In this (final official!) episode, Bernie reflects on how the most meaningful turns in life often come from chance rather than careful planning. He shares his own serendipitous journey to becoming a professor at Stanford (involving a case of two professors named Arnold), his unexpected entry into robotics, how a single phone call led to his pioneering work in design —and why saying “yes” at the right time matters.

We’re joined by David Janka, a physician-turned-designer and faculty member at Stanford’s d.school. David opens up about leaving medicine to explore design, how the Designer in Society class helped him navigate that transition, and why creating a physical project in the class, a gift for friends, became a pivotal part of his journey. 

Together, we explore questions of work, purpose, and meaning, with a little help from Gandhi and E.F. Schumacher.

00:00 Life is a c***shoot: accidents that shape our paths

01:00 Bernie on chance and opportunity

02:34 The wrong Arnold: how Bernie got to Stanford

06:13 A phone call that led to robotics

07:10 Another call that sparked Designer in Society

09:03 Are we the type of people who say yes or no?

10:00 The blessing (and curse) of work

12:53 The “Who am I?” exercise

17:30 Introducing David Janka

21:16 David’s Designer in Society project

28:25 Serendipity, careers, and saying yes

30:29 Bernie’s Burning Man camp

Follow us on Instagram: @yelloweyedcatspodcast to see extras from this episode, like David's atrium staircase.

Co-hosts: Bernie Roth & Krista Donaldson; Producer: Krista Donaldson