Science & Technology

Why hiring the weirdos works with Isaiah Granet, Bland

If one thing has become clear this season, it’s that there is no formula to building the perfect team. But no one breaks the mold quite like this week’s guest, Isaiah Granet, the co-founder and CEO of Bland. The voice AI startup has been growing at a breakneck speed but the founding team has taken…

Published

3 months ago

June 25, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

In this episode, Isabelle Johannessen and Isaiah Granet unpack a radically different approach to hiring that prioritizes aligned work ethic, curiosity, and flexibility rather than resumes and connections. So far, that approach has worked for Bland. The scrappy team has gone from pre-seed to series B in less than a year.

They discuss:

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How to identify “hidden gem” talent in unexpected places

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The role of cold inbound and unconventional sourcing

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When to hire ahead of need and when not to

•

How hiring philosophy shapes company culture at scale

Apply to Startup Battlefield: We are looking for early-stage companies that have an MVP. So nominate a founder (or yourself): techcrunch.com/apply () . Be sure to say you heard about Startup Battlefield from the Build Mode podcast.

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Use code buildmode15 for 15% off any ticket type.

Chapters:

00:00 — Hiring for Passion Over Pedigree
02:42 — Pivoting Into Voice AI
03:49 — Explosive Growth: Pre-Seed to Series B
05:00 — Surviving Hypergrowth
10:00 — Rethinking Hiring: Finding Hidden Talent
16:30 — Building and Scaling Culture
24:00 — Who to Hire (and When to Fire)
41:30 — Compensation, Equity, and Final Lessons

New episodes of Build Mode () drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

CNET

How to Claim ALL Your Amazon Prime Freebies

In this video, you will learn about every free perk available in your Amazon Prime account, along with some deeply discounted offers that most people are not aware of. From credits toward free movie rentals to free PC Game downloads and free Grubhub delivery fees, the Amazon Prime freebies listed in this video make the…

Published

1 day ago

October 6, 2026

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Read more about Amazon Prime Day Deals on CNET.com
I Found Over 75 Prime Day Deals Worth Grabbing Right Now

PCMag’s Amazon Prime Day Live Blog

Mashable’s Amazon Prime Day Deals Tracker

Lifehacker’s Prime Day 2026 Live Blog

ZDNET – How to get a free Amazon Prime trial to shop October Prime Day 2026 deals

Everything that comes with your Prime membership

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Introduction: Is Amazon Prime Worth It?
0:30 Category 1: Digital Entertainment & Media Freebies
0:36 Amazon Prime Video with NFL Thursday Night Football
0:42 Amazon Music Prime
0:50 Prime Reading
1:01 Amazon First Reads
1:12 Amazon Photos
1:20 How to Set Up Amazon Photos Auto-Backup
1:51 Ctegory 2: Dining, Travel and Daily Perks
1:55 Free Grubhub+ membership for free delivery fees
2:14 Gas/Fuel Savings with the Earnify App
2:39 Category 3: Gaming & Tech Freebies
2:42 Prime Gaming Free Monthly PC Game
2:51 Free Twitch Channel Subscription
2:55 Amazon Luna Cloud Gaming
3:02 Category 4: Delivery & Registry Extras
3:06 Amazon No-Rush Shipping Digital Promotional Credits
3:27 Release Date Delivery
3:38 Baby Registry Free Welcome Box
3:58 Amazon Key In-Garage Delivery
4:09 Category 5: Household Sharing & Exclusive Savings
4:13 Amazon Family Sharing
4:26 Whole Foods & Amazon Fresh Savings
4:37 Early Lightning Deals Access
4:45 Free Woot! Shipping
4:54 Category 6: Discounted Add-On Health Perks
5:01 RXPass Prescription Drug Subscriptions
5:08 One Medical Membership
5:21 Final Thoughts & Outro

Video Credits:
Produced By: Stephen Beacham
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

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#amazon #amazonprime #amazonprimevideo #amazonfinds #amazongadgets #amazonprimedaydeals

CNET

Getting Bridget’s REAL age?!

Bridget brings us along to test Apple’s updated Health app tools in iOS 27.2, which includes a series of tests to measure your health against your actual age. Watch the full ep on our channel. #onemorething #applehealth #applewatch #healthtech #smartwatch Host: Bridget Carey Editor: Carly Marsh

Published

2 days ago

October 5, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Host: Bridget Carey
Editor: Carly Marsh

CNET

I Rode in a Self-Driving Semi. Is Kodiak the Future of Trucking?

Kodiak is gearing up to deploy its fully driverless semi trucks on highways later this year, starting with Ikea. I took a ride to see the autonomous tech in action. Read more about Kodiak on CNET.com Ready for Driverless Trucks? I Took a Ride in Kodiak’s Autonomous Semi Timecode Chapters: 0:00 Intro 0:33 Kodiak AI…

Published

2 days ago

October 5, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Kodiak is gearing up to deploy its fully driverless semi trucks on highways later this year, starting with Ikea. I took a ride to see the autonomous tech in action.

Read more about Kodiak on CNET.com
Ready for Driverless Trucks? I Took a Ride in Kodiak’s Autonomous Semi

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:33 Kodiak AI
1:22 Ride along
3:00 Interview Kodiak COO
3:30 Sensor pod
3:45 GigaFusionNet
5:18 Conclusion

Video Credits:
Host: Abrar Al-Heeti
Scripted by: Abrar Al-Heeti
Producer: Celso Bulgatti
Camera: Celso Bulgatti
Video Editor: Celso Bulgatti
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao