Becoming a Dad, AI Disruptions, and Wes’ Latest Life Optimization Epiphany

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WORK IN PROGRESS

Wes Botman, Ian Piepenbrock

22 episodes

6 days ago

WORK IN PROGRESS is a raw, unfiltered look at the grind of building and scaling in tech and services. Hosted by founders Ian Piepenbrock and Wes Botman, it’s for those in the trenches—still learning, still failing, still pushing. Each episode dives into the reality of running a business: the wins, the losses, and the lessons earned through hard work and constant experimentation. If you’re scaling, building, or just obsessed with the process, WORK IN PROGRESS delivers insights from founders in it, day in and day out.

Entrepreneurship

Business

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All content for WORK IN PROGRESS is the property of Wes Botman, Ian Piepenbrock and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Entrepreneurship

Business

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Becoming a Dad, AI Disruptions, and Wes’ Latest Life Optimization Epiphany - Episode 14

WORK IN PROGRESS

59 minutes 8 seconds

9 months ago

Becoming a Dad, AI Disruptions, and Wes’ Latest Life Optimization Epiphany - Episode 14

In this episode of WORK IN PROGRESS, Ian and Wes cover a mix of personal milestones, business insights, and AI-driven industry shifts:

Fatherhood and Life Changes – Ian shares the news of becoming a dad, and Wes reflects on his own journey as a parent, including the unexpected realities of raising a child.

DeepSeek AI and OpenAI’s Competition – A discussion on DeepSeek’s rise, its cost advantages, and whether it truly threatens AI incumbents like OpenAI

The Future of Compliance & AI Automation – Wes breaks down how AI is set to transform compliance-heavy industries, reducing inefficiencies and eliminating outdated workflows.

The YC 2025 Startup List – Ian and Wes review Y Combinator’s latest funding priorities, including AI-driven automation and vertical SaaS, debating whether these trends are actually groundbreaking.

AI Agents in Recruiting – The duo discusses Bordy, an AI-driven recruiter, and the inevitable automation of human-first industries.

Wes’ Obsessive Optimization Phase – Another episode, another diet and lifestyle overhaul. Wes explains his latest extreme self-improvement regimen, Ian roasts him for it, and they both agree that placebo might be 90% of the battle.

With humor, sharp analysis, and deep reflections, this episode covers some of the most relevant shifts in tech, business, and life—while reminding us all that Wes will never stop finding the ultimate way to live.

Timestamps:
(0:00) Intro and banter
(2:14) Ian announces he's becoming a dad
(8:37) Parenting reflections and dad jokes
(14:52) Wes’ latest life and diet optimization obsession
(22:25) DeepSeek AI and the competition with OpenAI
(32:18) AI's impact on compliance and regulatory automation
(42:47) The rise of AI recruiters and automated hiring
(50:33) Breaking down YC’s 2025 startup trends
(55:46) Closing reflections

The WORK IN PROGRESS podcast hosted by Ian Piepenbrock and Wes Botman, two founders who are scaling and refining their businesses every day. Wes Botman is founder and CEO at ⁠⁠Eli5⁠⁠ (https://eli5.io), a software studio making complex ideas simple and accessible. Ian Piepenbrock is CEO at ⁠⁠Noco⁠⁠ (https://noco.agency), an agency dedicated to helping B2B SaaS and tech companies grow through strategic web design and branding. Watch/listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cOqBRMjjgcXKSDDIboKrt?si=6990da66e09e4ef2 Follow us on X for more raw insights, thoughts, and a good dose of founder reality: Wes: ⁠⁠@wesbotman⁠⁠ (https://x.com/wesbotman) Ian: ⁠⁠@lamswolprins (https://x.com/lamswolprins)