New Podcast Fiction: Wunderkind!

For almost two years now I have officially been a podcaster as a co-host of the Cast of Dads podcast along with C.C. Chapman, Michael Sheehan, Brad Powell and Max Kalehoff.  While I love being one of the Cast of Dads, I have always wanted to try my hand at podcast fiction.  Finally, I have have dusted off something I've written that I think will lend itself well to the podcast medium, and I am announcing the launch of a new serialized podcast of an original comedy screenplay, "Wunderkind!"

I am very fortunate to consider many of the highly creative and innovative podcasters friends of mine, including Scott Sigler,  J.C. Hutchins, C.C. Chapman, Seth Harwood, Tee Morris and Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff, all of whom have been great examples and an inspiration to me.  I've learned a great deal from listening to them, and have enjoyed countless hours of entertainment from them (along with tens of thousands of their other loyal fans).  They've set the podcast bar pretty high, and I am sure, especially at the beginning, my attempt may be a little rough around the edges, but I am excited to dive in with the story and look forward to honing my podcasting skills along the way.

"Wunderkind!" is an original screenplay I wrote a while back.  It is an inside Hollywood comedy about a young film buff who unexpectedly becomes the next Hollywood wunderkind.  I was inspired to turn it into a podcast after I listened to Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff's fantastic podcast reading of his screenplay "Number One with a Bullet" (affiliate link), the first podcast of a screenplay read in screenplay format.  Listening to Mark, it dawned on me that I, too, had some potential podcast fodder in the form of my screenplay "Wunderkind!"

I hope you'll consider listening to "Wunderkind!", and if you do, I would love getting your feedback.  You can learn more about "Wunderkind!" and listen to it at www.WunderkindPodcast.com, and you can also subscribe in iTunes.

Hooray for Hollywood!

Be Insanely Great

I've lived my professional life in the entertainment, technology and mobile industries, and I am a conspicuous consumer, so, like so many of the humans on this planet, for the past 30 years my daily life has been touched in some way by the innovations and spirit of Steve Jobs.  When Steve Jobs resigned from his position as CEO of Apple, like most of you reading this, I took a moment to reflect upon how Jobs has impacted everyone who has a job in the industry I work in. How, for many years and in many ways, we have been touched by the Apple master.  Now, sadly, it is time to reflect again.

In Good Company

If you have ever started a company or worked for a startup, you know that going from good to great is not enough.  Today's best entrepreneurs want to go beyond, good, beyond great, to become an insanely great company.  The aspirations of a tech company to be "insanely great" are in part inspired by Apple's success and the term "insanely great" is most often attributed to Steve Jobs's description of his company and its products (some say he first used the term when introducing the Macintosh in 1984).

There's no question that Apple's iTunes has influenced the music industry and MP3 distribution in ways that have trickled down into every aspect of the music business.  Working in the mobile industry for over ten years, my world has certainly benefited from the positive impact the iPhone has had on pushing forward mobile web usage and handset innovation across the board (as I wrote about in Forbes). The entire mobile ecosystem has been directly and beneficially changed by the mobile app marketplace that the iPhone and iTunes App Store jump started.  The iPad, and all it has inspired, is leading the way to the "post PC" era, that Steve Jobs envisioned, and that our children will inherit and thrive within.

Be Insanely Great

We can certainly appreciate all that Steve Jobs accomplished, and tip our proverbial hats in honor and remembrance as we continue to enjoy the products and inspiration that are his legacy.  However, perhaps the best way to remember and honor Mr. Jobs is to recognize, once again, that our time here is limited, and that every single day we have the choice, in everything we do, to be good, to be great, or to be like Steve Jobs and be insanely great.

I am going to aspire for the latter.  How about you?

Above image: Hugh MacLeod