UnNatural Selection

What happens when software engineers stop writing code, and start directing machines that write it for them? In this episode, Jesse Vincent , founder of Prime Radiant and creator of the open-source Superpowers framework, explores the next evolution of software development: agentic coding. As AI takes on more of the execution, the bottleneck shifts upstream, from writing code to defining intent, br...

Dan Winger spent 18 years at LEGO designing the future of play. Now he’s doing something counterintuitive: building a new category of games by looking backward. In this episode, Dan explains how he identified an overlooked niche in stagnant barroom gaming, designed around social behavior rather than technology, and turned an experimental product into a rapidly emerging business. We explore niche s...

What if some of medicine’s biggest opportunities lie not in inventing new treatments, but in questioning what we already accept as standard practice? Dr. Rishi Singh , Chair of Ophthalmology at Mass General Brigham and Professor at Harvard Medical School , joins Nic to explore the evolution of ophthalmology through AI, imaging, oculomics, precision medicine, and remote care. They examine how AI ca...

Research & Diagnostics: Illumina • Eric Green What happens when the architect of genomic innovation inside government moves into one of the industry's most important companies? Dr. Eric Green , Chief Medical Officer of Illumina and former NHGRI Director, reflects on the transition from government to industry—and what it reveals about how innovation actually scales. The conversation explores pu...

Management Consulting: Putnam Associates • Matt Riordan What happens when AI makes answers abundant, routine work cheap, and entire business models vulnerable to disruption? Matt Riordan , CEO of Putnam Associates , joins Nic to explore how AI is transforming management consulting – and what that transformation reveals about competition, innovation, and organizational survival. Matt explains why t...

Stop the Wildfire Early Can we stop Alzheimer’s before it starts? Dr. Rudy Tanzi – Harvard Medical School professor, Director of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Mass General Brigham , and one of the pioneers of Alzheimer’s genetics – joins UnNatural Selection to explore how decades of discovery are changing our approach to one of humanity’s most feared diseases. Tanzi explains why the field...

Veterinary Health: Embark • Ameesh Desai What happens when pets become family – and when science gives us more information about them than ever before? Amish Desai , CEO of Embark Veterinary , joins UnNatural Selection to explore the transformation of pet health from breed identification and DNA testing toward personalized, preventative care. We talk about the humanization of pets, changing demogr...

Human Performance: Formula One • Mark Arnall What does it take to perform at the limit – again and again – in one of the most demanding environments on earth? Mark Arnall spent 26 years as a performance coach in Formula One , working with world champions including Mika Häkkinen , Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel . Today, he leads human performance for Formula One and applies the lessons of elit...

Sustainable Energy: World Energy • Gene Gebolys What does it really take to disrupt an industry that powers the modern world? Gene Gebolys has spent nearly 30 years working to displace fossil energy with cleaner alternatives. As founder, Chair, and CEO of World Energy , he helped pioneer sustainable aviation fuel and is now working on something potentially even more transformative: creating market...

Ocean Exploration & Science: WHOI • David Gallo What if the greatest frontier for innovation isn't space—but the ocean beneath our feet? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic Encina sits down with legendary ocean explorer David Gallo to explore how curiosity has driven some of humanity's greatest discoveries. From mapping the RMS Titanic and searching for Air France Flight 447 to pionee...

Competitive Motorsports: NASCAR • CJ McLaughlin Most people think NASCAR is about driving fast. It's actually about competing within constraints. In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic Encina sits down with professional NASCAR driver CJ McLaughlin to explore how innovation survives when almost everything is standardized. From aerodynamics and simulation to sponsorships, psychology, AI, and r...

Narrative Design & World-Building: USC Media Lab • Alex McDowell What if innovation isn't about inventing better products – but about designing entirely new worlds? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic Encina sits down with legendary production designer and futurist Alex McDowell , whose groundbreaking work on Minority Report helped pioneer modern world building and accurately anticipa...

Elite Combat Sports: Pro MMA • Fernanda Araujo What separates elite performers from everyone else? According to world champion martial artist Fernanda Araujo , it isn't talent—it's the ability to keep moving forward when everything inside you wants to quit. In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic explores competition, adaptation, resilience, and personal evolution through the lens of combat s...

What makes an experience unforgettable? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic sits down with hospitality entrepreneur and industry provocateur Bashar Wali to explore why the future of hospitality — and perhaps business itself — depends less on luxury and more on human connection. From “longing for belonging” to frictionless technology, Bashar explains why most companies misunderstand loyalt...

What happens to human creativity when AI begins doing more of the thinking for us? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic Encina sits down with renowned creativity researcher James Kaufman to explore the psychology of innovation, the Four-C Model of Creativity, and the evolving relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence. Together, they unpack why creativity is one of h...

Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape healthcare, drug discovery, diagnostics, and even the structure of business itself. In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic Encina sits down with Harry Glorikian — General Partner at Scientia Ventures and Research Affiliate at the MIT Media Lab — to explore the collision between AI, biology, venture capital, and the future of innovation. Togethe...

What allows some companies to survive technological revolutions while others disappear? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , host Nic Encina sits down with Sam Schillace — CVP and Deputy CTO at Microsoft , serial entrepreneur, founder of Writely (which became Google Docs ), and one of the leading thinkers shaping the future of AI and software platforms. Together, they explore how major platfor...

What really happened when Uber disrupted the taxi industry ? In this episode of UnNatural Selection , host Nic Encina sits down with Matthew W. Daus , the longest-serving Chair of the New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission and one of the world’s leading experts on transportation regulation and mobility technology. – This conversation goes far beyond taxis – Together, they unpack how Uber an...

What makes great comedy survive? In Episode 54, Nic speaks with Emmy Award-winning writer, director, and producer David Mandel – the creative force behind Veep , Seinfeld , Curb Your Enthusiasm , Saturday Night Live , and more – about the hidden systems behind some of the most influential comedy ever created. From the legendary Seinfeld writers’ room to running Veep during one of the most politica...

Formula One is one of the most technologically advanced and hyper-competitive industries on Earth. In Episode 53 , Nic speaks with Shergul Arshad , Head of North America for Aston Martin Formula One, about what it takes to compete in a world where races – and championships – can be decided by hundredths of a second. Shergul takes us behind the scenes of modern Formula One: AI-driven engineering, r...

Candles are one of the oldest technologies in human history. They lit our homes, guided our nights, and shaped civilization – until the light bulb nearly made them obsolete. So how does a 3,000-year-old industry reinvent itself and grow in a world flooded with artificial light? In Episode 52 of UnNatural Selection , Nic speaks with Rodney Harl , Chairman of Alene Candles , about innovation, safety...

Breakthroughs don’t fail because of bad science – they fail because the systems needed to deliver them don’t exist yet. In this episode of UnNatural Selection , Nic speaks with Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos , Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer at Danaher , about the hidden bottlenecks slowing progress in life sciences – and what they reveal about innovation in every industry. JC shares...

Tacos might be one of the most commoditized products on the planet. You can find them everywhere, at every price point, in nearly every city. So how do you build a truly distinctive brand around something so common ? In this Season 2 premiere of UnNatural Selection , we explore how bartaco has done exactly that. CEO Anthony Valletta shares how the company escaped the commodity trap by focusing on...

Adaptability Starts at Home In this special pre–Season 2 episode of UnNatural Selection , the microphones move from global innovators to a much tougher audience: family. Before the official Season 2 kickoff, the Encina family gathers in the “Family Board Room” for a strategic review of Season 1. The goal? Apply lessons from world-class pioneers to the far more complex challenge of everyday family...

What does it take to reinvent a podcast for its next phase of growth? In this April Fool’s special of UnNatural Selection , we convene a high-stakes programming strategy session to chart the future of Season Two. To lead the effort, we’ve brought in Valentina Encina–Chief Content Officer, head of household programming, and a six-year-old executive with a flawless track record and absolute authorit...