‘Hard Fork’ Live, Part 2: Dylan Field on Standing Out in the A.I. Era

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Introduction: Kevin Roose's 2009 Facebook Message from Teen Dylan Field

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Kevin Roose pulls off a perfect opening gambit: reading a Facebook message the teenage Dylan Field sent him in 2009 after picking up his book at the Brown library. The message is earnest and slightly nerdy — 'maybe I'll meet you in Providence someday' — and Roose spends a beat apologizing for never responding. Field takes it in good humor, revealing a charming follow-up: they did actually meet, because Roose came back to hang out with the a cappella group that Field had joined as a freshman. It's a warmly personal opening that grounds the CEO of a public company as somebody who has always been curious, socially reaching, and just a little bit of a fanboy — qualities that will thread through the entire conversation.