiao #Shuai-Chiao #Sway-Jo #Tai-Chi #Chi-Kung #Chang-Dongsheng #Chang-Tung-Sheng #MMA #Martial-Arts #DXP #Podcast

Dan Walton is a computer programmer and entrepreneur with a specialty in audio software and crypto. He's a founder at The Retronyms, an app development house known for Tabletop, Wej, iMPC, and the very first Recorder app for iOS. Dan recently moved back to Columbus from San Francisco.

Dan's Links:

• http://retronyms.com/
• https://ethex.market/
• https://cast.market/

Table of Contents:

• 00:28 - Intro
• 01:05 - Podcasting Basics, what is DXP?
• 01:56 - cast.market
• 02:44 - The History of The Retronyms
• 06:42 - Dan Walton: Instruments are the Ultimate Combination of Art and Technology
• 08:30 - Music Apps and Mobile Devices
• 13:26 - Is It Worth Developing Audio Software for Android?
• 15:11 - Hardware for Music Apps
• 20:50 - San Francisco and Columbus, Cities of Creativity?
• 28:17 - Other Occupations
• 31:50 - Company Establishment
• 36:47 - Blender and 3D Software, Open Source vs Subscription
• 42:23 - Computers and Performance
• 51:51 - Video Streaming
• 57:21 - Video Game Streaming
• 1:03:24 - Outro

Episode Hashtags:

#AcidTechno #iMPC #Rebirth #Retronyms #crypto #ethex #sanfrancisco #columbus #appdevelopment #dxp #podcast #dan-walton #musicinstruments

This episode is also available to watch as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/qFg8dvYC9YQ

Matt Barnes is a user experience and collage artist working out of Columbus Ohio. He recently started Barnes Cards, an irreverent and funky greeting card company.

Matt's Links: - https://www.barnescards.com/ - https://www.instagram.com/misterbarnes/ - https://www.instagram.com/barnescards/

Table of Contents:

• 1:49 - The Art Journey of Mister Barnes
• 13:17 - Guerilla Marketing, Trash Art Objects on Twitter
• 17:12 - Designing A Leisure Club Based on Nostalgia
• 22:11 - Columbus Has Less Cocaine Than Miami
• 28:36 - Columbus is into Sports
• 31:34 - Mister Barnes Wants to Create Amazing Experiences for People
• 39:46 - Thomas Pontificates on Experience Design
• 48:30 - Civitas Now Was An Attempt to Merge Art with Advertising
• 51:20 - Matt is Hard Working - Does Everyone Have Creativity or Taste? What is Art?
• 59:42 - What Inspires Mister Bares to Make Art? Higher Dimensions Geometry. Urban Agriculture.
• 1:10:21 - Columbus Galleries
• 1:13:37 - Outro

This episode is also available to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/US-L0nq2_mc

Episode Hashtags:

#ExperienceDesign #MisterBarnes #MattBarnes #DXP #Podcast #Columbus #ArtScene #Artist #Collage

Alex McCarl writes and performs experimental ambient music under the moniker Casino Witch. We catch up with Alex in Japan to talk about music production, the differences between Vietnam, Japan, and the USA, and sex with witches.

Check out Alex's music on Bandcamp: https://casinowitch.bandcamp.com/

Table of Contents:

• 00:22 - Intro
• 02:21 - Overview of Topics for The Rest of The Interview
• 03:41 - How Alex Got into Teaching English (in 5 minutes)
• 12:49 - The Icarus Music Festival Wasn't Only Electronic Music
• 13:39 - Thomas Says Dub is Electronic Music
• 15:11 - Alex's Musical Journey
• 20:22 - Demonstration of Live Electronic Music Performance Using Sampler on the iPad
• 34:06 - Alex on Performing Live
• 39:51 - Borderlands - Another App Alex Uses for Music Production
• 43:32 - What Alex Likes About Performing Music on iPad
• 45:42 - Shared Living
• 48:49 - Alex and Thomas Talk About Failure
• 53:29 - Americans Are Victims of Protestant Work Ethic
• 59:32 - The Making of The Sefu Switch Bag and Burnout
• 1:03:24 - Thomas Started A Podcast to Deal with Depression
• 1:04:58 - Alex on Learning Curves
• 1:08:18 - Alex: The Notion of Success or Failure Exists in Our Minds
• 1:12:45 - Alex's End Goal is to Build an Artist Haven in The Countryside
• 1:17:45 - Corporate Taglines, in English, in Asia
• 1:20:52 - American Cinema in Japan vs Vietnam
• 1:23:04 - Post Modernism in Media and Stranger Things
• 1:30:03 - And... Black Mirror Too!
• 1:32:19 - And... Marvel / Spiderman
• 1:33:26 - Feeling Natural When Recording an Interview and Roe Rogan
• 1:38:03 - There's A Blow-Job Parlor Across The Street
• 1:39:39 - Too Cool Spiderman; Real Cool vs Douch Bag Cool
• 1:43:09 - Casino Witch; Sex With Witches?
• 1:46:26 - Outro

Episode Hashtags:

#Ambient #ProducingMusic #CasinoWitch #Vietnam #Japan #China #Failure #Postmodernism #DXP #DesignExchange #Podcast

This episode is also available to watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Nqa3Mk1eUw8

Pete Gray is the founder and host of Let's Talk Hook Up, a Southern California sports fishing call-in radio show that airs every Saturday and Sunday morning. We talk with Pete about the appeal of fishing, working with advertising partners, and transitioning from Radio broadcast to online media.

This episode is also available to watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/g5KF275GBG4

Let's Talk Hook Up Links:

• Website: https://www.letstalkhookup.com/
• Instagram: @lets_talk_hook_up
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letstalkhookup
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/lthhookup/
• App for iPhone: https://apple.co/2twrGp4
• App for Android: https://bit.ly/38cZbeO

Table of Contents:

• 00:27 - Intro - What Kind of Show is Let's Talk Hook Up?
• 02:33 - How Pete Got into Hosting A Radio Show
• 05:36 - Challenges in Radio
• 07:14 - How Advertisers Measure The Results of a Podcast or Radio Sponsorship
• 10:56 - Types of Sponsorship Opportunities
• 14:15 - Tips for New Podcasts When Working with Sponsors
• 17:03 - Timeslots
• 18:16 - How to Keep Your Show Fresh
• 19:44 - Commercial VS Sport Fishing and Sustainability
• 22:19 - Illegal Harvesting, Why Not Harvest Bycatch?
• 26:22 - Catch and Release and Bonefishing
• 28:11 - What's Fun About Fishing?
• 31:13 - Sushi and Tuna Stocks
• 32:36 - China's 9-Dash Line
• 35:23 - Fishing Tales
• 39:35 - Quietness in Fishing
• 40:33 - How to Find and Maintain Sponsorships
• 47:28 - Electric Outboard Engines
• 48:42 - Conventional Outboard Engines
• 51:44 - Some of the Logistics of Producing a Show and Keeping Up Enthusiasm
• 55:49 - Bringing My Dad on as a Guest - Fishing Story
• 1:00:27 - Outro

Episode Hashtags:

#sportfishing #sustainability #commercialfishing #podcast #radio #podcastproduction #radioproduction #sponsorships #fishing #talkradio #petegray #letstalkhookup

Damon is a serial entrepreneur who's relentless in his pursuit of the next great game company. We caught up with him in Kyoto, Japan. His current project is currently in stealth mode.

Table of Contents:

• 00:21 - Intro
• 00:49 - Culture Shock: Initial Impressions of Japan
• 01:55 - The Origin of Damon's Otaku Journey
• 03:04 - San Francisco Startups vs Japanese Corporations
• 04:09 - How Did Japan Compare to Damon's Expectations?
• 05:07 - Best and Worst Parts of San Francisco and Startup Life
• 08:27 - How Do People Keep Staying in San Francisco?
• 09:08 - Is The San Francisco Bay Area Sustainable?
• 10:32 - Dealing with Failure in Startups
• 13:33 - A Haiku by Damon
• 13:47 - No Vacation for Startup Founders
• 17:03 - Playing Video Games to Unwind
• 18:42 - The Most Exciting Videogames These Days
• 19:55 - Cyberpunk 2077 and Keanu Reeves
• 22:08 - Old Movies Don't Always Resonate with Today's Kids
• 23:42 - Outro - Off to Meet the Geishas

Episode Hashtags:

#Hustle #Entrepreneurship #Startup #SiliconValley #Haiku #Kyoto #Japan #VideoGames

This episode is also available to watch on Youtube: https://youtu.be/gIfRp8x-32E

Christian Calderon is a mobile game executive and entrepreneur who recently co-founded his second hyper-casual game studio in Ho Chi Minh City. He's also an Advisory Board member at Ketchapp which was Acquired by Ubisoft.

We talk with Christian about living in Asia, his game industry journey, and some of the nitty-gritty of developing and monetizing mobile games.

This episode is also available to watch as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/GT6ZkPo1xKo

Christian's Links:

• https://gamejam.co/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/xtiancalderon/

Table of Contents:

• 00:35 - Intro
• 01:28 - Christian's Vietnam Journey Thus Far, Travel in SEA
• 02:42 - Exploring a Country Through Its Cuisine
• 04:24 - Chris's Game Industry Experience, from Fan to Ceo
• 06:33 - Game Life Cycles - Hard Core Console vs Mobile
• 07:57 - What Keeps Christian in the Game Industry
• 09:50 - What's Gamejam working on?
• 11:49 - The New Mac Pro and Buggy Laptop Keyboards
• 17:38 - Master Class
• 25:44 - Eating Dogs and Cultural Experiences
• 28:15 - Cultural Differences when Crossing the Street in USA, Vietnam, Japan
• 33:57 - Breaking Rules in Games
• 36:50 - When Does Christian Decide to Continue Developing A Game and When To Kill A Game
• 39:35 - Increasing User Retention
• 41:43 - The State of the Mobile Game Industry in 2019/2020
• 45:24 - Monetization in Mobile Games
• 47:50 - State of the Art in Game Monetization
• 53:20 - Getting a Job in the Videogame Industry
• 58:19 - Outro

Hashtags:

hypercasual #saigon #vietnam #mobile #gamedevelopment #monetization #entrepreneurship #cuisine

For our Double-O-Seventh episode, it is oh so appropriate to have Jon Myers as our guest. He's an international designer of mystery—living a jet-set life and assassinating design problems with expert marksmanship. We talk to Jon about his 20 years of design experience leading up to his current role as Chief Design Officer at Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh City based crypto trading platform Liquid.

You can find Jon at @JonMyers on Twitter and http://www.jonmyers.com/ You can learn more about Liquid at https://www.liquid.com/

Table of Contents:

• 00:17 - Intro
• 01:15 - Jon's Saigon Journey
• 02:17 - The Columbus Connection
• 02:43 - Jon's Design and Entrepreneurship Journey
• 05:16 - Digital Nomads, Lifestyle Business, Scalable Startups, Affiliate Marketing, Vietnam and a Medium Article
• 08:27 - American's Have an Unfair Advantage in Immigration and Global Citizenship
• 10:54 - World on Fire, Working for Yourself, Working for a Company, Abstraction Layers
• 15:04 - Introduction to The Liquid Crypto Platform
• 21:09 - Advice to be a Better Designer
• 24:31 - Smoking Shisha
• 26:07 - Exercise, Daily Routines, Productivity, Intermittent Fasting
• 28:42 - Distraction and Productivity
• 33:13 - What Does Jon Like Most About Living in Vietnam?
• 35:59 - Design vs Conducting
• 37:04 - Entertainment, Tourism, and Restaurants in Saigon
• 40:54 - Jon's Design Process
• 44:39 - Sketch (UI Design App)
• 45:54 - Game Design, New Platforms, and Gold Rushes
• 50:04 - Dynamite Circle
• 51:17 - Vitality in Online Communities
• 56:28 - Outro

Hashtags:

#liquid #crypto #design #ux #vietnam #shisha #digitalnomad #productivity #entrepreneurship #leadership #columbus #saigon #expatlife

This episode is also available as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/bJ072HFD7ns

Tuan Le is the founder of The Lab Saigon, a multidisciplinary design studio based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. We talk about his journey from ad agency copywriter to serial entrepreneur and how Tuan runs his design agency.

Tuan's Links:

• https://thelabsaigon.com/
• Instagram: @thelabsaigon @bluefintuan
• https://www.behance.net/thelabsaigon

Table of Contents:

• 00:27 - Intro
• 01:43 - What is The Lab Saigon? From Co-Working Cafe to Creative Agency
• 04:15 - Tuan's Long Route Back to Vietnam
• 05:33 - The New Vietnam
• 06:37 - We Don't Post About Our Failures
• 08:23 - Where Would Tuan Go If Not Saigon?
• 11:31 - Could You Work As An Employee Again?
• 13:22 - No Pinterest and Will Power
• 15:22 - Hands-on Design vs Design Direction and Trusting Your Staff
• 18:38 - Turn Over and Company Culture
• 20:47 - Crunch and Overtime in Creative Industries
• 23:15 - Crunch in The Videogame Industry
• 25:33 - Pitching in Ad Agencies
• 26:48 - Multidisciplinary Design Studio, Which Service is the Easiest?
• 29:59 - The Story of How The Lab Got Their First Big Client
• 30:48 - What Videogames is Tuan Playing?
• 33:08 - Video Production at The Lab
• 34:13 - Where is the Target Audience of The Lab's Clients?
• 35:06 - What Kind of Stuff Does Tuan Read?
• 35:50 - Just Because You're Not Famous Doesn't Mean You Are Not Interesting
• 38:05 - Naming Things and Blank Lounge
• 44:13 - Outro

Hashtags:

#design #interriordesign #branding #designagency #saigon #thelab #thelabsaigon #vietnam #LA #foodandbeverage #entrepreneurship #copywriting #designexchange #dxp #podcast

This episode is also available as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/XWc1PvIz_Uw

Tomo is a Viet-Japanese-American entrepreneur, software engineer, and electronic musician living in Saigon. He has a great analytical mind and I always get a thrill from talking with him!

Tomo's Links: https://www.saigonist.com/ https://soundcloud.com/tomosaigon

Table of Contents:

• 00:18 - Intro: How Tomo Ended Up in Vietnam
• 01:10 - Bleep Bloop Music
• 01:33 - An Overview of Tomo's Interests and Engineering Background
• 03:00 - What Keeps Tomo in Vietnam
• 04:55 - The Vietnam/American War and Viet Kieu Misconceptions of Present-Day Vietnam
• 12:29 - Vietnam Startup Scene
• 14:00 - The Challenges of Doing Business - Are You in The Right Business? Is It The Right Time for Your Business?
• 17:59 - Overview of Bitcoin and Crypto Currency, Bitcoin in Vietnam
• 45:42 - Music Festivals and Midwest Raves for Underground Electronic Music
• 50:45 - Considerations When Writing Dance Music
• 53:10 - Drum and Bass vs Techno, Tomo's Music
• 57:38 - What Are The Conditions for A Vibrant Arts Scene? - 90's Underground Computer Art Scene, Asci, Ansi, BBS, Warez
• 01:08:00 - It's Hard to Start Things and Hard to Keep Them Going. When To Keep Going, When To Pivot, and When To Give Up
• 01:18:45 - Outro

Hashtags:

#crypto #bitcoin #bch #btc #eth #etherium #vietnam #war #startup #entrepreneurship #techno #ansi #asci #dancemusic #expatlife #vietkieu #lotek #ph34r #614 #Columbus #Detroit #Saigon #Chicago

This episode is also available as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/BLnWSLhzTf8

Andrea Taviani is the founder and head ice cream experimentalist at SAPORI D’ITALIA. Let's talk to him about life in Vietnam and making gelato that really satisfies!

Andrea's Links: https://www.facebook.com/saporiditaliavietnam/ Instagram: @sapori__ditalia @aot81 Thomas's Links: https://dxsaigon.com IG/TW: @dxSaigon

This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/sK6U8Cqf9cw

Table of Contents:

• 00:38 - Intro / Un Espresso
• 02:46 - Starting a Business in Vietnam
• 05:37 - Sourcing Ingredients
• 07:23 - Creating "Dolce Far Niente"
• 10:06 - Foreign Food Prices
• 12:03 - Doing Things The Old Fashioned Way
• 15:01 - Vietnamese Ingredients in Ice Cream
• 20:26 - Andrea's Cultural Background
• 22:40 - The Most Challenging Thing So Far (construction)
• 25:20 - Cultural Differences
• 32:28 - Driving in Vietnam
• 39:27 - Foreign Ghettos and Assimilation
• 41:52 - Eating Local
• 43:14 - Ice Cream Reactions: Thomas and Saigonese
• 45:05 - Language Barrier and Learning Vietnamese
• 51:55 - Customer Satisfaction in Italian
• 01:05:10 - Goodbyes and Such

Hashtags:

#foodie #gelato #icecream #vietnam #saigon #italian #dolcefarniente #podcast #designexchange #dxp

Sponsors:

This episode is brought to you by Séfu, creators of The Switch Bag, the bag that lets you bring your Nintendo Switch with you, everywhere you go! Use code DXP for free shipping and a 15% discount!

This episode is also made possible by Pinecast. After weeks of evaluating podcast hosts, we decided to go with Pinecast because you can get unlimited episodes, storage, and bandwidth for only $5 per month. That's a great value and if you use coupon code r-4b5077 you'll get 40% off for 4 months!

Design Exchange Podcast Episode 3 is our first episode with two guests while drinking Korean soju. Dave Kim has been working at Korean owned bag factories in Vietnam for more than 15 years. Marc Mendoza is a product designer from Silicon Valley who relocated to Vietnam to start Post Carry, a brand catering to cyclists.

Marc's Links: https://postcarry.co/ Instagram: @postcarryco

Thomas's Links: https://sefu.jp/ Instagram: @sefustyle

This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/iUoHJVbqolw

Table of Contents:

• 00:38 - Intro Banter
• 02:46 - Marc made over 100 bags for friends, why he moved to Vietnam
• 06:17 - 15 years ago Saigon street coffee was better and people were friendlier
• 09:58 - Taking taxis vs driving in Saigon
• 11:14 - Korean Noodles
• 12:25 - Dave's job: bring design to reality, and bag production at a factory.
• 19:30 - Tech Packs and Design Documentation - How detailed does it need to be?
• 25:41 - Advice for New Product Designers
• 31:06 - Dave's Dream for 1 Million Dollars
• 33:08 - Feeling Good through Customer Feedback
• 36:20 - Climbing in Vietnam
• 38:55 - Vietnam is a "Woman Country"
• 40:31 - One of the benefits of being a foreigner is anonymity
• 42:33 - Cheap Smoothies and a Growing Economy drew Thomas to Vietnam
• 47:51 - The Number One Thing Thomas Doesn't Like About Vietnam.
• 51:39 - Driving a Motorbike in Vietnam
• 57:23 - Marc rode his bicycle 80km to the factory.
• 01:00:40 - Marc Wants to be in Vietnam
• 01:01:39 - Thomas lost meaning after separation from his son and seeks calmness and connection with his son in Japan.
• 01:04:08 - Columbus Ohio is becoming more attractive to Thomas.
• 01:06:49 - Silicon Valley vs Vietnam according to Marc Mendoza
• 01:08:09 - Our Favorite Viet Foods

Hashtags:

#bag #design #manufacturing #madeinvietnam #vietnam #saigon #podcast #designexchange #dxp #postcarry #sefu

Sponsors:

This episode is brought to you by Séfu, creators of The Switch Bag, the bag that lets you bring your Nintendo Switch with you, everywhere you go! Use code DXP for free shipping and a 15% discount!

This episode is also made possible by Pinecast. After weeks of evaluating podcast hosts, we decided to go with Pinecast because you can get unlimited episodes, storage, and bandwidth for only $5 per month. That's a great value and if you use coupon code r-4b5077 you'll get 40% off for 4 months!

For episode 2 we head to Blush Beach to catch up with James Seebacher, former managing partner for three of the coolest night clubs in Vietnam. What does it take to run a beach bar? Let's find out!

James's Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestseebacher/ Blush links: https://www.facebook.com/BlushBeach/ Instagram: @Blushbeach

This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/akcTG5jnyWE

Table of Contents:

• 00:25 - Playful Intro Banter
• 01:58 - Personal Branding - Big Fish in Small Pond
• 02:53 - Branding Blush Beach
• 07:16 - Contrasting Columbus Ohio, Las Vegas, HCMC, and Danang
• 10:37 - Vietnamese Pronunciation
• 14:19 - Design and Maintenance of a Beach Club
• 18:17 - Give people what they want!
• 20:20 - Vietnam Leasure Market
• 25:28 - Who is the DX Audience?
• 27:38 - Jame's leadership style
• 29:02 - Blush Investment
• 33:31 - Blush Music Selection / Volume
• 34:42 - The Health Impact of Nightlife
• 35:09 - Outro

Hashtags:

#blushbeach #vietnam #hospitality #nightlife #beach #beachclub #beechbar #designexchange #podcast #lush #blush #hoian #danang

Sponsors:

This episode is brought to you by Séfu, creators of The Switch Bag, the bag that lets you bring your Nintendo Switch with you, everywhere you go! Use code DXP for free shipping and a 15% discount!

This episode is also made possible by Pinecast. After weeks of evaluating podcast hosts, we decided to go with Pinecast because you can get unlimited episodes, storage, and bandwidth for only $5 per month. That's a great value and if you use coupon code r-4b5077 you'll get 40% off for 4 months!

What's up! Episode number one of my podcast is here! I'm pleased to sit down with Brian Letwin -- co-founder and CEO of Saigoneer. Saigoneer is a media company in Vietnam. Find out more at: https://saigoneer.com/

This episode is also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Pcz7pOIzhx4

Table of Contents:

• 00:19 - Intro
• 03:40 - Origins of Saigoneer
• 09:08 - Why a Korean Version
• 10:34 - Saigoneer's Core Content
• 12:46 - The Changing Media Landscape
• 16:05 - Saigoneer's Media Kit
• 21:10 - Is Saigoneer a Publication or an Advertising Agency?
• 24:37 - What Motivates Brian?
• 27:44 - Vietnam Modern Architecture
• 32:08 - Brian's Grab Bike Accident Pt 1
• 34:17 - Lack of Flood Prevention and Environmental Issues
• 38:30 - Traffic and Walking in Saigon
• 44:06 - Ride Share Popularity and Economics
• 49:26 - Brian's Grab Bike Accident Pt 2
• 53:55 - The First Time Brian and Thomas Met / Outro

Episode Hashtags:

#dxp #designexchange #saigon #saigoneer #vietnam #podcast #urbanist

Sponsors:

This episode is brought to you by Séfu, creators of The Switch Bag, the bag that lets you bring your Nintendo Switch with you, everywhere you go! Use code DXP for free shipping and a 15% discount!

This episode is also made possible by Pinecast. After weeks of evaluating podcast hosts, we decided to go with Pinecast because you can get unlimited episodes, storage, and bandwidth for only $5 per month. That's a great value and if you use coupon code r-4b5077 you'll get 40% off for 4 months!