The Crazy One cover art
Podcast · 14 episodes

The Crazy One

by Stephen Gates · English

The Crazy One is an award-winning podcast for creatives, leaders, and anyone who refuses to settle. Hosted by renowned designer and global design leader Stephen Gates, this show delivers unfiltered honesty, actionable insights, and hard-won wisdom to help you grow your creativity, lead with confidence, and build a meaningful career. With over two decades leading world-class design teams at companies like InVision, Citi, Starwood Hotels, WW, and McCann Erickson, Stephen has built brands and digital experiences for clients including Disney, American Airlines, W Hotels, Verizon, Acura, and more — work that’s earned over 150 international awards and has been featured by Apple in 10 keynotes, 4 commercials, and the Human Interface Guidelines. Now as the founder of CRZY, an independent strategy and design studio, he’s helping companies find bold new visions for their brands, experiences, and creative futures. Through The Crazy One, he shares everything he’s learned along the way — from integrating behavioral science with human-centered design to navigating imposter syndrome to building a career and creative life on your own terms. With over 100 episodes and a loyal global audience, The Crazy One has been named: • Webby Award Honoree for Best Technology Podcast • #1 Podcast by Inside Design, HOW Design Live, and Springboard • 5-star rated across every iTunes Store worldwide This is more than a design podcast. It’s a wake-up call. A masterclass. A real-talk guide for finding your voice, owning your crazy, and changing the game. No BS. No buzzwords. Just real insights from someone who’s been there.

Latest episodes

All episodes

Ep 152 Tough Topics: Your Brand Isn't the Logo. It's the Standard Behind It.Brand value comes from standards and trust, not just the logo or visual execution.11 Sep 2026 · 27 min · 9 chapters
Ep 151 Career: Believing in Yourself Is an Act of WillSelf-belief for creatives as an “act of will,” repeatedly tested by workplace systems that try to minimize talent; standing up for your value is often misread as being a troublemaker.3 Sep 2026 · 23 min · 10 chapters
Ep 150 Creativity: What 10 years of making The Crazy One taught meStephen Gates marks the 10-year, 150th episode milestone of The Crazy One, reflecting on what he learned about creativity, authenticity, leadership, and building a creative career without chasing…26 Aug 2026 · 35 min · 12 chapters
Ep 149 Career: You're underpriced because you're under confident.Freelance/agency pricing confidence—creatives underprice because they lack confidence, not because client budgets are “misaligned.” Host Stephen Gates cites a survey of ~1,300 freelance…5 Aug 2026 · 27 min · 8 chapters
Ep 148 Creativity: 7 Years, 3 Buzzwords, 2 Studies, and 1 Constant ProblemCreativity-to-impact gap in organizations. Compares Stephen Gates’ 2019 “Design Frontier” study (Envision; ~2,200 designers across 77 countries) with an Accenture Song study (Nick Laws; ~1,700+…26 Jun 2026 · 36 min · 14 chapters
Ep 147 Leadership: Judgment, Taste, and the Five Things AI Still Can't TouchLeadership in the age of AI—shifting from valuing execution/output to cultivating judgment, taste, connection, and systems stewardship; redefining team value and org structure.18 Jun 2026 · 35 min · 12 chapters
Ep 146 AI: Premortems, Because A.I. Won't Wait for a RetrospectiveThe episode argues that “ship it, fix it later” is failing and that AI accelerates consequences, making premortems (pre-mortem risk planning) mandatory.21 May 2026 · 26 min · 9 chapters
Ep 145 Creativity: Stop Asking AI to Agree With YouArgues that many people use AI as a “yes machine” to confirm ideas they already believe, weakening creativity and decision-making.14 May 2026 · 17 min · 8 chapters
Ep 144 AI: Your Company Decided Your Value Before AI ExistedAI won’t automatically replace creatives; layoffs happen because companies already categorized certain roles as low-value execution.6 May 2026 · 23 min · 10 chapters
Ep 143 AI: AI Isn't a Tool Problem. It's a Culture Problem.AI adoption as a culture/leadership problem, not a tool problem. The episode argues that “plausible noise” (AI outputs that sound expert but lack real thinking) is collapsing accountability and…29 Apr 2026 · 23 min · 9 chapters
Ep 142 AI: The hidden cost of plausible, almost-right workThe “hidden cost” of AI-generated work that sounds right and passes quick review (“plausible noise”), but lacks real strategy, expertise, and accountability—leading to generic,…15 Apr 2026 · 21 min · 9 chapters
Ep 139 Career: The Hard Truth About Creativity’s Role in Business Today (and Yesterday)In this episode, host Stephen Gates delivers a heartfelt and direct commentary on the current state of the design industry, addressing issues such as undervalued creativity, the impact of AI, and…26 Apr 2025 · 17 min
Ep 138 Creativity: AI Isn’t the Enemy. Complacency Is.In this episode, Stephen Gates addresses the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the creative industry.9 Apr 2025 · 19 min
Ep 137 Career: The Pros and Cons of Going Out on Your OwnIn this episode of The Crazy One, host Stephen Gates reflects on his journey of leaving the corporate world to start his own design studio.3 Apr 2025 · 24 min