The Disruptors - Innovation, Startups and Growth

Social commerce is a rapidly emerging industry, reaching over $600B annually in China and rapidly emerging in the US. The leading platform for social commerce in the US is WhatNot. They recently raised a $260M Series D, and might be the fastest growing marketplace ever.In this conversation we chat with Whatnot founder Grant Lafontaine about the origins of Whatnot, his approach to product, his experience in Ycombinator, how he thinks about network effects and the dynamics of marketplace businesses, how he finds talent, and much more.Learn more about Whatnot here: http://whatnot.comIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-whatnotPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

The components manufacturing industry is the perfect example of a legacy niche ripe for disruption. But it has some interesting nuances to it, ones that Gearflow has worked hard to understand. Initially setting out as a two-sided marketplace business leveraging long-tail search to drive distribution, they quickly learned that rather than going around or cutting out the middlemen, they needed to partner with them very closely and solve their problems as well.Their willingness to listen and adapt worked, and today Gearflow plays an increasingly large role in the space. In this conversation with Gearflow cofounder Ben Preston, we discuss the origins of Gearflow, what he's learned about how to stay close to customers and build businesses satisfying multiple constituencies, how he pivoted to use his strength in organic search to drive marketing qualified leads versus sales, and much more.Learn more about Gearflow here: http://gearflow.comFollow Ben on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpreston1/If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-gearflowPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

The stigma around couples therapy is largely gone. People are more willing than ever to talk with someone who can help them process their issues. And yet many couples reserve it for then things get really bad. While they might recognize the benefits of a more proactive approach to couples counseling, the logistical headaches and cost make it something they never quite get to.Ours is out to change that. With their unique hybrid delivery model and novel approach to delivering group counseling sessions remotely, they seek to eliminate the headaches associated with getting help.In this episode we chat with Ours cofounder Adam Putterman about the origins of the idea, how he found the right cofounders, how they've intentionally iterated on the product, how they approach marketing and much more.Learn more about Ours here: https://www.withours.comFollow Chris on Twitter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamputterman/If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-oursPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Almost every organization would benefit from having better processes. But for most companies getting standard operating procedures, handbooks and other materials documented is firmly in the category of important but never urgent. The barriers of getting that content created, organized, and in front of the right people at the right time is no small feat.Trainual is trying to help with that. A software platform that makes the creation and management of SOPs and other training materials simple, Trainual has scaled to thousands of organizations. In this conversation with Trainual founder Chris Ronzio, we discuss the origins of trainual, some best practices for documenting processes inside organizations, lessons he learned about building and scaling SaaS businesses, how he thinks about community building and deliberately crafting culture, and much more.Learn more about Trainual here: http://trainual.comFollow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrisronzioIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-trainualPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Nearly 1 in 6 adults struggle with some form of infertility. And yet while the pregnancy journey is pretty well defined and understood, the process of conceiving is not. It is full of misinformation, often magnifies the feelings of shame, inadequacy, and loneliness that many people already are struggling with, and starts from the incorrect premise that infertility is a woman's health issue. In short the process is an opaque, emotionally-taxing nightmare for millions of men and women.Lauren Berson Sugarman is trying to change that. An accomplished senior executive and former Venture capitalist at Andreessen Horowitz, Lauren has set out to make the make the process of navigating infertility simpler, more empathic, and ultimately more effective. Lauren is the founder of Conceive, a health tech startup bringing community, coaching and education together to influence infertility outcomes. In this conversation we discuss the origins of Conceive, what Lauren learned about building effective communities from her previous experience, dig into some of the biggest misconceptions about infertility, and how Conceive is helping solve these issues.Learn more about Conceive here: https://weconceive.comFollow Lauren on Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurenBersonIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-conceivePODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

While most industries have already realized the benefits of assembly-line-based, automated manufacturing processes, home building continues to be slow, built one-at-a-time, using largely the same materials we've used for decades.Boxabl is looking to change that. By creating a factory borrowing from many of the principles of automotive manufacturing, Boxabl has created a foldable house that can be manufactured in a day and assembled on-site in around an hour. They are fireproof, water-proof, energy efficient, and modular, eventually allowing for infinite customization.Boxabl has managed to raise over $100 million primarily through their crowd-funded model, and their customers include the Department of Defense and Elon Musk.In this conversation we chat with Galiano Tiramani, cofounder of Boxabl. We discuss the origins of the company, why building a foldable house was essential to scale, how they rapidly iterated on the product, how they've navigated building codes and compliance issues, how they plan to scale internationally and much more.Learn more about Boxabl and view their offering circular here: https://invest.boxabl.com/ If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-boxablPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Only 4 in 10 employees use all of their Paid Time Off each year, leaving over 750 million days unused annually in the US. Unused PTO either sits on the balance sheet of companies as a liability, or is forfeited by employees - representing a staggering $65B in lost compensation each year.PTO Exchange is out to fit this problem. Through their platform organizations are able to offer their employees easy ways to convert unused PTO into retirement plans, charitable contributions, wellness programs and more.In this conversation, we chat with the founder of PTO Exchange, Rob Whalen. We discuss the massive impact this problem has on both employees and companies, how the landscape has shifted as a result of COVID, what the future of employee benefits looks like and much more.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-ptoexchangePODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Creating a new company in the food and beverage space is no small feat. While it's relatively easy to get started, securing shelf space, managing margins, and outmaneuvering extremely large and resourced incumbents create considerable barriers to entry. Lemon Perfect has been bucking that trend, having raised over $37M and achieving national distribution in 5 short years. Founder Yanni Hufnagel was in some ways an unlikely first time founder, a former division I college basketball coach with no background in the CPG space. But in this conversation it quickly becomes clear why he's been able to succeed where so many others have failed. We chat about the origins of Lemon Perfect, how he's applied his unique skill set to team building and vision casting, how he's instilled a culture of velocity and relentless execution, and much more. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-lemonperfectPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Forward Health is a heavily tech-enabled concierge healthcare provider that is reimagining the way healthcare is provided. I've been a member for several years, and routinely have used them as an example of creating delightful customer experiences. There's no waiting room. The physician isn't typing into a laptop but is focused on you. As you talk with them, the stuff you say gets automatically added to a giant custom screen in the room. Everything about it feels better.So when Forward founder Adrian Aoun agreed to chat, I was looking forward to diving into the mechanics of the concierge model and how they think about the patient experience. But what quickly became clear was Adrian's ambition goes far beyond providing creating a successful concierge business. His aims are nothing less than the complete reimagining of how healthcare is provided. In this colorful interview we discuss Adiran's vision for Forward, why the current healthcare system is broken, and how he envisions for the future.Learn more about Forward at http://goforward.comIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-forwardPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Companies have rapidly embracing the idea of a truly distributed global workforce, and opportunities to work from anywhere are now common. But access to great training and education remains unevenly distributed, so while digital nomads and people living in developed economies are able to benefit, many people from emerging economies lack similar opportunities.Microverse is hoping to change that. Ariel Camus is the Founder and CEO of Microverse, a YCombinator alum that has raised over $17M to create an online school that helping anyone become a software developer. And through the use of an Income Share Agreement revenue model, students don't pay a cent until they're employed in a meaningful programming job. In this episode we talk about the origins of Microverse, the nuances of ISA based models, how Ariel sees globally distributed teams working in the coming years and much more.Learn more about Microverse at https://microverse.comIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-microversePODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

The pandemic impacted many startups over the last few years. And while some failed and others survived, a few actually thrived coming out of it.One of those companies was crafty, which helps companies manage their food and beverage programs. Crafty managed to not only survive a world shaking event for their business, but actually stumbled upon a business model that allowed them to emerge with more momentum than ever.In this episode Nate Rosenstock and Ishan Daya, two of the cofounders, discuss how they build Crafty pre-pandemic, how they navigated the company through troubled waters and emerged from the other side stronger than ever, as well as how they think about management and decision making.Full disclosure - Manifold has invested in Crafty, so I've been able to have a front row seat to how these guys think and work, and have been incredibly impressed.Learn more about Crafty at https://craftydelivers.comIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-craftyPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

In the fitness and life hacking communities, ketones and ketogenesis have become an increasingly hot topic of conversation. The benefits of getting your body into ketosis and using ketones as fuel are many and varied. But the problem historically has been the amount of lifestyle change required to benefit from ketones.Health via Modern Nutrition is out to fix that. Their product Ketone IQ is the world's first consumer-grade “exogenous ketone” that gives you the benefit of ketones in a drink. In this episode we chat with Michael Brandt, the HVMN CEO to discuss the creating origins of Ketone IQ, the benefits of ketones, how he thinks about line extensions, producing products like this at scale, and much more.Learn more about Michael at https://twitter.com/bdm_runnerIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-hvmnPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

In the last few years, there has been an enormous increase of interest in the science of sleep. Sleep has become recognized as a primary tool for optimizing human performance. As a result, high performers who used to pride themselves on how little sleep they get now go to great lengths to optimize the duration and quality of their sleep.One of the major players in that space has been Eight Sleep, which creates a high end mattress that optimizes your temperature and monitors your body as you sleep. They've grown considerably in the last few years, most recently having raised an $86M Series C in late 2021.In this episode, Eight Sleep founder and CEO Matteo Franceschetti discusses the origins of Eight sleep, how he used lean startup principles to build a physical product, how they've leveraged organic channels to drive growth, most notably Twitter, how he thinks about influencer and brand partnerships, his approach to leveling up his own skillset as a high growth founder, and much more.Learn more about Matteo at https://twitter.com/m_franceschettiIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-eight-sleepPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

The advent of syndicates, roll up vehicles, and social networking have torn down many of the gatekeepers and walls in traditional venture. And a new wave of hyper-connected operator angels and emerging managers are taking advantage.A great example is Paige Finn Doherty, who in an extremely compressed timeframe has built an incredibly broad network of founders and VCs, has syndicated several deals, stood up her own early stage fund, and even wrote a book about venture capital.In this conversation we talk about how she did it, the opportunities she sees for other emerging managers, her thesis around the future of work and play, discuss web 3, and much more.Learn more about Levels at https://twitter.com/paigefinnnIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-paigePODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Most of the new tokens being launched in the DeFi ecosystem leverage what is called Proof of Stake as the mechanism to secure the networks. And critical to the Success of Proof of Stake protocols are the Stakers themselves, who lock up their tokens to secure the network in exchange and earn more tokens in the process.My guest today is Andrew Cronk, one of the cofounders of Figment, one of crypto's largest staking organizations which recently raised a $110 Million Series C round. In this discussion we talk about the role of staking in securing networks, the how enterprise organizations can participate in crypto more than they do today, what's necessary to drive further adoption of Web3 and DeFi, and much more.Learn more about Levels at https://figment.ioIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-figmentPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Metabolic health measures how effectively our body processes energy. Measuring glucose is the primary way we assess one's metabolic health. And there is mounting evidence that poor metabolic health leads to many chronic conditions like diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.The problem historically has been our tools for measuring glucose have been too episodic to be useful. Fasting glucose and Hemoglobin a1c show patients a snapshot, but can't tell them why the measure is what it is, or what to do about it.Levels health is trying to change that. By using continuous glucose monitors and pairing it with a mobile app, they show you how the things you eat and the way you live your life impact your glucose. It turns out the things that influence glucose vary widely from person to person, and learning what spikes your glucose can lead to much more actionable changes. I was a very early beta tester of levels and can speak to how it changed the way I approach eating, sleep, and stress management. So I couldn't be more share my conversation with Maz Brumand, head of business at Levels. In this conversation we discuss why Levels made the decision to go direct to consumer, why they believe a closed signup process is better for startups early on, what they've learned about user behavior with wearable devices, why they invested in organic channels from the beginning, and much more.Learn more about Levels at https://www.levelshealth.comIf you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review! https://kite.link/disruptors-levelsPODCAST INFO:Podcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Amit Gupta is one of the most interesting people I've ever met. He was one of the early pioneers of the coworking movement, he created a photography company called Photojojo that enjoyed a rabid following and was eventually acquired. And now he's working on Sudowrite, an AI enabled writing assistant.In this conversation we get into Amit's background, what he learned working with Seth Godin, how he approaches building products with personality, what he's learned about building AI-enabled products, and much more.Follow Amit on Twitter: https://twitter.com/superamitLearn more about Sudowrite at https://www.sudowrite.com/PODCAST INFOPodcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

There's an idea in startup land around “building in public”. The idea is that taking people behind the scenes can be a fantastic way to build trust, create authenticity with your brand, and create an enthusiastic base of early customers. When I've talked to founders or my students at Northwestern about building in public, the example I've most frequently used is Amanda Goetz. Amanda is the founder of House of Wise, a DTC brand offering CBD-based products to improve women's health.In this wide ranging conversation we discuss the origins of House of Wise, what it's like building a DTC business from the ground floor, how Amanda developed an intuitive understanding of her customer, how startups can invest in brand early on, proactively building community, the benefits of building in public and leading with authenticity, and much more.Follow Amanda on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmandaMGoetzLearn more about House of Wise at https://houseofwise.coPODCAST INFOPodcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

The future of education is a hotly debated topic, one that was only exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. Parents, educators, and policy makers are all asking themselves what  students need to learn to compete and thrive in a rapidly changing future.One company trying to solve this is Synthesis School, an online school spun out of Space X that focuses on helping children learn how to think and solve problems in novel ways.My guests today are Chrisman Frank, one of the cofounders, and Ana Lorena Fabrega, the Chief Evangelist. And in this discussion we talk about the origins of Synthesis, why games are such a fantastic modality for facilitating learning, the importance of competition in learning, and much much more.Follow Chrisman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/chrismanfrankFollow Ana on Twitter: https://twitter.com/anafabrega11PODCAST INFOPodcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

The trends around quantified self, and productivity optimization have been around for years. But when COVID arrived, many people started to reflect on their lives. One of the themes that seems to have emerged from that has been a shifting emphasis to simply hustling or working harder, to pursuing balance.Brian Fioca is the Founder of RescueTime and an alum of YCombinator. In this conversation we discuss how RescueTime started as a productivity tool, how they've transitioned to being more about helping customers balance their lives, and the surprising things they've learned about how people work. It's a fascinating conversation.Follow Brian on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bfiocaPODCAST INFOPodcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

It's been said that 2020 was the year of Decentralized Finance, and 2021 the year of NFTs. It's likely that 2022 will be the year of the DAO. DAOs represent a fundamentally different way of organizing human and financial capital, and depending on who you ask have the potential to disrupt the traditional idea of a corporation. But they can be hard to wrap one's head around. I couldn't think of anyone better to discuss and demystify DAOs than Ben Huh. Previously the CEO of Cheezburger Inc, a YCombinator alum, and now an extremely active member of the web3 community, Ben shares a ton of insight on what DAOs are, how they work, and what makes some work better than others. Follow Ben on Twitter: http://twitter.com/benhuhPODCAST INFOPodcast website: https://manifold.group/podcastApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3EbkMEkSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3nqwNiDRSS: https://bit.ly/3ntcFw1Full episodes playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HqCM09dwh6otuU7TArkq8JClips playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdnqR-lZH65HrrlaeQZnf1sicFkprjpqkSOCIAL:- Sean Johnson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/intentionally- Sean Johnson on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/seanjohnson- Sean Johnson on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intentionally_- Manifold on Twitter: https://twitter.com/manifold_group- Manifold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/m/company/manifold-group- Manifold on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themanifoldgroup- Manifold on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifold_group/- Manifold on Medium: https://medium.com/build-better-products

Today is a big day for us, because today we're unveiling our new company. It's called Manifold, and it combines our advisory practice, formerly known as Digital Intent, our venture investing activity, and new incubation studio. This reorganization is several years in the making, and the goal is to create what we call a perpetual machine for value creation. I thought it would make sense to bring in one of my partners Joe Dwyer to talk about the rationale behind the change, as well as how we got here. Joe is a fellow professor in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship  program at Northwestern, and is one of the smartest people I've ever met. The conversational is in-depth, perhaps somewhat controversial in places, but I think you'll find his perspective super interesting. For more information about how to create value in your own organizations, visit us at https://manifold.group. And as always, if you enjoyed this episode, would love a review. Thanks for listening!

Ross Gordon is the founder of Catch Co, creating amazing fishing brands, products, & shopping experiences for the modern angler. It originally started as Mystery Tackle Box, a subscription service sending lures and other gear to fishing enthusiasts. But he has since grown it into something much larger. He designs and manufactures his own fishing products, has retail distribution all over the country and has built a fantastic profitable business.In this episode, we discuss how he came up with the idea, his unique approach to starting with a community first, how he managed to overcome some of the more common challenges that can plague subscription model businesses, how he learned to navigate the world of manufacturing and retail, and much more.For more information on how to build and grow new products inside your own organization, visit us at www.digintent.com. If you enjoyed the episode, would love a review!

Welcome back to season 3 of the disruptors podcast.Steve Sinclair is the Senior Vice President of Product at Mojo Vision, a company that is absolutely on the bleeding edge of augmented reality. And for the last several years they've been working on a contact lens equipped with a display that is no larger than a grain of sand. It sounds straight out of science fiction, but in the not too distant future it's going to be a reality.In this episode we discuss the origins of Mojo Vision, the unique technical hurdles they've had to overcome to make it reality, the variety of use cases that it could enable, and much more.--To learn more about how to change the world with your own organization, visit us at www.digintent.com.If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review!

Video games have obviously taken the world by storm. But when most people think of video games they think of something folks do as purely entertainment, with little practical value to their lives. But the promise of games goes way beyond mere distraction - the modalities and mechanics of games can actually be used to develop skills in ways that would be impossible to acquire otherwise.My guest today is Sam Glassenberg, and after earning his stripes as a game developer at LucasArts and Microsoft, he stumbled almost by accident upon an opportunity to help doctors become much better at their jobs. The result was Level Ex, a gaming company that helps surgeons and other physicians improve through simulations of real world medical situations. Today he has over 500,000 medical professionals playing his games regularly.In this episode we discuss the origins of Level Ex, how Sam things about game mechanics to drive user adoption, why these types of games offer unique advantages in terms of user adoption and monetization, the future of VR and much more.For more ideas on how to transform your organization through growth-based innovation, visit us at www.digintent.com. And if you enjoyed this episode we'd love a review!

Professional services firms have undergone dramatic shifts in the last 10 years, and many are predicting complete disruption in the next 20. As automation, broader access to information and other trends converge, smart professional service firms are looking to aggressively transform themselves.Perhaps one of the more ambitious firms in this regard is KPMG. My guest day is Fiona Grandi, National Managing Partner for Innovation & Enterprise Solutions at KPMG, and in this fascinating conversation we discuss how KPMG organizes itself internally to pursue innovation initiatives, how they embrace a bottoms-up approach to surfacing and executing on ideas, the impact things like automation will have on professional services in the future, and much more. Full disclosure, KPMG has been a client of Digital Intent, and we've been able to see first-hand how Fiona's team thinks about enabling consultants to use technology to deliver better work. After seeing our team interact with theirs, it was fun for me to hear directly from Fiona on the why behind what they do and where she sees them heading. It was a fascinating conversation and I think you'll get a ton of practical value of out it.For more ideas on how to disrupt your own organization visit us at www.digintent.com. And if you enjoy the episode please leave a review!

Many of the students in my class at Kellogg come from the world of big consulting, but have been bitten by the startup bug. But how do you successfully leave the relatively stable, comfortable, prestigious walls of corporate America and successfully launch your new venture?My guest is Jennifer Fitzgerald, and after helping financial services organizations as a consultant at McKinsey, she are her colleague took the plunge to start Policygenius, an online managed marketplace for insurance.In this episode we discuss the genesis of Policygenius, how she systematically de-risked the idea early on, how she managed to build both sides of her marketplace business without heavy reliance on paid acquisition, and much more. We also get into her advice for folks lookin to take the plunge themselves, strategies for executing at a high level, for recruiting early team members, and for leveling up yourself as your organization starts to scale.For more ideas on how to disrupt your own industry, visit us at www.digintent.com. And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review!

Nearly everyone is in agreement that healthcare is an industry that desperately needs transformative change. But the legacy technologies, interrelationships between providers and mayors, and other systemic issues typically keep such transformation from happening. One exception is Jefferson Health, which has transformed itself dramatically in dozens of ways in an extremely brief period of time, embracing various emerging technologies and reinventing the way they approach training clinicians and delivering care. My guest today is Dr. Stephen Klasko, CEO of Jefferson Health and one of Fast Company's most creative people. In this discussion we dig into how he went about transforming Jefferson into a nimble, tech enabled organization, how he managed to drive culture change so quickly to make these initiatives stick, and get into a number of fascinating, counter-intuitive initiatives he's spearheaded to facilitate that change.For more ideas on how to transform your own organization visit us at digintent.com. And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review!

For most organizations working on innovation, their emphasis is on incremental, horizon one types of initiatives. Far less common are truly disruptive, moonshot initiatives that can transform industries if successful. My guest today is Kathy Hannun, and for 7 years she was a product manager for the rapid evaluation team at Google[X], tasked with product development and diligence for their biggest moonshot initiatives. One of those initiatives she eventually spun out into Dandelion Energy, a home geothermal company where she now serves as CEO. Kathy was recently named one of Fast Company's most creative people. In this conversation we discuss what Kathy learned during her time at X,  and how organizations can be more successful with disruptive technology. We also get into detail on Dandelion and the massive opportunity geothermal presents in changing the way we heat our homes.  ---- For more ideas on how to transform your own organization visit us at www.digintent.com. And if you enjoy the episode please leave a review!

Privacy is a hot topic these days, as people for the first time are starting to realize the extent and magnitude of the data companies are gathering on them. And not everyone is okay with it.My guest today is Richard Stokes, founder of Winston Privacy. And in this discussion we talk about the genesis of Winston and how he's trying to help consumers address their privacy concerns in the simplest way possible. We also get into a super interesting discussion around how he built a hardware business and the landmines you can run into and how he de-risked the business early on. And coming on the heels of one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns of all time, he dives into a bunch of tactics and strategies for how to make the most of crowdfunding. For more ideas how to disrupt your own industry, visit us at www.digintent.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review!

How do you innovate inside a company with decades of rich history, with business models that are firmly entrenched, delivering on a product people have consumed effectively the same way for centuries?My guest today is Maja Thomas, Chief Innovation Officer for Hachette Livre, one of the largest book publishers in the world, and the Director of the Hachette Innovation program, focusing on the intersection of publishing and digital innovation.In this conversation we discuss some of the challenges to innovation in the publishing industry, the rise of voice interfaces, the future of augmented reality, how publishers leverage big data to improve the publishing process, and much more. For more ideas on how to innovate with technology in your own business, visit us at www.digintent.com. And if you enjoy the episode, we'd love a review on whichever platform you use. Thanks for listening!

One of the most consistent issues with organizations looking to innovate is the idea of change management. How do I get an organization that's used to doing things a certain way to embrace change and bake innovation into its DNA?My guest today is Jillian Chown. Jillian teaches at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in the Management and Organizations department, and her research focuses on change management, most recently focusing on healthcare organizations and the use of incentives to drive change. In this discussion we dig into the various challenges preventing companies from changing, the role of leadership at different levels of the organization in driving change, how incentives can play a role, and the different strategies and techniques necessary to drive incremental vs. disruptive change. For more ideas on how to transform your organization using technology visit us at www.digintent.com. And if you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review on iTunes, Spotify, or the platform of your choice. Thanks as always for listening!

One of the largest trends in enterprise innovation has been the adoption of large platforms like SAP and Salesforce. But many organizations don't realize the full potential of what these platforms are capable of, and don't know how to extract that value.Salesforce has tried to help their top-tier customers innovate more effectively with Salesforce Ignite, which is effectively an innovation consultancy within the company. Brian Vellmure was previously one of the partners of Ignite, and is now the Global Lead of Execute Thought Leadership for Industries and Senior Director in the office of innovation. In this episode we discuss the origins of Ignite, how it differs from typical design thinking processes, as well as some of the more common mistakes Brian has seen innovation groups when embarking upon innovation initiatives, and some of the technology trends he's most excited about.To learn more about how to disrupt your own organization, visit us at www.digintent.com. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review!

Many organizations talk about improving customer experience as one of their primary innovation initiatives. But what does it look like to create a truly transformative experience that is orders of magnitude better than anything else out there, and to do so at scale?My guest today is John Padgett. John is the Chief Experience and Innovation Officer at the Carnival Corporation, and his team has created arguably the most complex and successful implementation of an IoT driven guest experience platform in the world with the Ocean Medallion. Carnival was named one of the most innovative companies in the world by Fast Company due to the work John and his team have done.He was also one of the masterminds behind the Disney MagicBand and FastPass Plus experiences, which completely transformed the way guests experience The Walt Disney World resort.In this episode we dig into how John thinks about creating the vision for such massive undertakings and the tools he's used to successfully drive disruptive innovation. The vision he's created to provide a truly personalized, adaptive one to one experience at scale is pretty incredible, and I think you'll find the conversation fascinating.For more information about how your organization can transform itself with technology, visit www.digintent.com. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review!

The Design Sprint methodology has spread like wildfire, both in the startup community and the world of enterprise innovation. My guest today is John Zeratsky, one of the creators of the Design Sprint methodology and coauthor of The Sprint Book and Make Time.In this episode we dig into how the Design Sprint methodology came about and how it's evolved over the years. John shares dozens of practical suggestions for how to structure sprints and get the most out of them, as well as some lessons he's taken from the Sprint process and applied to his own life.For more information on how you can help your company bring disruptive new products to the world, visit www.digintent.com. And if you enjoyed this episode we'd love a review on iTunes or whatever platform you use. Thanks for listening!

The common wisdom around creating a marketplace business is to start with supply. The logic is that without the supply side you can't capture the demand side, which is typically how a marketplace business monetizes. Jessica Messinger is the head of growth at Cameo, and previously grew the supply side of both Uber and Twitch. And in this episode we go into a ton of detail around how to grow the supply side of a marketplace. Jessica has a ton of insight and some fantastic stories, and I think you'll find this one super interesting.To learn more about how you can disrupt your own organization with technology, visit us at www.digitent.com. And if you enjoyed this episode, we'd love a review on iTunes, Spotify or whichever podcast platform you prefer.

The LEGO Ideas initiative is perhaps the most famous example of successful community building and open innovation. In this episode we talk with Tim Courtney, who helped run the LEGO Ideas community for over 7 years. We discuss the history of the LEGO Ideas movement, the characteristics that make community building efforts successful, pitfalls to avoid and much more. To learn more about how you can disrupt your own organization, visit us at www.digitent.com. And if you enjoyed this episode, we'd love a review on iTunes, Spotify or whichever podcast platform you prefer.

Welcome to Season 2 of the Disruptors Podcast.How is technology going to transform the way we choose where to live? Chad Curry is currently the Director of Technology Partnerships for eXp Realty, and formerly the Managing Director of CRT Labs, the think tank for the National Association of REALTORS. In this episode we discuss:  - How autonomous vehicles will dramatically alter the places people choose to live and work. - What will happen when homeowners become net producers of energy. - How blockchain, augmented reality and other technologies will impact the home purchasing and living process. - How agents are taking advantage of all these technologies to reposition themselves in the marketplace.It's a fascinating discussion, one that will impact every one of us in the next 10 years. I hope you find it interesting.---To learn more about how DI can help you transform your business, visit www.digintent.com

How do you scale something 10x and then scale it again? The answer is surprisingly simple, and yet very few organizations have the discipline to do it. My guest today is Elan Mosbacher, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Operations at Spothero. In this conversation we talk about how Elan and his team made went about growing SpotHero to the largest mobile parking platform in the country. Elan has a ton of experience around building marketplace businesses, pursuing strategic partnerships and more. He's also very thoughtful about the future of mobility in general, and we get into a pretty fascinating conversation around autonomous vehicles and where things are headed.

One thing many startups have in common is the growth team - a multi-disciplinary group tasked with moving bottom line product metrics. Unlike traditional marketers that focus on acquisition, they are tasked with iterating on the product to improve things like retention, referral, and average revenue per user. Mike Rome leads growth at Eat Street, and in his career Mike has helped acquire millions of users for a number of startups. In this discussion Mike shares how he approaches growth, his methodology for prioritizing experiments, the components of a good growth team and more. For show notes, visit https://digintent.com/podcast. And if you leave a review, be sure to enter the contest to win a pair of custom DI sneakers at https://digintent.com/sneakers. Thanks for listening!

The financial services industry impacts us in broad sweeping ways, perhaps more than any other industry. And technology is forcing legacy institutions to adapt while juggling massive compliance, security, and legacy platform concerns. In this discussion with Jason Henrichs we talk about how financial services companies can adapt more successfully, leveraging unique frameworks that keep the existing business moving while enabling rapid tests and decision making. We also discuss how various emerging technologies are going to impact financial services going forward. Get show notes and more at www.digintent.com/podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would love a quick review on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks for Listening! IN THIS EPISODE: - Innovation and Regulation in Financial Services - Bimodal IT in Financial Services - Using Innovation Accounting - Innovation sandboxes in financial services - Measuring the success of innovation initiatives - Unbundling in financial services - The rise of robo-advisors - Leveraging data for financial services innovation - Blockchain in financial services - AI in financial services - Basic income - The opportunity for fintech to create social good

Amazon has developed a unique culture that allows them to execute across a variety of industries. My guest today is Chris Durbin, as a product designer for Amazon she's seen first hand what makes Amazon's approach unique. In this episode we discuss what she learned leading the design for the Apple Watch app, why Amazon's culture of writing is the key to its success, and why Amazon believes the phrase "Minimum Viable Product" should be outlawed. Get show notes and more at www.digintent.com/podcast. If you enjoy the podcast, would love a quick review on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks for Listening!

The hotel industry is full of opportunities to leverage innovative new technologies. My guest today has made it his mission to help hotels navigate the hundreds of solutions out there and provide objective, unbiased advice. His name is Jordan Hollander and he's the cofounder of Hotel Tech Report www.hoteltechreport.com. In this episode we talk about the unique operating structure of hotels and the challenges that presents to innovation. We discuss how one hotel in particular is navigating those challenges and doing some very novel things, and we get into dozens of solutions smart hotels are using to make their teams more effective and improve the guest experience. For more advice on how to become a disruptor for your own organization, visit us at www.digintent.com. If you enjoy the podcast, would love a quick review on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks for Listening!

Data science has infiltrated most enterprise organizations. But it's also being used to improve the efficacy of organizations in the social sector. My guest today is Andrew Means. Founder of Data Analysts for Social Good and Big Elephant Studios. Co-founder of BrightHive. Previously he was the founding executive director of Uptake.org and Associate Director at the University of Chicago's Center for Data Science & Public Policy. Andrew is an internationally recognized speaker on issues of data and philanthropy. On this episode we talk about how smart non-profits are taking advantage of data science to improve transparency and impact, how they're overcoming issues around lack of data through unique collaborative models, and how organizations can grow a data competency in house. For more advice on how to become a disruptor for your own organization, visit us at www.digintent.com. If you enjoy the podcast, would love a quick review on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks for Listening!

In this episode, DI partner Sean Johnson discusses why politics often get a bad wrap inside of organizations, and why they're vital to making your innovation initiatives happen. He then discusses 20 specific strategies you can leverage to build influence, break logjams and move ideas through your organization. We'd love to hear what you think about these ideas or the podcast in general - please leave a review! If you'd like to learn more about how amazing organizations are transforming themselves with digital innovation, visit us at www.digintent.com

Welcome to the Disruptors podcast. In this episode, DI partner Sean Johnson explains why so many digital products fail, and outlines 11 specific, actionable ways you can make smarter product decisions to maximize the likelihood of success.