Dream Job Cafe

Ben Berkman joins the show to explain the actual work of a Data Scientist. He specifically works on identity graphs at The Trade Desk. Host Larry Port asks Ben to break down how online advertising auctions happen in a fraction of a second. Ben describes his daily routine, which involves about six hours of coding in Scala and two hours of meetings. He clarifies the distinction between data scientists who build models and the software engineers who build the infrastructure to support them.ㅤBen also shares how his background in economics and liberal arts helps him ask better questions. He offers an honest look at work-life balance and how AI tools like Claude are changing the way he codes.ㅤGuest BioBen Berkman is a Graphs and Identity Data Scientist at The Trade Desk. He specializes in building data structures for cross-device identity resolution. Before this role, he worked as a Cost Analyst and Data Scientist at Technomics, Inc., where he focused on defense acquisition data. He holds a Master's in Data Science from NYU and an undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University.ㅤWhat We CoverHow The Trade Desk facilitates real-time ad auctions for the open internet.The specific breakdown of a data scientist's day: mostly solitary coding with some team collaboration.Differences between data science (creative modeling) and software engineering (plumbing and infrastructure).Why curiosity and communication skills from a liberal arts background are valuable in technical roles.How AI tools are shifting coding workflows from manual typing to agentic oversight.The personality types that thrive in data science: curious problem solvers who enjoy steady work.Realities of work-life balance in a global company with teams in Singapore.ㅤResources MentionedThe Trade DeskScala (Programming Language)Apache SparkAndre KarpathyClaude (Anthropic)Spotify

Marketing careers offer a unique path for creative professionals seeking stability. This field attracts liberal arts majors, musicians, and writers who want to leverage their right-brain skills while securing a 401 (k). Host Larry Port speaks with Scott Redick, the Managing Director of Retail Acquisition Strategy and Integration at Charles Schwab. Scott breaks down the two main worlds in this industry: agency work versus in-house roles at a brand.ㅤScott shares the reality of agency life, which can involve long hours, constant pitching, and fire drills. He contrasts this with the client side, where the pace is often smoother and more focused on long-term strategy. They discuss the "whole brain" thinking required to succeed, blending emotional creativity with analytical logic. Scott also explains why this career requires a thick skin: you might pour your soul into a project only to have a manager request a different color at the last minute.ㅤGuest BioScott Redick is a marketing executive and strategist currently serving as the Managing Director of Retail Acquisition Strategy and Integration at Charles Schwab. Before joining the client side, he spent years in the agency world, including a role as President and Head of Strategy at Heat (acquired by Deloitte Digital). He has also held leadership roles at Isobar and DDB. Scott holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University.ㅤWhat We CoverThe difference between agency culture (younger, spiky hours, frequent fire drills) and in-house corporate roles (smoother pace, more stability).Why marketing is often a home for "working creatives" like drummers or writers who need a steady paycheck.The "whole brain" approach: combining right-brain emotion with left-brain analytics and math.The reality of pitching in advertising: doing huge amounts of work for free just to win a client.This career is not for people who need a rigid structure or cannot handle ambiguity.The emotional toll of having creative work rejected or changed by upper management.How AI is currently serving as an editor and thought partner rather than a total replacement for human creativity.The influence of 20-somethings on culture and why brands look to them for trends like TikTok.ㅤResources MentionedCharles SchwabNorthwestern University

Larry Port sits down with his old Little League coaching friend, Elliot Edelman, to discuss the reality of making a living in the stock market. After 30 years as a professional trader working for hedge funds and proprietary firms, Elliot recently made a major pivot: he left the corporate office to trade his own money from home.ㅤElliot explains the trade-offs of this lifestyle change. He no longer has access to firm leverage or a back office, but he also avoids compliance headaches and the commute. He shares honest insights on what it actually takes to survive as a trader. It requires a grasp of probability akin to that in poker, the discipline to handle losses, and the ability to compete against high-frequency algorithms. Larry and Elliot also discuss the "efficient market," why retail traders sometimes outsmart the pros, and how AI might change the finance industry forever.ㅤGuest BioElliot Edelman is a seasoned financial professional with 30 years of experience in the securities industry. He spent over a decade as a proprietary trader at T3 Trading Group, LLC, before transitioning to self-employment in January 2023. Holding an MBA and a background in programming, Elliot now operates as an independent trader and financial content writer, focusing on quantitative market analysis and educational material.ㅤWhat We CoverThe transition to independent trading: Elliot describes leaving the proprietary firm environment to trade his own account, noting the freedom to finally "walk around at noon" on a Wednesday.Breaking into the industry: The story of how headhunters called Elliot "washed up" at 27 and how he eventually used his programming skills and MBA to get his foot in the door at a hedge fund.The trader mindset: Why successful traders need to understand risk and probability rather than just loving stocks. Elliot compares trading logic to sports betting and poker.Market efficiency: How the move from fractional pricing (1/8th of a dollar) to pennies created an environment dominated by high-frequency trading firms.Retail vs. Professional traders: A look at how amateur traders often win by "buying the dip" on popular stocks, while professionals sometimes over-analyze valuations.The future of finance jobs: Elliot discusses how AI is already automating tasks like writing 10-K reports and what this means for young people entering the field.The barrier to entry: Trading is unique because anyone can open an account and start immediately, unlike becoming a doctor or lawyer.ㅤResources MentionedElliot Edelman on LinkedInVirtu Financial (High-frequency trading firm mentioned)Pets.com (Historical reference)Robinhood / Fidelity / Schwab (Trading platforms mentioned)

People think it’s less risky to be in a nine-to-five job, but sometimes it’s the most risky thing because you don’t control what can happen to you. Larry Port talks with David Schnurman about entrepreneurship, mindset, leadership, culture, and the long game of building something over 20 years.ㅤDavid shares two stories: from a public-access TV show named Lawline to taking CLE online, dissolving the company, and relaunching in 2006 with a high school intern and essentially zero revenue. They discuss sales, rejection, creativity, asking good questions, and how AI has changed the inbox with spam emails that are “too good.” David explains The Fast Forward Mindset, getting out of the comfort zone and staying out longer, moving a family to Barcelona, getting stuck in the strictest lockdown in Europe, and rebuilding the family operating system through travel.ㅤ👤 Guest BioDavid Schnurman is the CEO of Lawline. He shares two stories with Lawline: a 1999 idea to take CLE online, a brutal early period with dial-up, and a 2006 relaunch and rebuild of accreditation. David talks about sales, law school, leadership challenges, building the right team, and a structured hiring process. He is the author of The Fast Forward Mindset and shares why he moved his family to Barcelona and how that experience changed how they travel and explore.ㅤ📌 What We CoverThe two stories to Lawline, a public access TV show, taking CLE online, “too early,” and a 2006 relaunchSales is the best experience, rejection, creativity, consistency, organization, and asking a lot of good questions“Wolf of Wall Street” vs process, calling and doing the right things over and overAI and inbox spam, “too good” emails, and why shorter and more personal is betterLaw school, the Socratic method, case law, the cost, and “more experiential” apprenticeship experienceEntrepreneurship as a school project, making mistakes, leadership and mindset, and “stuck” phases at different levelsThe Fast Forward Mindset, “fearless enough” and “focused enough,” and staying out of the comfort zone longerBarcelona, strict lockdown, kids not allowed to leave for 52 days, eight o’clock pots and pans, and “a beautiful song”ㅤ🔗 Resources MentionedLawlineThe Fast Forward MindsetCLE (continuing legal ed)Mark Cuban, broadcast.com, YahooPBSStaplesEntrepreneur MagazineDale Carnegie sales trainersOrbitslens.comThe Wolf of Wall StreetGary Vaynerchuk (Gary V)stoicismMyers-Briggs testType CoachlovableNetflixYouTubeBarcelonaJapan, Israel, Patagonia, New Zealand, Australiathe UK, Canadathe Socratic method

People trying to figure out what they wanna do for a living hear Larry Port talk with his good friend Alejandro Dao, lead product manager at Pendo.io, a very cool and innovative software company in North Carolina. Alejandro describes product management as leading the product's vision and strategy, deciding what to build next and why, and working with engineering, design, and customers.ㅤHe compares the role to a quarterback and an orchestra director, keeping the tempo and pace of software development and making sure everybody knows what they are building and why. Alejandro shares a mix of tactical and strategic work, from sprints and steel threads to roadmap meetings, user empathy, and many conversations with customers.ㅤThe conversation walks through his trajectory from a shy kid and Model UN to a support engineer, software developer, sales engineer, sales operations manager, MBA at Duke, an internship at Amazon, and landing at Pendo in Raleigh, North Carolina.ㅤ👤 Guest BioAlejandro Dao is a lead product manager at Pendo.io in North Carolina. Originally from Venezuela, he has a background in computer science and engineering. Alejandro started as a support engineer and software developer at Rocket Matter, then moved into sales engineering, solutions engineer, and sales operations manager, owning Salesforce and sales processes.ㅤHe completed a two-year MBA program at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and used that to pivot into product management. After a technical product management internship at Amazon, he chose to stay in North Carolina. He joined Pendo, where he owns the guides product and spends a lot of time with engineering, design, and customers.ㅤ📌 What We CoverWhat a product manager is, leading the vision and the strategy of the product, deciding what should be built next and why, and working with engineering, design, and customersQuarterback and orchestra director analogies for product management, keeping the tempo and pace of software development, so everybody knows what they are building and whyConcrete examples from Pendo, with two big pillars, analytics and guides, and Alejandro owning the guides product and crafting what the vision of the product is going to beDay-to-day work that mixes tactical and strategic, from sprints, steel threads, and compromises to roadmap meetings, senior leadership, and a lot of meetings with customers about frictions, frustrations, and use casesCommunication and empathy as critical soft skills, including stories from Rocket Matter, working with attorneys under a lot of pressure, and flexing that empathy muscleWhat it is like to work with engineers and UX designers, speaking the same language, rowing in the same direction, building prototypes together with tools like Bolt, Lovable, and V zero, and using AI as a superpower, not a replacementAlejandro’s path froma shy kid and Model UN, into computer science and engineering, video games, Florida Atlantic, a career fair conversation about Atlas Shrugged, and eight years at Rocket Matter in multiple rolesMoving into sales engineering, solutions engineer, and sales operations manager, owning Salesforce integrations, automating syncs, and modernizing sales processesWhy Alejandro wanted an MBA at Duke, filling knowledge gaps in accounting, finance, and business administration, and how the hardest part was getting in, not the academicsUsing the MBA to pivot into product, recruiting for Google, Apple, Amazon, Wayfair, VMware, and landing a technical product management internship at Amazon during the first year of COVIDFalling in love with North Carolina, choosing not to move to Seattle, and building a relationship with the recruiter at Pendo, North Carolina’s first unicorn, to join a company that does software for product managersHow work hours, travel, and lifestyle in product management depend on company size, industry, and person, from nine to five with Slack after hours, to talks at Duke, onsite visits, and international trips to places like Mexico City, the UK, and South AmericaHow AI and LLMs fit into product and engineering work today, helping with unit testing, triaging bugs, document feedback, and quicker prototyping, while creativity, junior talent, and core coding remain essentialWho might be a good fit for product management, including people who like public speaking, talking to customers and C level leaders, dealing with ambiguity, and talking to a gamut of personalities across engineering, design, sales, and leadershipㅤ🔗 Resources MentionedPendo.ioRocket MatterFacebookThe Tipping Point by Malcolm GladwellAtlas ShruggedSalesforceFlorida AtlanticDuke University and Fuqua School of BusinessAmazonGoogleAppleWayfairVMwareBoltLovableV zero

Strategic career skills and the job market today are the focus as Larry Port sits down with his old friend Peri Ginsberg, founder and head coach of Workforce Ready Now. Peri works heavily with college graduates, new graduates, and really early stage professionals who are navigating the workforce and feeling the pressure that the first job is going to make or break their entire career.ㅤPeri shares how careers are rarely linear, how any job is going to teach you something, and how her own pivots from civil and environmental engineer to management consulting, Office Depot, and entrepreneurship built the wherewithal to do what she is doing today. Larry and Peri walk through what applicant tracking systems actually are, why they are not AI or a robot, and why keyword matching and formatting can stop you from getting an interview. They talk about the seven second test for resumes, students getting ghosted after hundreds or thousands of applications, and why networking, LinkedIn outreach, and relationship building are still the secret to landing jobs right now.ㅤ👤 Guest BioPeri Ginsberg is the founder and head coach of Workforce Ready Now and works heavily with college graduates, new graduates, and really early stage professionals in navigating the workforce. Educated as a civil and environmental engineer, she did that for a couple years, then transitioned into management consulting, which she really loved. After relocating to South Florida for family reasons and no longer being able to travel, Peri became a director in the project management office at Office Depot. Eventually she departed from the corporate lifestyle because she had that entrepreneurial bug, ran a hair salon for children, and pivoted through multiple roles that set her up for success as a coach on resumes, networking, and interviewing.ㅤ📌 What We CoverWhy careers are rarely linear, why that first job is not going to make or break your entire career, and how any job is going to teach you something, even what you do not like.Peri’s own pivots from civil and environmental engineer, to management consulting, to director in the project management office at Office Depot, to entrepreneurship and Workforce Ready Now.What applicant tracking systems are, why the ATS is not AI, not a robot, not an evil thing that is out to get you, and how must haves, nice to haves, and keyword matching score your resume.How pictures, a fancy logo, text boxes, and untraditional formatting can throw off the ATS, stop the system from parsing text correctly, and stop you from getting an interview, plus why ATS compliant templates matter.The difference between what the ATS cares about and what a human hiring manager cares about, including headings, dates, Times New Roman, tight spacing, one page resumes for college kids, and Peri’s seven second test with strategic bold and a touch of color.The Wall Street Journal picture of students sending out hundreds or thousands of resumes, getting crickets and being ghosted, blaming an evil applicant tracking system, and why networking is still essential.Networking that scares this generation, growing up behind a phone screen, the fear of picking up a phone and saying hello, and Peri’s coaching on LinkedIn messages that simply ask for a chat and information, not “Hey, will you hire me?”The Florida State and MLB story of Peri’s son, customized 300 character LinkedIn messages to three people at every MLB team, a call with someone at the Tampa Bay Rays, and an advocate who made sure three hiring managers had his resume in hand.Peri’s strategy of using AI and chat with ten job descriptions, creating three buckets, building three resumes around responsibilities, skills, and tools, and using those versions to match 95 percent of roles without customizing hundreds of times.The LinkedIn rule of three after every application: an alum, someone one or two years ahead who loves being asked for advice, and a manager or director or talent acquisition contact who can share what they look for in candidates.The UT Austin junior econ example, a student who applied to over a thousand jobs with no interviews, how a reworked, applicant tracking system friendly resume that shows what you can do opened three interviews in one week, and why the student did not change, only the way he communicated and represented himself.How Peri helps students with resume building, optimizing LinkedIn, networking, follow up beyond “I sent an email,” STAR methodology, behavioral, technical, and case interviews, marketing them into 500 or thousand strategic inboxes, and building confidence to articulate their value throughout their professional life.ㅤ🔗 Resources MentionedWorkforce Ready NowLinkedInIndeedWall Street JournalOffice DepotCommon AppOhio State and the Fisher School of BusinessFlorida StateMLBTampa Bay RaysUT Austin