In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom podcast, host Stewart Alsop welcomes Cody Hergenroeder, a versatile creator deeply invested in product management. They explore the intricate relationships between symbolic systems and product management, discussing how these domains interconnect within the corporate environment. Cody shares insights on the role of connective tissue in organizations, the nature of memory and knowledge, and the evolving impact of artificial intelligence on society. This episode also touches on AI's role in modern note-taking and the broader implications for knowledge management. For more about Cody's work, visit his LinkedIn. Check out this GPT we trained on the conversation! Timestamps00:00 Introduction to the Crazy Wisdom Podcast 00:18 Exploring Product Management and Symbolic Systems 01:41 The Role of Connective Tissue in Organizations 04:07 The Evolution and Importance of Note-Taking 09:06 The Concept of First Brain, Second Brain, and AI as Third Brain 13:57 The Impact of AI on Society and Business 21:10 Philosophical Musings on Knowledge and Consciousness 25:28 Exploring the Concept of Knowing 27:20 The Debate on AI Consciousness 29:27 The Rapid Evolution of AI 32:45 Human Creativity and AI 37:45 Building in Public: A New Business Idea 45:22 The Future of Music and AI 50:00 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Key Insights1-Interplay Between Symbolic Systems and Product Management: Cody Hergenroeder elaborates on how his background in Symbolic Systems—a field that blends cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and linguistics—naturally led him to product management. He likens product managers to the circulatory system of a company, highlighting their role in connecting various parts of the organization and ensuring smooth operations, much like how symbolic systems integrate diverse fields to create cohesive understanding.2-The Role of Connective Tissue in Organizations: Both Stewart and Cody discuss the metaphor of connective tissue within organizations. Just as connective tissue holds the human body together, product managers serve as the essential link between different departments, facilitating communication and collaboration. This metaphor underscores the critical, often unseen, work that product managers do to maintain organizational coherence and functionality.3-The Evolving Nature of Knowledge Management with AI: Cody touches on the transformative potential of AI in knowledge management, particularly in note-taking and information retrieval. He explains how tools like IdeaFlow are being developed to not only record conversations but also extract and organize key insights, creating structured knowledge bases that enhance both personal and organizational productivity.4-The Concept of the Third Brain: Building on the ideas of the first brain (biological memory) and the second brain (written or digital notes), the conversation introduces the notion of a third brain—AI. This third brain represents a new layer of cognition and information processing, enabling humans to outsource and enhance their memory and analytical capabilities. The discussion reflects on how AI, as this third brain, is reshaping our approach to knowledge and creativity.5-The Dual Nature of Human and AI Cognition: The episode delves into the philosophical aspects of human and AI cognition. Stewart and Cody explore the distinctions between knowing and knowing about, emphasizing that while AI can process and analyze vast amounts of information, it lacks the experiential and conscious aspects of human knowledge. This conversation highlights the complementary strengths of human intuition and AI's analytical power.6-Impact of AI on the Music Industry: Stewart brings up the impact of AI on the music industry, noting how AI-generated music and advanced recommendation systems are changing how music is created and consumed. They discuss the potential for AI to democratize music production, making it easier for new artists to create and