Research, AI, & How Good Content Actually Gets Made | Nazmul Islam

In this Between the Seasons episode, host Pinaki Kathiari and producer Bree Bartos welcome Nazmul Islam — communications consultant and creator of History Meets Finance — for a grounded conversation about what it really takes to make thoughtful, well-researched content.Nazmul walks through how his research process has evolved over the years: from solo Googling, to hiring freelancers on Fiverr, to bringing on journalists for deep-dive research. He shares where AI tools like Claude and NotebookLM fit into his workflow now — and importantly, where they don’t replace human judgment.The conversation also covers the challenge of staying consistent on a passion project when no one’s making you do it, what it’s like to look at history and finance side by side, and why media literacy and source transparency matter more than ever in a world saturated with AI-generated content.In this episode, they discuss:How Nazmul built History Meets Finance from a weekend side project to 129K+ subscribersThe role of external accountability in staying consistent on passion projectsHow the research process evolved from solo Googling to working with journalistsWhere AI (Claude, NotebookLM, ChatGPT) fits — and where it doesn’tWhy entertainment is not the same as informationThe importance of source transparency and building trust with an audienceMedia literacy as a skill we all need to sharpen right nowWhat “follow the money” reveals about how society actually worksIt’s a practical, curious conversation for anyone who creates content, does research-heavy work, or is trying to figure out how to use AI without losing what makes their work worth trusting.Check out History Meets Finance here.Follow Nazmul on LinkedIn.---Connect with UsPinaki Kathiari – LinkedIn  | Local WisdomChris Lee – LinkedIn | Gallagher CommunicationBree Bartos – LinkedIn | Local WisdomSpecial thanks to digital communication agency Local Wisdom (www.localwisdom.com) for really believing in our mission and making this podcast possible. If this episode made you think differently, laugh, or even yell out loud, we want to hear about it! Connect with us on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to rate, review, and share – maybe with your work bestie… or even your boss if you're feeling bold. We also bring these important conversations to conferences and private workshops, creating space for real, meaningful change. Take the first step at www.whydoesitfeelsowrong.com.