In this episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt chats with Font Awesome co-founder Dave Gandy about building a workplace that doesn’t just work — but works for everyone. Whether you’re hustling in a startup, navigating open-source communities, or just trying to figure out if your boss actually values your humanity, this one’s for you.
Dave dishes on the magic of finding the right co-founder (hint: they need to tell you when you're off your rocker), why open-source is about more than just writing code, and how empathy might just be the ultimate leadership hack. So, if you’re dreaming of cultivating a positive work culture — or just want to avoid soul-sucking jobs — this episode is for you.
Timestamp Summary
🧑🤝🧑 0:15 | Finding Balance and Empathy in Co-Founder Relationships
🏢 6:04 | Finding a Workplace That Values Employees as Human Beings
🌐 14:56 | The Value of Empathy and Community in Open Source
💡 19:29 | Empathy and Leadership: Building Teams That Care
🎙️ 24:27 | Behind the Scenes of Podcast Awesome Production
Key Takeaways:
The Co-Founder Code: Pick a partner who balances your strengths and isn’t afraid to call out your crazy ideas (yes, you have them).
Open Source Awesomeness: It’s not just about profit—it’s about passion, collaboration, and making something bigger than yourself.
Empathy is Everything: Forget power suits; your best leadership tool is actually understanding your team.
Work-Life Reality Check: When scouting a new job, look for a place that respects *you*, not just what you produce.
Leadership Done Right: The best managers focus on building teams that are better than them at what matters most.
Notable Quotes:
💡 “You need someone next to you that’s going to tell you when you’re crazy—or not—and that is of *such* extreme value.”
💖 “Empathy is your qualification for leadership.”
🚀 “Management is more about how you inspire and execute, not just delivering outcomes.”
🏆 “The best managers hire people who are better than them at the job that needs to be done.”
🌟 “You call it a lifestyle company like it’s a bad thing. Spoiler: every company is a lifestyle.”
Resources:
🎨 Font Awesome: FontAwesome.com
🐦 Twitter: @fontawesome
📸 Instagram: @font.awesome
🌌 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/fontawesome.com
🎶 The Podcast Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie Martin: https://ronniemartin.org/
🎵 Music interstitials by Zach Malm: https://muzach.bandcamp.com/
🎛️ Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions: https://www.lemonproductions.ca/
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