• What It's Like To Be...

  • By: Dan Heath
  • Podcast

What It's Like To Be...

By: Dan Heath
  • Summary

  • Curious what it would be like to walk in someone else’s (work) shoes? Join New York Times bestselling author Dan Heath as he explores the world of work, one profession at a time, and interviews people who love what they do. What does a couples therapist think when a friend asks for relationship advice? What happens if a welder fails to wear safety glasses? What can get a stadium beer vendor fired? If you’ve ever met someone whose work you were curious about, and you had 100 nosy questions but were too polite to ask … well, this is the show for you.

    © 2025 What It's Like To Be...
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Episodes
  • A Software Engineer
    Apr 22 2025

    Tracing mysterious errors to their source, jousting with product managers, and rolling out new features (without breaking the old ones) with Taylor Hughes, a software engineer. How did one failed software fix ruin Christmas for kids around the country? And what is "spaghetti code"?

    Taylor is currently a co-founder and the CTO at Hypernatural.ai.

    NEW BOOK ALERT!
    You may be aware that I’ve written or co-written five business books, including The Power of Moments and Made to Stick. I’ve got a sixth book out now called RESET: How to Change What’s Not Working. It’s a book intended to help you and your team get unstuck, to overcome the gravity of the way things have always worked. Learn more about the book and order it here. You can also listen to it on Audible and at Apple Books.

    Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.com

    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    • What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    • What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
    Show More Show Less
    31 mins
  • A City Manager
    Apr 8 2025

    Mediating pickleball noise disputes, shepherding communities through thorny decisions, and practicing radical pragmatism with Martha Bennett, city manager of Lake Oswego, Oregon. What is it that makes public hearings so noxious? And what's the difference between "Big P" and "Little P" politics?

    NEW BOOK ALERT!
    You may be aware that I’ve written or co-written five business books, including The Power of Moments and Made to Stick. I’ve got a sixth book out now called RESET: How to Change What’s Not Working. It’s a book intended to help you and your team get unstuck, to overcome the gravity of the way things have always worked. Learn more about the book and order it here. You can also listen to it on Audible and at Apple Books.

    Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.com

    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    • What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    • What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • A Barman
    Mar 25 2025

    Pouring pints for thirsty tourists, defusing situations with drunk patrons, and finding flow in the Friday night rush with Brian Wynne, a barman in Dublin. What caused one customer to throw a dog at Brian? And what is "craic"?

    If you'd like to reach-out to Brian, we'll pass along your note. Just email dan@whatitslike.com

    NEW BOOK ALERT!
    You may be aware that I’ve written or co-written five business books, including The Power of Moments and Made to Stick. I’ve got a sixth book out now called RESET: How to Change What’s Not Working. It’s a book intended to help you and your team get unstuck, to overcome the gravity of the way things have always worked. Learn more about the book and order it here. You can also listen to it on Audible and at Apple Books.

    Got a comment or suggestion for us? You can reach us via email at jobs@whatitslike.com

    Want to be on the show? Leave a message on our voice mailbox at (919) 213-0456. We’ll ask you to answer two questions:

    • What do people think your job is like and what is it actually like?
    • What’s a word or phrase that only someone from your profession would be likely to know and what does it mean?
    Show More Show Less
    36 mins

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