He Couldn't Read Until 62. Then He Built an AI That Teaches Kids
September 17, 2026
The Weird Canadian Podcast
The old systems failed. Here is what comes next.
A podcast about AI, the tools that matter, and the people actually building alternatives. For businesses trying to figure out what is coming, and builders who want to own their stack. Hosted by Cody Johnston in Lewisporte, Newfoundland.
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162 episodes. 64 guest reviews on PodMatch. Real tools, shipped.
Why now
Stop watching the shift happen. Learn how to use it.
The systems people were told to trust are failing them. AI is becoming the substrate for what replaces those systems, but hype will not make it useful.
This show talks to the weird ones building real solutions. You get the context to understand what is coming, the tools to act on it, and a direct path to help when you would rather have it built.
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Latest videos
New conversations, ideas, and clips from The Weird Canadian channel.
Parental Controls Failed a Cybersecurity Expert's Own Kid
September 14, 2026
Build a Content Machine AI Can't Copy
September 10, 2026
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Share what you're building, or learn from those who are.
Bring your company to the conversation, or use the show and newsletter to build something of your own.
For businesses
Share your company or product on the show
Building something worth talking about? Come on The Weird Canadian Podcast to share your company's story, explain the problem your product solves, and have an honest longform conversation with Cody.
64 guest reviews on PodMatch
Founders, creators, and builders have already joined the show to share what they know and what they are building.
For builders
Build it yourself
Learn how to leverage AI, control your own context, and build solutions you own. The podcast gives you the conversations. The newsletter turns the useful parts into a practical weekly brief.
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What guests say
64 guest reviews from PodMatch. Swipe or scroll to browse, or read every review here.
Great conversation. Just watch, "The Weird Canadian" is going to be a huge show! Get on the show now if you can!
Sam Swirsky Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody was an excellent interviewer. He had clearly taken the time to research David Chalk’s background and came to the conversation with thoughtful, well-prepared questions. He was genuinely engaged, listened carefully, and created space for a meaningful discussion rather than simply working through a standard list of questions. His curiosity and preparation brought out some wonderful stories and insights from David. A professional, enjoyable, and genuinely thoughtful podcast experience.
David Chalk Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat conversation and knowledgeable host! Researched and knowledgeable about the subject matter and came prepared w/relevant questions!
Sherif Higazy Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewThe host made me feel welcome and guided the conversation with warmth and professionalism.
Renee Hastings Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewIt was an enjoyable experience with good flow.
Josh Brown Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat conversation, and great host, would do it again!
Gabe Campbell Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat host
Ross Thorpe Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody is a fantastic host who creates a relaxed, conversational atmosphere that makes it easy to go deep on complex topics. We explored AI's impact on professional identity, why broken incentive structures are failing knowledge workers, and how human judgment is becoming an ownable asset — and Cody guided the conversation with genuine curiosity and great pacing. The scheduling was seamless, communication was prompt, and the recording went off without a hitch. Highly recommend The Weird Canadian for any guest who wants a host who listens closely and draws out the best material.
Dan Pratl Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody creates the kind of conversations that are increasingly rare: curious, respectful, and willing to explore complex ideas without reducing them to talking points. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Diana Colleen Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewIt was a great experience being on The Weird Canadian podcast. The host asked very interesting and unique questions, which made the conversation engaging, thoughtful, and enjoyable. I really appreciated the opportunity to share my journey and perspectives.
Bhaskar Bharat Sawant Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewIt was a pleasure being on the Weird Canadian podcast! Cody was well prepared and asked insightful questions. I appreciated the fluidity of the discussion and all the angles that we explored. Thanks again for having me on your show.
Damien Schreurs Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat experience. Thank you. I highly recommend it!
Alex Ponomarev Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody is a genuinely great host who creates space for real conversation. He'd actually listened before we got on, his questions came from real curiosity, and he had a way of pulling out things you didn't know you were going to say. The energy was warm, the conversation flowed, and I left feeling like we covered something that actually mattered. Highly recommend The Weird Canadian to any guest or listener.
Ali Christos Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody is a great host and talking to him really is so easy not to mention how incredibly talented and bright he is! Loved it. thanks for having me on!
Stephan Bajaio Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody is a fantastic host, asking thought provoking questions and creating a comfortable forum for thoughtful discussions. Looking forward to hear more from the Weird Canadian!
Albert Lin Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat conversation
Robert Choi Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody was an awesome host! A great environment helps yield a great conversation. Would recommend to anyone and would certainly participate again myself!
Joe Zeplin Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewAmazing host, I had a great time and Cody asked really good questions
Amjad Tadros Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat time, thank you for having me.
Nick DAmbrosio Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewgreat conversation
Stu Strumwasser Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat conversation!
Jordan Miller Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat conversation with Cody, it was a breathe of fresh air being able to dive into the exciting realm of AI. The talk was connective, thoughtful, engaging, and real.. Thank You Kindest Regards Joshua Eli Pancamo loquiauris.ai
Joshua Pancamo Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewReally enjoyed the conversation and definitely recommend other guests go on. Quite a thoughtful podcast and a lot of fun.
Joe Toscano Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat Host!
Randy Gage Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat host. Very well prepared.
Dominic Zagara Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody asked a lot of great questions and is doing really good work.
Paul Musson Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewMy conversation with Cody was great! Lots of good questions that I hope the audience will find value in. Highly recommend Cody as a host.
Aarti Anand Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewWonderful host!
Kanika Vasudeva Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewA interesting host who does quality research on the guests before the interview and is able to ask poignant questions
Teddy Bloom Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewExcellent discussion!
Marcy Axelrod Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody is great. I'm looking forward to our more in depth conversation around AI, economy and human consciousness taking place soon.
Aaron Scott Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat conversation! Thank you for having me.
Lee Russel Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody is a great host and all around good person. He is incredibly prepared and thoughtful with how he drives the conversation.
Andrew Hinkelman Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewReally fun and insightful host. Very friendly and fast process as well.
Gregory Lind Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat experience, great host, great questions!
Sharif Amlani Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewI had a great conversation. Very engaging, thought-provoking and nuanced dialogue!
Abisola Fagbiye Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewReally great discussion!
Jack Brewster Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody is a great host! Our conversation highlighted bigger themes around neuroinclusion and AI-enabled work, but also touched on practical insights and takeaways relevant to so many. I can't wait for listeners to tune in and share their responses too.
Tracy King Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewExcellent host!
Donovan Pyle Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewThe Conversation with Cody was great. He kept things simple and had a diverse range of questions. What I loved was that the questions revolved around getting value from my experience v/s my opinions. Would definately recommend other to interview with him.
Rashesh Doshi Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewthank you, it was a great experience
Adrian Newman Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewtons of fun.
Stephanie Sylvestre Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewThank you for the opportunity to come on!
Jose Nino Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody was an excellent host. He brought a lot of energy to the show and provided questions that piqued the curiosity of his audience. That gave me a great platform to share the things in life I'm passionate about and help his audience learn a few things they might never have otherwise considered. The conversation was fun, and the show was engaging.
Cj Powers Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewExcellent host.
Tony El Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody is unique in his approach. He's an out of the box thinker. I enjoyed our conversation. The future is hopeful with the likes of Cody.
Cathy Nesbitt Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewI had an outstanding interview on The Weird Canadian. Host Cody Johnston, who is neurodiverse himself, shared his personal story with real generosity, which gave us a perfect springboard to dig into how neurodiverse learners can overcome reading and writing challenges—grounded in current brain research (e.g., Yale’s work on dyslexia). Cody was extremely well prepared and asked the right questions at the right moments, keeping the conversation natural and fast-paced. His openness let me use his experience as a foil to make the concepts immediately useful for listeners. Thoughtful host, skilled interviewer, fantastic experience—one of the best shows I’ve been on.
Russell Van Brocklen Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody is a great podcaster! I really like how Cody asks his guests questions that other people don't ask. It makes for a really engaging and helpful conversation. Thank you for this show!!!
Alex Sanfilippo Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewHad an absolute blast chatting with Cody on The Weird Canadian podcast. He’s got a gift for drawing out stories that go way beyond surface-level—curious, funny, and totally unfiltered in the best way. The conversation flowed effortlessly and I genuinely appreciated the space to be both weird and real.
Wes Towers Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewJust had an amazing conversation with Cody. He was a great host and asked some very thought-provoking questions. I encourage people to reach out to Cody to be a guest on his show, but you'd better come prepared!
Tim Newman Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewWas an amazing experience!
J.B. Herrera Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewHad a fun time talking with the Weird Canadian about weird AKA awesome things!
Eric Gee Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat host, and a great discussion!
Evan Jaqua Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat interview. Great topics and questions. Made the interview very comfortable and informative.
Matthew White Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewCody Johnston is a remarkably skilled interviewer. On The Weird Canadian, he creates a space that feels both thoughtful and relaxed, allowing for real conversation to unfold. He listens closely, asks sharp but generous questions, and brings out the best in his guests. Talking with Cody felt less like an interview and more like a meaningful, grounded exchange , the kind that stays with you. Keep it weird.
Christopher Quigley Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewHonored to be on a podcast hosted by a fellow Canadian!!
Nicky Billou Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewI had a great time speaking with Cody on The Weird Canadian and learning more about the energy issues relevant to Canadians. Cody asked great questions, and it was an engaging discussion. I would most certainly return to the podcast in the future!
Naeem Turner-Bandele Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewSmart, fun and easy to talk to.
Jason Norris Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat interviewer with relaxed and friendly style. I hope to return in the future!
Joseph Bolton Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat conversation with cody ! I really like his perspectives and mission and during the episode he let me well share !
Amory Csiky Alvarez Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat show. Had fun
Adam Torres Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewGreat conversation. Thank you Cody for having me.
Michael Bach Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Cody was an absolute pleasure to talk with! Super fun, incredibly easygoing, and his enthusiasm for tech made the entire conversation flow effortlessly. You can tell he's genuinely curious and passionate, which made diving into AI topics feel like chatting with an old friend. Would jump on again in a heartbeat!
Drake Wolfe Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full reviewI really enjoyed being on the podcast. Great discussion and, hopefully, a lot of good information for the audience!
Ginny Delaitre Guest on The Weird Canadian Read full review
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