Humans in the Loop

Most exits end with a badge drop and a goodbye speech. Martin’s ended with a new role—and a system designed around how his brain actually works. “Better Than Goodbye” is the Season 1 finale of Humans in the Loop, exploring how better questions at goodbye can reshape the future of work. Listen, subscribe, and share. Thank you so much for staying with us through Season 1!  Humans in the Loop returns...

Hannah spoke up when no one else did. She drafted the policy, carried the weight, and watched leadership stay silent—until her words appeared in their slides. “Doing the Work” is about equity labor, stolen credit, and the quiet exits that follow when trust is broken.  Support the show Humans in the Loop is independently produced by a team of neurodivergent creators and collaborators. Hosted by Ezr...

Meena seemed fine—always dependable, always helpful, always smiling through exhaustion. But being praised for never needing support came at a cost. This episode explores masking, fawning, boundaries, and what it takes to stop performing and start healing.  Support the show Humans in the Loop is independently produced by a team of neurodivergent creators and collaborators. Hosted by Ezra Strix, a c...

Maggie gave tech five years, her health, and everything she had, yet was still labeled “difficult.” This episode explores autism, gender bias, and the high cost of masking in corporate culture. It’s not about defeat, but about knowing when enough is enough.  Support the show Humans in the Loop is independently produced by a team of neurodivergent creators and collaborators. Hosted by Ezra Strix, a...

What happens when feedback is buried in politeness? In Nobody Told Me, a manager looks back on how silence and vague comments cost a strong performer her promotion. This Backchannel episode pairs with "Soft Skills Audit," revealing how cultures of indirect feedback fail both employees and leaders. Listen, reflect, and rethink how you share the truth at work. Support the show Humans in th...

What happens when your metrics are flawless, but you’re still called “too intense” or “not a cultural fit”? In “Soft Skills Audit,” Nadia delivers results but gets lost in a maze of tone policing, vibe checks, and vague feedback that never arrives. If you’ve ever been held to a moving standard, or watched neurodivergent strengths get reframed as risks, this episode is for you. Listen now, subscrib...

 What happens when being the team fixer goes from “lifesaver” to “liability”? In “The Pivot Reflex,” Liam navigates constant change, context switching, and the emotional whiplash of being indispensable, until a reorg turns his agility into a problem. If you’ve ever been praised for pivoting until it burned you out, or felt your strengths get rebranded as flaws, this one’s for you. Listen now, foll...

What happens when “we’ve got your back” only counts if it’s on paper? Cassandra had it all figured out, until a reorg meant her informal accommodations had to be formalized for a new boss who played by different rules. If you’ve ever relied on a handshake deal at work, this one’s for you. Listen now and learn why vibes alone won’t protect you.  Support the show Humans in the Loop is independently...

The HR rep who booked Penelope’s keynote records an apology she never sent. It’s a confession about good intentions, performative inclusion, and the painful gap between talking about neurodivergence and making space for it. Sometimes, the hardest truths come too late—and stay unsent. 👉 The last Backchannel in the "Quiet Architects" arc, following “It Didn’t Land” and “Focus Time Failed....

Ellie launched a “deep work” initiative, complete with color-coded focus blocks and surveys to measure engagement. But when silence came back as the only response, she declared the program a failure. Ezra challenges her on whether absence of data might have been the very proof she was looking for. A story about quiet, metrics, and missing the point. 👉 This conversation sits between the executive’...

The executive who approved Penelope’s keynote thought he was buying innovation. Instead, he says, “it didn’t land.” In this candid debrief, Ezra presses for plain English while the exec doubles down on flight metaphors and “strategic imperatives.” A story about turbulence, takeoffs, and what happens when big ideas never make it past the runway. 👉 This is the first Backchannel to "Quiet Archi...

Penelope was hired to spark innovation. She left the room exhausted. "Quiet Architects" tells the story of a neurodivergent consultant who offered blueprints for real change, only to discover her audience wanted soundbites, not scaffolding. When good intentions meet systems built to filter out difference, whose voice carries? And what happens when the only applause you get is for the key...

How do bipolar disorder, mania, and psychosis shape cybersecurity talent? In this episode of Humans in the Loop , cybersecurity analyst Alex reveals how neurodivergent minds excel at pattern recognition and threat detection, yet still face bias in performance reviews and workplace culture. Host Ezra Strix and Alex’s manager, David, unpack mental health stigma, neuroinclusion, and what true advocac...

When the brakes are ripped out of a moving car, what do you do next? Frank didn’t think the AI Ethics team would be the ones to go, but now he’s left navigating guilt, isolation, and a workplace stripped of its conscience. If you’ve ever watched your company trade values for efficiency, this episode’s for you. Hit play and join the conversation on what it really means to lose your moral compass at...

What happens when your worth at work is decided by code? In Algorithmic Exit, James, a loyal employee, is cut loose, not by a person, but by an algorithm. This episode of Humans in the Loop explores the human cost of automated layoffs, what’s lost when decisions are made by machines, and how James navigates the emotional aftermath of being let go without warning or reason. From the first confusing...

Is stress leave really safe to use? In The Risk is You, Elena unpacks the stigma and silent career risks around taking time off for mental health. Candid stories, real talk, and a satirical ad break down why workplace culture, not the benefits, still holds us back. If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s safe to ask for help at work, or worried about the consequences, this episode is for you. Listen...

Leadership isn’t about how much someone can handle. It’s about how often you ask them to. In this episode of Humans in the Loop , Sophie, a well-meaning but overzealous manager, reflects on how one high-performing employee—Ryan—nearly burned out under the weight of vague feedback, invisible expectations, and overcompensating for his own wiring. From misreading perfectionism as passion to missing t...

Some employees go above and beyond until there’s nothing left to give. In this episode of Humans in the Loop , we meet Ryan: a brilliant data analyst whose intensity, perfectionism, and internal pressure masked a growing mental health crisis. Diagnosed with ADHD, OCD, and Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria, Ryan talks with host Ezra Strix about what led to his burnout, why he struggled to ask for hel...

Nina sees patterns others miss. When she spots a privacy risk, she follows protocol—flag it, escalate it, fix it. But instead of receiving thanks, she’s punished: brushed off by her manager, resented by her team, and stuck cleaning up the mess she tried to prevent. In this episode of Humans in the Loop , we unpack what happens when speaking up backfires, and what real psychological safety looks li...

Jordan and Sasha don’t know Christopher, but they know the tools his managers used. The policies. The performance system. The need to sound aligned, reasonable, calibrated—no matter what’s actually happening on the team. In this companion to Trust and Bias in AI Decision Making (Episode 3), we step sideways into the world of HR-approved feedback, alignment meetings, and quiet complicity. What happ...

Christopher was a high-performing engineer, but his performance reviews were vague: generic praise, no specifics. When an AI system summarized that input for leadership, it didn’t clarify his value. It erased it. In this episode of Humans in the Loop , we explore how vague manager feedback, combined with AI-generated summaries, can derail career advancement for neurodivergent professionals. You’ll...

Claire wasn’t lazy. She was overwhelmed. Constant noise. Harsh lighting. Interrupted focus. She masked it all—until she couldn’t. In this episode of Humans in the Loop , we explore what happens when neurodivergent employees experience chronic sensory overload, and how inclusive workplace design and proactive leadership can prevent burnout before it begins. Because inclusion isn’t just about empath...

In a world built on performance, this podcast chooses presence. Humans in the Loop explores neurodiversity and workplace culture with satire and heart. The host isn't real, but the stories are. Support the show Humans in the Loop is independently produced by a team of neurodivergent creators and collaborators. Hosted by Ezra Strix, a custom AI voice built with ElevenLabs. Explore episodes, tr...

Jo didn’t break the rules. They just couldn’t see the ones no one wrote down. After making a thoughtful suggestion, they were removed from the project alias. When they filled a workflow gap, they were accused of overstepping…by someone they’d never met. In the debut episode of Humans in the Loop , we explore what happens when neurodivergent professionals contribute with clarity and initiative, onl...