Damns Given with Nick Richtsmeier
(formerly Working/Broken)
Brains On. Hearts Open. Forward Motion... for the Post-Digital World.
The world has gotten very good at telling us what’s broken. Platforms. Politics. Power. Business. Culture. Every feed reminds us we’re smaller than we thought, and that the real decisions are being made somewhere else.
When that message sinks in deeply enough, disengagement, even nihilism start become the default position. Businesses holding out for "someday." Ideas in limbo. Fear run amok. Our ability to make the world a long lost fantasy. We become spectators in a life we’re supposed to be living.
Damns Given is a show for those who refuse to surrender their agency.
Hosted by strategist and author Nick Richtsmeier, Damns Given is a forum for
Nick and his guests fight back against the "it-is-what-it-is-isms" of our day and the abandonment of agency that the algorithmic systems have demanded of us, calling us forward into a post-digital world where we are free again to ask betting questions of:
- How the internet has trained us to think algorithm-first and self-second
- Why our attention is our most powerful (and misdirected) asset
- What happens when leaders disconnect from real human scale
- How to build a meaningful life and business without waiting for permission
- The small decisions and risks that actually move the world forward
The premise is simple:
We already know what’s broken.
Now we ask:
How do we show up anyway?
No doomscrolling disguised as insight. No performing for the feed. Just honest conversations with thinkers, builders, and leaders who are navigating this moment with clarity — and giving a damn about the future they’re helping shape.
Because the game isn’t over. And the people who still care will decide what happens next.
You can find additional resources at DamnsGiven.com.
Damns Given with Nick Richtsmeier
AI Transformation Hype and the Future of Software with Amy Carrillo Cotten
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Episode 2.03: In this episode of Damns Given, host Nick Richtsmeier interviews Amy Carrillo Cotten, an expert in engineering transformation who answers the question, "What's the future of software engineering now that AI is here?"
Software is the canary in the coal mine of the new economy. It's where AI has promised the most revolutionary change. But what if it’s not changing software development like we think?
We'll answer that question by exploring the unique way AI tooling, like Claude Code, has impacted software engineering and SAAS ventures. Amy will share her insights leading teams in implementing AI and what's giving her hope in 2026.
Even if you're not in software engineering, this episode will give you honest insights on how engineers, coders, and SAAS professionals are viewing the impact of generative AI tools, and how ventures can incorporate AI in a trust-made way.
Get the Show Notes at: https://DamnsGiven.com
Join the Trust-Made Growth Guild at https://TrustMadeGrowth.com
Start the conversation with Nick at https://CultureCraft.com
Connect with Amy at https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-carrillo-cotten/
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Episode 2.03
13:33 Meet Amy Carillo Cotten
15:55 What do Software Engineers Think of AI?
17:00 Is AI Existential?
26:55 How SAAS Could Shift
30:00 Employment and AI
35:52 How smart is AI?
40:05 AI's Impact on Craft
49:02 What Gives Amy Hope?
51:35 Post-Interview Thoughts
55:57 The One Thing Leaders Must Do
Trust-Made Growth®
Leaders who want to understand how to reformat their growth strategies to address trust decay should explore more at CultureCraft.com
Independent Professionals can join the free community exploring how to return trust to our commerce and our communities at trustmadegrowth.com
Have a business topic you want us to decide if it's working or broken? Have a question about the episode? You can email us at podcast@culturecraft.com.
