#32: Ringing in a New Year of Mistakes

December 30, 2011 at 12:00pm • 37 minutes

Mike Monteiro and Katie Gillum spend their last episode of 2011 talking through why Louis C.K.’s comedy experiment works so well, high level and low level mistakes, and saying good bye.

#31: The Family Business

December 23, 2011 at 12:00pm • 44 minutes

This week Mike and Katie discuss mixing design work and family in a discussion that ends up being about whether you can ever go home again. They also talk about asking leading research questions, using fake metrics, and a little more about bad names for blankets.

#30: Holiday Mistakes: A Seasonal Special

December 16, 2011 at 12:00pm • 52 minutes

Mike and Katie celebrate the season of sharing and crying by getting visitors at the annual Mule Holiday party to share their biggest holiday mistakes. And because mistakes have no season, they get stories about Christmas Mistakes, Passover Mistakes, Festivus, Super Bowl, and many other mistakes.

#29: Of Shame and Quitting

December 9, 2011 at 3:45pm • 30 minutes

Mike and Katie discuss having (no) shame about your search history, where shame comes from, and quitting your job.

#28: Taking Responsibility

December 2, 2011 at 2:00pm • 47 minutes

Mike and Katie discuss bias and design flaws in Siri and about how people should respond to mistakes online, both their own mistakes and others’. After the topical business, they discuss what it means to “move up” in a design career and how to make decisions about promotions your work.

#27: Giving Thanks

November 18, 2011 at 12:00pm • 47 minutes

This week’s Let’s Make Mistakes is all about thanks. Mike and Katie talk about Thanksgiving as an immigrant, as an eater, as a member of a huge family. They discuss charging different rates for different jobs and when free work isn’t spec work.

#26: The Diabetes of Design

November 11, 2011 at 5:00pm • 54 minutes

This week is story time with Greg Storey on Let’s Make Mistakes. Mike, Katie, and Greg talk about requests for spec work, industrial interior design, and the artistry of grocery bagging.

#25: Bitching, Pitching, and "Innovation"

November 4, 2011 at 12:30pm • 46 minutes

Mike and Katie talk about olfactory hallucinations, discuss whether there is any real innovation, and make plans for the Let’s Make Mistakes field trips while fielding a variety of good questions from the loyal listeners of the show. Since recording we have found that Katie’s problem with local water was not all in her head.

#24: Generation X versus the Millennials

October 28, 2011 at 5:00pm • 52 minutes

Description: Solve all the world’s problems? Mike and Katie welcome tech journalist, former write-in San Francisco mayoral candidate, and southern gentleman: Mat Honan to talk about his ideas on how the youngish generations deal with adversity, journalistic “impartiality,” and Mike’s character. Corporate conferences, pivoting for personal wealth, and fat axl all make an appearance.

#23: Sí, Se Puede Diseñar

October 21, 2011 at 11:30am • 45 minutes

In this episode of Let’s Make Mistakes, the discussions centers on jobs, cartoons, and personal style. Mike Monteiro doesn’t like when people ask for free designer work; Katie Gillum is still fine talking to him when he’s angry, so they discuss if and when people might do spec work for the President’s new jobs program. A surprise “guest” stops to chat for a little while, and they put out an earnest request for visual representations of an NBA throwback Turducken.

#22: The Saddest Place on Earth

October 14, 2011 at 3:30pm • 37 minutes

Mike and Katie field their first “call-in” question and talk about not killing the design feedback messenger. Also they talk about the worst night of Mike’s life. They have a lot of big ideas, and they invite you, yes you, to submit a new type of question to Let’s Make Mistakes and sign up for their 3 on 3 league.

#21: Meth, Sexism, Racism, Meth, Design

October 7, 2011 at 9:00am • 39 minutes

Mike and Katie discuss design portfolio and how you represent your work, and they clarify misconceptions about “ethics” and design. They also put to rest the issues they have with meth and vegans, Mad Men and censorship, and plane etiquette.

#20: The Politics of Disagreement: From A to Zooey

September 30, 2011 at 1:30pm • 51 minutes

It turns out roving bands of angry people handle neighborhood matters very differently in Philadelphia and (everywhere else) San Francisco. Mike and Katie talk about disagreeing with clients on small issues, style, ethics, politics and when and how you do that. Also when Katie mentions Barth, Mike thinks she’s talking about Barthes. Can you imagine what philosophical hijinx could come of that!?

#19: The Dog Has A Bit of A Reputation in This Town: Part 2 of Interview with Chris Sacca

September 23, 2011 at 9:00am • 42 minutes

Today’s episode of Let’s Make Mistakes is a study in exciting data followed by tech and valley culture with some contract killings and pet talk mixed in. Mike and Katie discuss lying for an employer and then continue their discussion with Chris Sacca, who really throws down on cats in this episode.

Special guest: Chris Sacca

#18: What? No Pheasant!?: Part 1 of Interview with Chris Sacca

September 16, 2011 at 7:00pm • 48 minutes

Mike and Katie talk with Chris Sacca about being hugged by average tweeters who recognize the man on the street, hugging Ann Curry, and hugging the hustler inside you.

Special guest: Chris Sacca