That time when an expert is brought in to build something complicated only to be questioned every step of the way by people who didn’t understand what they were doing… (with Tamara Adlin)

Have you ever worked with people who insisted they knew best—even when they clearly didn’t? In early 2017, when blockchain was the buzzword of the moment, Tamara Adlin of Adlin, Inc. was referred by an investor to help a rising startup build smart contracts, enabling smoother collaboration for developers.

At first, things looked promising. Tamara brought strong, strategic ideas to the table. But instead of focusing on foundational planning, the team wanted to do everything all at once—charging ahead without stopping to think things through. As a seasoned expert, Tamara tried to guide them by slowing things down to ultimately speed up progress.

But tensions rose when the founders asked her to "label the elevator buttons" before the building’s foundation was even poured. The misalignment was too great, and eventually, both sides decided to part ways.

Tamara now shares stories like this—and the insights they offer—on her podcast, Corporate Underpants, where she helps strip down what really goes wrong in business.

There’s a lot more to this story—and it just might make you question how much anyone really knows in fast-moving industries. Tune in to this episode to hear Tamara’s lessons on expertise, ego, and building things that actually last.

 

Morgan Friedman

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