11. Life is a C***shoot

In this (final official!) episode, Bernie reflects on how the most meaningful turns in life often come from chance rather than careful planning. He shares his own serendipitous journey to becoming a professor at Stanford (involving a case of two professors named Arnold), his unexpected entry into robotics, how a single phone call led to his pioneering work in design —and why saying “yes” at the right time matters.

We’re joined by David Janka, a physician-turned-designer and faculty member at Stanford’s d.school. David opens up about leaving medicine to explore design, how the Designer in Society class helped him navigate that transition, and why creating a physical project in the class, a gift for friends, became a pivotal part of his journey.

Together, we explore questions of work, purpose, and meaning, with a little help from Gandhi and E.F. Schumacher.

00:00 Life is a c***shoot: accidents that shape our paths

01:00 Bernie on chance and opportunity

02:34 The wrong Arnold: how Bernie got to Stanford

06:13 A phone call that led to robotics

07:10 Another call that sparked Designer in Society

09:03 Are we the type of people who say yes or no?

10:00 The blessing (and curse) of work

12:53 The “Who am I?” exercise

17:30 Introducing David Janka

21:16 David’s Designer in Society project

28:25 Serendipity, careers, and saying yes

30:29 Bernie’s Burning Man camp

Follow us on Instagram: @yelloweyedcatspodcast to see extras from this episode, like David's atrium staircase.

Co-hosts: Bernie Roth & Krista Donaldson; Producer: Krista Donaldson