59. Rethinking Collaboration: Why Working Together Still Matters
On one side, there’s the protected solitude every creator needs: the quiet pass where you can be wrong in private, find the frame, and follow intuition without a chorus in your ear. On the other side, there’s the charge you only get in a room full of capable people. Being back on a large production rekindled that feeling—clear roles, shared language, and the thrill of adding a small but meaningful piece to something thousands will experience. We unpack the difference between leadership and tyranny, how to invite notes that respect intent, and the sequencing that keeps collaboration from becoming micromanagement: make it, then collaborate.We also get practical about attention. Phones steal rooms. Presence creates rooms. We trade stories about phone-free sets, building spaces that force focus, and experimenting with dumb phones to defend deep work. Along the way we spotlight the hidden collaborators behind “solo” wins—editors, producers, confidants, and the friend who quietly says, this scene drags—and why the best teams treat feedback like a craft, not a power move.If you’ve wondered when to protect your vision and when to call the room, this conversation offers a playbook: sequence feedback, name the goal, empower specialists, and design environments where attention can’t leak. Subscribe, share with a teammate who makes you braver, and tell us: when do you go solo, and when do you bring in the chorus? -Ai If you enjoyed this episode, please consider giving us a rating and/or a review. We read and appreciate all of them. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you in the next episode. Links To Everything: Video Version of The Podcast: https://geni.us/StudioSessionsYT Matt’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/MatthewOBrienYT Matt’s 2nd Channel: https://geni.us/PhotoVideosYT Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://geni.us/AlexCarterYT Matt’s Instagram: https://geni.us/MatthewIG Alex’s Instagram: https://geni.us/AlexIG