Monetized

Fifteen percent of the world lives with a disability—but most products still ship with barriers built in. In this episode, accessibility specialist and UX researcher Laura Wissiak explains why “if it’s not accessible, it’s not usable” and how treating accessibility as an add‑on is costing companies real money. We go from her early UX days and the question “why is this not accessible?” to her work at HopeTech, where she co‑builds Sixth Sense, a shoulder‑worn navigation aid for blind and low‑vision users that augments (instead of replacing) the white cane.Laura shares how she turned her research notes into A11y News, a blog and newsletter that grew into conference talks, government citations, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 nod—despite her initial fear of “not knowing enough” to publish. We talk about why startups ignore accessibility until it’s too late, what “community‑led” assistive tech actually looks like, and how to hire disabled talent in a way that improves both your product and your team. Then we dive into practical playbooks for creators and tech companies: from better captions and audio descriptions to rethinking input methods beyond the mouse and baking accessibility into every role instead of one overwhelmed specialist.If you work in product, UX, or content—and you want your next “growth lever” to be actually including more people instead of excluding them—this episode will give you concrete steps, mindset shifts, and lots of real‑world examples you can apply immediately.🔗 Follow Laura WissiakWebsite: https://www.laura-wissiak.com/A11y News newsletter: a11ynews.substack.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-wissiak/Listen to Monetized on Spotify: Music creditsIntro music: “Fragments” by Rusanda Panfili & Johannes Winkler.Outro music: “Know My Number” by Lucy Dreams.🎙 Timestamps00:00 – Intro and Laura’s background in UX and accessibility01:01 – What accessibility really means (and why it’s the foundation of usability)02:33 – Disability statistics, market size, and why 15–24% is still overlooked05:48 – Why startups ignore accessibility and treat it as a “cost factor”08:12 – HopeTech, assistive tech, and finding product‑market fit with blind users19:36 – The origin of Sixth Sense and why replacing the white cane failed28:39 – Structural barriers, extra costs, and mission‑driven investors in accessibility40:02 – A11y News: from first blog posts to conferences and government shout‑outs45:18 – Accessibility tips for content creators: captions, visual descriptions, brand voice51:35 – What’s next for HopeTech and Laura’s vision for accessibility in tech

Reinier Zonneveld trained an AI on 80 days of his own music and then took it on stage for marathon live sets with robots, holograms and a Guinness World Record in the bag. In this conversation, we go from his childhood between Metallica and classical piano to becoming one of the most streamed techno artists in the world and founder of Filth on Acid.We talk about how he walked away from a “safe” econometrics career, why big labels first passed on his tracks, and how that led to a label, a collab with Carl Cox, and music that ended up in major TV and streaming placements. Then we dive into the wild part: Reinier’s AI setup trained only on his own catalog, playing back-to-back with him for up to 10–11 hours.​If you care about techno, live performance, or what AI is really doing to music right now, this episode is a must-watch.🔗 Follow Reinier ZonneveldSpotify: [search “Reinier Zonneveld”]SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/reinier-zonneveldInstagram: @reinierzonneveldMusic creditsIntro music: “Fragments” by Rusanda Panfili & Johannes Winkler.Outro music: “Know My Number” by Lucy Dreams.-------------------------------------------------------learn more about Talentir and what we are building here:https://www.talentir.com/home

In this episode, we sit down with Jens Thele, the mastermind behind Kontor Records and the long-time partner of HP Baxxter (Scooter). Jens isn't just a label boss; he’s an architect of the electronic music scene.He talks about hustling in the physical era of vinyl and MTV, navigating the shift to digital and YouTube, and why long-term success comes from betting early on electronic music, trusting young talent, and going the extra mile when others won’t. The conversation also dives into wild early Scooter stories, the realities of live touring, and how AI, catalog deals, and TikTok are reshaping A&R and the future of hits.Music creditsIntro music: “Fragments” by Rusanda Panfili & Johannes Winkler.Outro music: “Know My Number” by Lucy Dreams.-------------------------------------------------------learn more about Talentir and what we are building here:https://www.talentir.com/home#Scooter #HPBaxxter #HyperHyper #KontorRecords #TechnoHistory #Frontschwein #ElectronicMusic #90sTechno

What if monthly salaries are just as outdated as fax machines?We sit down with a trend researcher and futurologist Tristan Horx who advises banks, Fortune 500 companies, and governments across Europe. We explore why monthly pay is a cultural relic from the industrial age, how crypto was a rebellion against broken financial systems, why Gen Z has stopped believing in the future, and why Europe is stuck while the digital age is already here.​This conversation will change how you think about your paycheck, your career, and the systems we've been told are "just the way things are."​More from our guest:https://www.tristan-horx.com/Music creditsIntro music: “Fragments” by Rusanda Panfili & Johannes Winkler.Outro music: “Know My Number” by Lucy Dreams.

When three WU Vienna students accidentally discovered demand for a niche creator marketplace, they built it strategically, not chasing hype. Today, Maloum processes millions in creator transactions monthly with 80-90% profit margins.In this episode, our Tobias Mittendorfer reveals how they've outmaneuvered larger competitors through payment reliability, personalized creator support, and an obsessive focus on profitability over vanity metrics.From bootstrapping through their first euro, navigating VC constraints in regulated markets, to expanding globally while maintaining Austrian values: this is the insider's playbook for building sustainable creator infrastructure that creators actually trust.Music creditsIntro music: “Fragments” by Rusanda Panfili & Johannes Winkler.Outro music: “Know My Number” by Lucy Dreams.

In this episode, we sit down with Yat Siu, founder and CEO of Animoca Brands—a Web3 venture capital firm managing $1.8 billion in assets and supporting 600+ portfolio companies.Yat breaks down why the current creator economy is rigged, how platforms like Apple, Google, and Spotify extract massive fees while controlling distribution, and why blockchain technology and tokenization are the only real path to creator independence. Discover why owning your IP isn't optional—it's essential.From the economics of virtual property to financial literacy as the new competitive advantage, this is the conversation every creator, musician, and artist needs to hear.Music creditsIntro music: “Fragments” by Rusanda Panfili & Johannes Winkler.Outro music: “Know My Number” by Lucy Dreams.

Join us for the first episode of Monetized with guest Sara Lombardo—a content creator with 300K+ followers and 100M+ YouTube views.Sara debunks the biggest lies about online monetization and reveals why YouTube is the platform where creators actually make money. Discover why your Instagram followers won't convert to YouTube subscribers and how to build a sustainable content strategy that doesn't lead to burnout.Music creditsIntro music: “Fragments” by Rusanda Panfili & Johannes Winkler.Outro music: “Know My Number” by Lucy Dreams.