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Every dealmaker in Hollywood has a story. Michael Ovitz has all of them.From Ghostbusters to Goodfellas, he packaged the films, brokered the talent, and rewrote the rules of power. What started as a rebellion inside William Morris became a $2 billion empire called CAA, and a playbook Silicon Valley still follows.In this episode of Big Shot, Harley and David sit down with Michael Ovitz, the legendary founder of Creative Artists Agency and the man who redefined power in Hollywood.From a working-class childhood to representing the world's biggest stars, Michael's story is one of obsession, reinvention, and relentless ambition. He helped shape more than 300 films, including Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, Tootsie, Stand by Me, and Goodfellas, while transforming how deals, talent, and ideas move through the entertainment industry.This episode is brought to you by Firebelly Tea. Use code bigshot15 for 15% off your order https://www.firebellytea.com/—In This Episode We Cover:(00:00) Intro(01:39) Michael's early years (02:53) How Jewish mothers blend boundless belief with practical ambition(06:15) Michael's advice to a failed businessman(15:44) How Marc Andreessen pulled Michael into Silicon Valley(21:00) How early anti-semitism made Eisner's betrayal cut deeper(25:37) The Yahoo deal Eisner blocked (30:25) The story behind the Jurassic Park pitch and Spielberg's involvement(34:11) The hit-to-miss ratio in Hollywood, and how Michael's movies were almost always hits(36:15) How stagnation at William Morris drove Michael to build something new(43:58) Lessons from William Morris's shortcomings that shaped CAA's DNA(48:25) How Michael signed every member of Saturday Night Live (50:45) The story of Michael's first client and first big stars(59:55) The story behind Janklow and Nesbit and what Michael likes about Silicon Valley(1:02:28) Michael's true talent (1:06:40) How Michael and Andy Grove envisioned streaming before Hollywood was ready(1:10:20) The ripple effects of streaming across entertainment(1:17:02) Michael's thesis about the success of Jews and Catholics—Where To Find Big Shot: • Website: https://www.bigshot.show/• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bigshotpodcast • TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bigshotshow• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigshotshow/ • Harley Finkelstein: https://twitter.com/harleyf • David Segal: https://twitter.com/tea_maverick• Production and Marketing: https://penname.co
Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102 See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/ Clay Clark
In this episode of The Tech Leader's Playbook, Avetis Antaplyan sits down with Radhika Dutt—MIT-trained engineer, entrepreneur, and author of Radical Product Thinking, to rethink how high-growth companies set direction and measure progress. Radhika explains why traditional goal systems (KPIs/OKRs) often incentivize “performance theater,” tracing their lineage from Drucker's MBOs to Andy Grove to today's playbooks—and why they're mismatched to modern, creative work. She introduces OHLs (Objectives, Hypotheses, Learnings) and a “puzzle setting/puzzle solving” culture that pushes teams to interrogate bad numbers, not hide them. Along the way she names common “product diseases” (HERO syndrome, obsessive sales disorder, pivotitis, strategic swelling, Narcissus complex) and shows how a clear, testable vision prevents whiplash pivots. A standout case study: at Signal Ocean, reframing the challenge for tech-averse users helped double sales in 2024 and again in 2025 while reducing churn from 26% to 4%. Leaders also get a practical script for better reviews (“How well is it working? What did we learn? What will we try next?”) and a reminder to build experimentation muscles before a crisis. The result is a rigorous, human approach to strategy that replaces vanity metrics with compounding learning.TakeawaysOKRs often reward optics over insight, encouraging “performance theater.”Use a concrete vision that states the problem, audience, status quo, desired end state, and product's role.Shift from “hit the target” to puzzle setting so teams feel invited to solve the right problems.Run on OHLs: Objectives, Hypotheses, Learnings to measure deeply and learn publicly.Watch for “product diseases” like HERO syndrome, obsessive sales disorder, pivotitis, strategic swelling, and the Narcissus complex.Pivot with gravitas by stating what was wrong, what you learned, and what you'll try next.Case study: at Signal Ocean, reframing for tech-averse users unlocked adoption, doubled sales year over year, and reduced churn.OKRs trace back to MBOs, which fit repetitive work but struggle with today's creative, uncertain problems.Leaders should act like detectives, not judges to create psychological safety for honest learning.Introduce OHLs inside your current cadence before replacing existing processes.Spread market insight beyond the founder so teams can challenge assumptions and stay aligned.Start with the segment that has the most urgent need, then expand intentionally.Chapters00:00 Intro & Why Targets Mislead01:27 Radhika's Path and Early Lessons03:41 Hitting Numbers vs. Reality on the Ground05:31 “Product Diseases” That Derail Strategy07:51 Writing a Vision You Can Execute09:49 The Wine Startup Example and Narcissus Complex13:07 Pivotitis and How to Pivot with Gravitas16:34 Translating Vision into Actionable Experiments17:44 Why Goals Alone Don't Work20:03 A Short History of OKRs and Their Limits24:43 From Targets to Puzzles: Reframing Stalled Sales26:50 OHLs: Objectives, Hypotheses, Learnings29:14 Running Better Reviews: Three Questions35:31 Case Study: Signal Ocean's Tech-Averse Users39:55 Outcomes: Doubling Sales and Reducing Churn41:58 Intel's Lesson: Experimentation Beats Goal Mechanics47:58 Detectives, Not Judges: Building a Learning Culture50:06 How to Start Tomorrow with OHLs59:37 Don't Do Founder Mode; Spread Insight01:03:18 Closing Notes & ResourcesRadhika Dutt's Social Media Links:https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-dutt/Radhika Dutt's Websites:https://www.radicalproduct.com/https://rdutt.com/Resources and Links:https://www.hireclout.comhttps://www.podcast.hireclout.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hirefasthireright
In this thought-provoking conversation, former nuclear submarine commander and bestselling author David Marquet returns to the Partnering Leadership podcast to discuss the core ideas behind his new book: Distancing: How Great Leaders Reframe to Make Better Decisions. Known globally for Turn the Ship Around, Marquet once again challenges traditional leadership assumptions—this time taking aim at a problem many leaders don't realize they have: they're too close to their decisions.Drawing from cognitive psychology, real-world leadership failures, and hard-earned lessons from the military to the boardroom, Marquet introduces a powerful framework he calls “distancing.” At its core: the idea that our best decisions often require us to stop thinking like ourselves. Whether it's asking, “What would my replacement do?” or considering how a future version of yourself might evaluate today's choice, Marquet offers tactical ways leaders can gain clarity, reduce bias, and improve judgment under pressure.Host Mahan Tavakoli guides the conversation toward the real-world application of these ideas, especially for senior executives navigating complexity, volatility, and the weight of past decisions. Marquet's insights are sharp, often counterintuitive, and supported by both research and field-tested leadership practices.Rather than offering platitudes or yet another leadership model, this conversation digs into the cognitive traps leaders fall into—and how to build the mental discipline to lead with more perspective and fewer blind spots. If you're responsible for high-stakes decisions, leading through uncertainty, or shaping organizational strategy, this episode delivers the kind of clarity that shifts how you think about thinking.Actionable TakeawaysYou'll learn why “being present” isn't always good advice—and how it can narrow your thinking at the worst possible timeHear how one shift in language (“What would you do if you were me?”) led to better decisions from Marquet's submarine crew—and how it applies to leadership teams todayDiscover why ego isn't about arrogance—it's about how your brain rewrites reality to protect your self-imageLearn the three dimensions of strategic distancing—and how each one can improve executive judgment under pressureHear how asking “What would my replacement do?” helped Intel's Andy Grove overcome years of legacy inertiaFind out why most retrospectives fall flat—and how to reframe them so people tell the truth without getting defensiveLearn how stress shortens your mental lens—and what leaders can do to create space (not just speed) in decision-makingExplore why decision hygiene matters more in volatile times—and what most leaders get wrong about intuitionYou'll learn why leadership isn't a conceptual exercise—and why Marquet compares it to learning a new languageHear the low-stakes practice Marquet recommends for building real-world empowerment habits—starting at your next restaurant mealConnect with David MarquetDavid Marquet Website David Marquet LinkedIn Connect with Mahan Tavakoli: Mahan Tavakoli Website Mahan Tavakoli on LinkedIn Partnering Leadership Website
Send us a textThis week on the ole pod john: Listener feedback, Andy Grove's career advice, rip currents, and nostalgia.Support the showThanks for listening! Listen, rate, subscribe and other marketing type slogans! Here's my Insta: @dannypalmernyc @thedannypalmershow@blackcatcomedy (NYC stand-up show every Friday at 9 pm. 172 Rivington St.) And subscribe to my Patreon? Maybe? If you know how to? I don't know how it works. Let's just leave this thing be: https://www.patreon.com/thedannypalmershow
Nathan Blecharczyk, co-founder of Airbnb, built his first software business as a teenager, earning nearly a million dollars before shutting it down to attend Harvard. Years later, Nathan and his roommates turned an air mattress idea into Airbnb, facing investor rejection, financial hardship, and moments when quitting seemed inevitable. From creating satirical cereal boxes to joining Y Combinator after a near-failed interview, Nathan's story is one of perseverance and resilience. He shares how Airbnb overcame early struggles, scaled globally, and survived COVID-19 to go public successfully. Nathan Blecharczyk is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb, where he helped grow the platform from a spare air mattress idea to a $75 billion global travel company. According to Forbes, he is one of the richest people in the world, with a net worth of $9 billion. In this episode, Ilana and Nathan will discuss: (00:00) Introduction (01:36) Building a Software Business as a Teen (05:28) Harvard, First Job, and the Decision to Move West (11:58) The Birth of AirBed & Breakfast (15:07) Landing Their First Guests and Gaining Early Validation (18:03) Investor Rejection and the Obama O's Cereal Stunt (30:45) Applying to Y Combinator and Getting In (36:29) Finding Evangelists and Meeting Hosts in New York (42:34) From $200 a Week to $4,200: Airbnb's First Growth Curve (44:59) Global Expansion, Competitors, and Building Teams Abroad (52:22) The 2020 Crisis: COVID, Collapse, and Reinvention (59:21) The Future of Travel Nathan Blecharczyk is the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Airbnb, where he helped grow the platform from a spare air mattress idea to a $75 billion global travel company. A Harvard graduate and self-taught programmer, Nathan has been instrumental in Airbnb's international expansion and strategy, navigating challenges from investor rejection to the COVID-19 crisis. According to Forbes, he is one of the richest people in the world, with a net worth of $9 billion. Connect with Nathan: Nathan's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blecharczyk Airbnb's Website: https://www.airbnb.com Resources Mentioned: Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove: https://www.amazon.com/Only-Paranoid-Survive-Exploit-Challenge/dp/0385483821 Leap Academy: Ready to make the LEAP in your career? There is a NEW WAY for professionals to fast-track their careers and leap to bigger opportunities. Reserve your 24-HOUR PASS today at https://webinar.leapacademy.com/24hr-pass1
BONUS: Captain David Marquet's Guide to Becoming Your Own Best Coach In this BONUS episode, we dive deep into Captain David Marquet's latest book "Distancing: How Great Leaders Reframe to Make Better Decisions." Captain Marquet, renowned for transforming the USS Santa Fe from the worst-performing submarine to the best in the fleet, shares powerful insights on psychological distancing and how stepping outside ourselves can dramatically improve our decision-making abilities. Make sure you also check the previous episode with Captain Marquet, where we discuss the key lessons from his book: Turn The Ship Around! A very often referred book on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast. The Genesis of Distancing "What I really needed was people to think, not just comply, not just do what they were told." Captain Marquet traces the origins of his distancing concept back to his submarine experience. After realizing that giving orders gave people "a pass on thinking," he developed a system where crew members would say "I intend to..." instead of waiting for commands. However, he noticed that officers would sometimes make decisions that were good for their department but not optimal for the submarine as a whole. This led him to ask different questions - like having the engineer sit in the captain's chair and think from that perspective. The breakthrough came when he started asking himself, "What would my six-month-from-now self want me to do today?" The Three B's of Better Decision Making "The problem with your decision making isn't gathering more market data. The problem is your internal, your egoic biases that just come from the fact that you view the decision from inside your own head." Marquet introduces the "3 B's of better decision making": Be someone else, be somewhere else, be sometime else. These psychological distancing techniques help overcome the limitations of our "immersed self" - the version of us trapped in immediate pressures, deadlines, and ego-driven concerns. When we distance ourselves temporally (thinking as our future self), socially (thinking as someone else), or spatially (imagining being somewhere else), we access what psychologists call our "distanced self," which aligns more closely with our ideal self and core values. The Jeff Bezos Example "When I'm 80, when am I going to regret more? Am I going to regret trying this idea and failing or not trying the idea?" Marquet shares how Jeff Bezos used temporal distancing when deciding whether to leave his Wall Street job to start Amazon. By imagining himself at 80 looking back, Bezos was able to see past immediate concerns like his upcoming bonus and rent payments to focus on what would truly matter in the long term. This shift in perspective transforms how our brain processes decisions - from viewing them as "scary change" to considering them through the lens of potential regret. Practical Applications for Teams "I want you to imagine that a team in Singapore is going to work on the same kind of project next month. What would we want them to know?" The distancing technique has powerful applications for team retrospectives and decision-making. Instead of asking "What could we have done better?" (which triggers defensiveness), Marquet suggests reframing as helping a future team in another location. This approach employs all three B's simultaneously: Be someone else: Helping another team rather than critiquing yourself Be sometime else: Focusing on future improvement rather than past mistakes Be somewhere else: Imagining the team in a different location removes personal attachment Becoming Your Own Coach "You become your own friend, you become your own coach." Marquet emphasizes that leaders cannot effectively coach others until they learn to coach themselves. He challenges leaders who want their teams to change by asking, "What have you changed recently?" The coach perspective provides the elevated view needed to see the whole field rather than being immersed in the immediate action. Like a sports coach who doesn't feel the hits but sees the strategy, our "coach self" can provide objective guidance to our "player self." The Language of Leadership "The people who said 'you can do it' exerted more energy and felt better than the people who said 'I can do it.'" Building on his previous work in "Leadership is Language," Marquet demonstrates how changing from first-person to second or third-person language creates psychological distance. Studies show that athletes performing endurance tests while saying "you can do it" outperformed those saying "I can do it." This simple language shift helps separate us from the immersed self and provides a slight but meaningful perspective advantage. The Intel Transformation Story "What if we got fired? And the board brought in new people to run the company. What would the new people do?" Marquet shares the pivotal moment when Intel founders Gordon Moore and Andy Grove used distancing to make the crucial decision to abandon memory chips for microprocessors. For a year, they couldn't make this decision because their identity was tied to being "memory chip makers." Only when Grove asked Moore to imagine what new leadership would do were they able to immediately see the obvious answer: focus on microprocessors. This decision saved Intel and created the company we know today. Stopping Time: Planning the Pause "The best thing is you have to plan the pauses. The best case is when you plan the pause ahead of time." Marquet explains that once we're in our reactive, immersed state, it's nearly impossible to climb out without System 2 override. The solution is to schedule pauses proactively. When teams know there will be scheduled reflection points, they're more willing to commit to execution while also noting areas for improvement. This is why agile methodologies are so effective - they build in regular pause points for reflection and course correction. Overcoming Defensive Reactions "Your brain will curate the input - it will always choose to pay attention to things that prove you're right and ignore things that prove you wrong." The immersed self creates defensive reactions during evaluations, retrospectives, or any situation involving performance assessment. Our brains naturally filter information to support our existing self-image, remembering successes while forgetting failures. Distancing techniques help bypass these defensive mechanisms by removing the ego from the equation, allowing for more objective analysis and better decision-making. Acting Your Way to New Thinking "We act our way to new thinking. You want to do different things. We act your way to a new mindset. You don't mindset your way to new actions." Marquet concludes with a crucial insight about change: behavior change leads to mindset change, not the other way around. Rather than trying to convince people to think differently, leaders should focus on creating small, actionable changes that gradually shift thinking patterns. His "Leadership Nudges" concept embodies this approach, offering brief, practical tools that teams can implement immediately. About Captain David Marquet Captain David Marquet, a former U.S. Navy submarine commander, revolutionized leadership by empowering his crew to become leaders themselves. Through his Intent-Based Leadership® model, he transformed the USS Santa Fe from the worst-performing submarine to the best in the fleet. Today, he inspires organizations worldwide to cultivate leaders at every level. You can connect with Captain David Marquet on LinkedIn and follow him on his website at davidmarquet.com. You can also explore his YouTube channel "Leadership Nudges" for a library of over 500 short leadership videos.
In Part Two of The Room Where It Happens, we continue our journey alongside CFOs who found themselves face-to-face with some of the most iconic business visionaries of our time. From Salesforce founder Marc Benioff to Intel's Andy Grove, Cisco's John Chambers, and Apple's Steve Jobs, these finance leaders share the moments when vision collided with execution, when bold strategy met financial discipline. Their stories reveal not only what it meant to sit in those high-stakes rooms, but how those experiences reshaped their own leadership journeys. Once again, we're reminded: history isn't just made by visionaries—it's co-written by CFOs.
Robert E. Siegel, Stanford Graduate School of Business professor, venture capitalist, and former executive, shares the leadership lessons he learned working with Intel's legendary CEO, Andy Grove, and other amazing leaders, and how to thrive in today's era of conflicting pressures. In this in-depth conversation, we explore the concept of the systems leader, someone who can innovate while delivering results, balance global and local priorities, and combine decisiveness with humility. Drawing from his work with leading CEOs, his investing career, and his experiences in fast-moving industries, Robert explains how leaders can adapt and stay relevant, even as AI, economic shifts, and political uncertainty reshape the business world. What you'll learn in this episode: How Andy Grove influenced Robert's approach to leadership and decision-making Why the most effective leaders thrive in environments of “cross-pressures” Practical steps for staying relevant as technology and AI transform industries The importance of balancing execution with long-term vision Stories from Robert's career as an operator, investor, and Stanford professor About Robert Siegel: Robert is a Lecturer in Management at Stanford GSB, a venture capitalist, and a board member for multiple technology companies. His work blends academic research with real-world experience, guiding executives at the highest level. Get Robert's new book here: https://shorturl.at/Zhv9N The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies Here are some free gifts for you: Overall Approach Used in Well-Managed Strategy Studies free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/OverallApproach McKinsey & BCG winning resume free download: www.firmsconsulting.com/resumepdf Enjoying this episode? Get access to sample advanced training episodes here: www.firmsconsulting.com/promo
Episode 226: Powerful Paradigm Shifts Can Change How We LeadIn this episode, Dr. Janel Anderson explores the concept of paradigm shifts and how they radically transform the way we see the world. She shares both personal and organizational examples, from learning not to believe everything you think to embracing a growth mindset, challenging industry assumptions, and responding proactively to market changes. Drawing lessons from leaders like Carol Dweck, Andy Grove, and Jeff Bezos, Dr. Anderson offers listeners actionable insights for questioning limiting beliefs, fostering innovation, and leading meaningful change. Whether you're leading a team or your own growth, this episode invites you to see the world—and your work—differently.Find show notes at https://janelanderson.com/226
In this episode, Scott Becker reflects on Intel's decline from industry leader to a struggling competitor.
In this episode, Scott Becker reflects on Intel's decline from industry leader to a struggling competitor.
On a new edition of Weekend Conversations on the Elevate Podcast, host Robert Glazer and producer Mick Sloan discuss the importance of staving off complacency and being aware of threats in business and social movements. They discuss why complacency is so challenging in business and life, and why, as Andy Grove wrote, only the paranoid survive. Read the post discussed in this episode: Friday Forward - Dodo Instincts (#493) This episode of the Elevate Podcast is sponsored by: Shopify: shopify.com/elevate Indeed: indeed.com/elevate Framer: framer.com BambooHR: bamboohr.com/freedemo IDEO U: ideou.com/elevate Castbox: castbox.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen by Rita Gunther McGrath Inflection points, as discussed first by Andy Grove in his book, Only the Paranoid Survive, are paradigmatic shifts that lead to entrepreneurial opportunities, such as those companies like Amazon and Netflix seized, or lead to failure, if not responded to adequately as in the instances of companies like Nokia, Blockbuster, Intel, Kodak, and Xerox. Leaders must “see around corners” to identify disruption and must respond appropriately. Business School Professor and consultant Rita McGrath contends that though the disruption often seems sudden, it is not entirely random and can be anticipated. Typically, it is the result of process that has been brewing for some time. Armed with the right strategies and tools, organizational leaders can identify that a disruption is arriving and can benefit from it if they take timely steps. This book is a guide to anticipating, understanding, and capitalizing the inflection points in the lives of business. Rich in example, itprovides a structured approach to understanding and responding to the disruptive inflections every business inevitably face. Case study presentations and illustrations are central. This book is a must for navigating in a world of constant disruptions. Alfred Marcus, Edson Spencer Professor of Strategy and Technology University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Que comportamento deve o líder adoptar perante o incerto? Os nossos especialistas falam sobre o desconhecido e olham para o percurso de Andy Grove, o homem que escreveu “Só os paranóicos sobrevivem.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
It's our annual tradition—venture capitalists and startup founders share the books that shaped them. From sci-fi and civil rights to artificial intelligence and management, this year's reading list offers insight into the minds of Silicon Valley's most thoughtful leaders.Highlights include:Master of the Senate by Robert Caro, recommended by Casber Wang of Sapphire Ventures for its deep exploration of power and politicsTraffic by Ben Smith, cited by Joe Alalou of Daring Ventures as essential reading on how the social web shaped our modern worldThe Sentence by Louise Erdrich, praised by Initiate Ventures' Jessica Owens for its emotional depth and powerful storytellingRead Write Own by Chris Dixon, a pick from Bobby Franklin of the NVCA to better understand the potential of blockchain beyond cryptoEven Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins, a personal favorite of Wharton's Lori Rosenkopf for its message on turning perceived flaws into strengthsMindset by Carol Dweck, currently on Larry Gadea's reading listThe Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov, a longtime source of inspiration for Imvaria's Joshua ReicherHigh Output Management by Intel legend Andy Grove, recommended by Avery Pennarun of TailscaleTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, the book Amit Kumar of Accel is gifting to friendsPrediction Machines by Ajay Agrawal, a favorite of Terry Doyle from TELUS Ventures for making AI approachable—even for his 89-year-old motherAnd anything by Isaac Asimov, says James Joaquin of Obvious Ventures, who's now funding a factory that grows diamondsMore than just a beach read list, these titles reflect the philosophies and obsessions of today's investors. Dive into the full episode of Sand Hill Road for all the recommendations—and check our archives for past years' picks.Sand Hill Road is produced by Andrew Mendez under the leadership of Sara Bueno and Stephanie Adrouny
Kevin Evers: There's Nothing Like This Kevin Evers is a Senior Editor at Harvard Business Review. Passionate about shaping groundbreaking research and amplifying pioneering ideas, he has edited bestselling and award-winning books on high performance, creativity, innovation, digital disruption, marketing, and strategy. He is the author of There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift*. You may love her music. You may not. You may think she's a business genius…or perhaps no. But one thing is for sure, you cannot ignore Taylor Swift. In this conversation, Kevin and I explore Swift's strategic approach and what every leader can learn from her success. Key Points Swift knows exactly her “job to be done” and delivers on it consistently. Swift treats her fans' emotions and experiences with respect and they respond in kind. Andy Grove famously said that only the paranoid survive. It's one of many traits that helps Swift stay successful. Swift's transition to pop was promotion-focused rather than prevention-focused to a promotion-focused. She led the story of her transformation. Not only is Swift clear on her vision, but she regularly reflects on the difficult steps to get there. Swift is a remarkable example of antifragility. Not only does she withstand stress and shocks, they make her stronger. Resources Mentioned There's Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift* by Kevin Evers Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Doing Better Than Zero Sum-Thinking, with Renée Mauborgne (episode 641) The Reason People Make Buying Decisions, with Marcus Collins (episode 664) How to Keep Improving, with Maurice Ashley (episode 697) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.
Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before They Happen by Rita Gunther McGrath Inflection points, as discussed first by Andy Grove in his book, Only the Paranoid Survive, are paradigmatic shifts that lead to entrepreneurial opportunities, such as those companies like Amazon and Netflix seized, or lead to failure, if not responded to adequately as in the instances of companies like Nokia, Blockbuster, Intel, Kodak, and Xerox. Leaders must “see around corners” to identify disruption and must respond appropriately. Business School Professor and consultant Rita McGrath contends that though the disruption often seems sudden, it is not entirely random and can be anticipated. Typically, it is the result of process that has been brewing for some time. Armed with the right strategies and tools, organizational leaders can identify that a disruption is arriving and can benefit from it if they take timely steps. This book is a guide to anticipating, understanding, and capitalizing the inflection points in the lives of business. Rich in example, itprovides a structured approach to understanding and responding to the disruptive inflections every business inevitably face. Case study presentations and illustrations are central. This book is a must for navigating in a world of constant disruptions. Alfred Marcus, Edson Spencer Professor of Strategy and Technology University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Tank Talks, Matt Cohen speaks with Terry Doyle, Managing Partner at Telus Global Ventures, about the evolving role of corporate venture capital (CVC) in business strategy. Terry discusses his path from Nokia and Microsoft to leading one of Canada's top CVC arms. With 30+ deals in 2023 and a dual “investor + customer” model, Telus is redefining how corporates fuel innovation. The conversation covers AI in emerging verticals, enterprise partnerships, and Canada's place in global tech. Founders, investors, and policy leaders alike will find actionable insights and strategic guidance throughout this episode.Terry's Unconventional Career Path (00:00:49)* From law school to Nokia's corporate development during the iPhone disruption.* Lessons from Nokia's decline: "The paranoid survive" (Andy Grove) and the dangers of engineering-centric cultures.* Transition to Microsoft pre-Satya Nadella: Pitching $400M deals in an era where "revenue below $1B wasn't reported."How Telus Builds Through Venture Capital (00:14:51)* Telus's evolution from telco to tech & services powerhouse* Over 90% of investments include commercial partnerships* Measuring ROI through value capture: “$34M in portfolio revenue last year, targeting $60M this year.”Navigating M&A and Corporate Integration (00:28:43)* Why integration, not pricing, kills most acquisitions* Founders: plan to stay 3+ years post-acquisition* The liquidity logjam: public markets are closed, valuations remain stickyAI's Vertical and Observability Revolution (00:43:00)* Why Telus is betting on vertical LLMs and AI observability tools* Applications in health, agriculture, and cybersecurity* “AI isn't a side bet, it's foundational to our product strategy.”Canada's Innovation Imperative (00:32:58)* Only 6% of Canadian corporates invest in venture (vs. 40% in the U.S.)* “If you don't like change, you're going to hate irrelevance.”* The need for more startup acquisitions, angel reinvestment, and risk tolerance from corporate leadersAbout Terry DoyleTerry Doyle is Managing Partner at Telus Global Ventures, leading strategic investments across Telus' digital health, agriculture, and AI verticals. A veteran of British Telecom, Nokia, and Microsoft, Terry has negotiated global M&A deals and now helps startups scale through Telus' commercial ecosystem. Passionate about Canadian tech, Terry is also a long-time supporter of C100 and innovation policy.Connect with Terry Doyle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doyleterryVisit Telus Global Ventures Website: https://www.telus.com/en/ventures/global-venturesConnect with Matt Cohen on LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/matt-cohen1Visit the Ripple Ventures website: https://www.rippleventures.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tanktalks.substack.com
Knowledge Project: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- Most people protect their identity. Andy Grove would rewrite his, again and again. He started as a refugee, became a chemist, turned himself into an engineer, then a manager, and finally the CEO who built Intel into a global powerhouse. He didn't cling to credentials or titles. When a challenge came up, he didn't delegate, he learned. This episode explores the radical adaptability that made Grove different. While his peers obsessed over innovation, he focused on something far more enduring: the systems, structures, and people needed to scale that innovation. Grove understood that as complexity rises, technical brilliance fades and coordination becomes king. You'll learn how he redefined leadership, why he saw management as a creative act, and what most founders still get wrong about building great companies. If you're serious about getting better—at work, at thinking, at leading—this is the episode you'll be glad you didn't miss. This episode is for informational purposes only and most of the research came from The Life and Times of an American by Richard S. Tedlow, Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove, and Tom Wolfe's profile of Robert Noyce available here. Check out highlights from these books in our repository, and find key lessons from Grove here — https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/outliers-andy-grove/ (05:02 ) PART 1: Hungarian Beginnings(06:48) German Occupation(09:27) Soviet Liberation(11:01) End of the War(12:35) Leaving Hungary (14:10) PART 2: In America(16:50) Origin of Silicon Valley(20:04) Fairchild (22:54) PART 3: Building Intel(25:15) Becoming a Manager(29:39) Intel's Make-or-Break Moment(31:35) Quality Control Obsession(34:41) Orchestrating Brilliance(37:49) The Microprocessor Revolution and Intel's Growth(40:32) Intel's Growth and the Microma Lesson(30:51) The Grove Influence(47:00) The Birth of Intel Culture(49:42) The Fruits of Transformation(50:43) The Test Ahead (53:07) PART 4: Inflection Points(55:23) The Valley of Death(58:26) The IBM Lesson(01:01:18) CASSANDRA's: The Value of Middle Management(01:04:09) Executing a Painful Pivot (01:08:25) Reflections, afterthoughts, and lessons Thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode: MOMENTOUS: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KNOWLEDGEPROJECT for 35% off your first subscription. NOTION MAIL: Get Notion Mail for free right now at notion.com/knowledgeproject Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of all episodes, join our membership: fs.blog/membership and get your own private feed. Newsletter — The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it's completely free. Learn more and sign up at fs.blog/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Knowledge Project Key Takeaways Check out the episode pageRead the full notes @ podcastnotes.orgMost people protect their identity. Andy Grove would rewrite his, again and again. He started as a refugee, became a chemist, turned himself into an engineer, then a manager, and finally the CEO who built Intel into a global powerhouse. He didn't cling to credentials or titles. When a challenge came up, he didn't delegate, he learned. This episode explores the radical adaptability that made Grove different. While his peers obsessed over innovation, he focused on something far more enduring: the systems, structures, and people needed to scale that innovation. Grove understood that as complexity rises, technical brilliance fades and coordination becomes king. You'll learn how he redefined leadership, why he saw management as a creative act, and what most founders still get wrong about building great companies. If you're serious about getting better—at work, at thinking, at leading—this is the episode you'll be glad you didn't miss. This episode is for informational purposes only and most of the research came from The Life and Times of an American by Richard S. Tedlow, Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove, and Tom Wolfe's profile of Robert Noyce available here. Check out highlights from these books in our repository, and find key lessons from Grove here — https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/outliers-andy-grove/ (05:02 ) PART 1: Hungarian Beginnings(06:48) German Occupation(09:27) Soviet Liberation(11:01) End of the War(12:35) Leaving Hungary (14:10) PART 2: In America(16:50) Origin of Silicon Valley(20:04) Fairchild (22:54) PART 3: Building Intel(25:15) Becoming a Manager(29:39) Intel's Make-or-Break Moment(31:35) Quality Control Obsession(34:41) Orchestrating Brilliance(37:49) The Microprocessor Revolution and Intel's Growth(40:32) Intel's Growth and the Microma Lesson(30:51) The Grove Influence(47:00) The Birth of Intel Culture(49:42) The Fruits of Transformation(50:43) The Test Ahead (53:07) PART 4: Inflection Points(55:23) The Valley of Death(58:26) The IBM Lesson(01:01:18) CASSANDRA's: The Value of Middle Management(01:04:09) Executing a Painful Pivot (01:08:25) Reflections, afterthoughts, and lessons Thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode: MOMENTOUS: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KNOWLEDGEPROJECT for 35% off your first subscription. NOTION MAIL: Get Notion Mail for free right now at notion.com/knowledgeproject Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of all episodes, join our membership: fs.blog/membership and get your own private feed. Newsletter — The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it's completely free. Learn more and sign up at fs.blog/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Most people protect their identity. Andy Grove would rewrite his, again and again. He started as a refugee, became a chemist, turned himself into an engineer, then a manager, and finally the CEO who built Intel into a global powerhouse. He didn't cling to credentials or titles. When a challenge came up, he didn't delegate, he learned. This episode explores the radical adaptability that made Grove different. While his peers obsessed over innovation, he focused on something far more enduring: the systems, structures, and people needed to scale that innovation. Grove understood that as complexity rises, technical brilliance fades and coordination becomes king. You'll learn how he redefined leadership, why he saw management as a creative act, and what most founders still get wrong about building great companies. If you're serious about getting better—at work, at thinking, at leading—this is the episode you'll be glad you didn't miss. This episode is for informational purposes only and most of the research came from The Life and Times of an American by Richard S. Tedlow, Only the Paranoid Survive by Andy Grove, and Tom Wolfe's profile of Robert Noyce available here. Check out highlights from these books in our repository, and find key lessons from Grove here — https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/outliers-andy-grove/ (05:02 ) PART 1: Hungarian Beginnings(06:48) German Occupation(09:27) Soviet Liberation(11:01) End of the War(12:35) Leaving Hungary (14:10) PART 2: In America(16:50) Origin of Silicon Valley(20:04) Fairchild (22:54) PART 3: Building Intel(25:15) Becoming a Manager(29:39) Intel's Make-or-Break Moment(31:35) Quality Control Obsession(34:41) Orchestrating Brilliance(37:49) The Microprocessor Revolution and Intel's Growth(40:32) Intel's Growth and the Microma Lesson(30:51) The Grove Influence(47:00) The Birth of Intel Culture(49:42) The Fruits of Transformation(50:43) The Test Ahead (53:07) PART 4: Inflection Points(55:23) The Valley of Death(58:26) The IBM Lesson(01:01:18) CASSANDRA's: The Value of Middle Management(01:04:09) Executing a Painful Pivot (01:08:25) Reflections, afterthoughts, and lessons Thanks to our sponsors for supporting this episode: MOMENTOUS: Head to livemomentous.com and use code KNOWLEDGEPROJECT for 35% off your first subscription. NOTION MAIL: Get Notion Mail for free right now at notion.com/knowledgeproject Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of all episodes, join our membership: fs.blog/membership and get your own private feed. Newsletter — The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it's completely free. Learn more and sign up at fs.blog/newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is generosity a nice-to-have—or a career superpower?In Part One, Monte Wood, former CEO of Opus Agency and author of Generosity Wins, makes the case for generosity as a leadership strategy with real-world ROI. Drawing from personal stories, his time working with legends like Steve Jobs, Andy Grove, and Mark Benioff, and life lessons from his own mentors, Monte shares how small acts of generosity can ripple out into long-term success—and why true generosity isn't transactional, it's transformational.This episode explores what it means to give without expecting anything in return—and how doing so just might give you everything you've been looking for.Key Highlights of Our Interview:The 16-Year-Old With a Generosity Formula“My mentor told me: believe you can succeed, live a good life, and be generous. That's it. That's what I followed.”From Milton-Freewater to CEO“Even in a town of 3,500, I believed I'd lead a $100 million company. Generosity helped me get there.”The Real Test of Generous Leadership“Great leaders don't just care about your output—they care about your growth, your family, your life beyond work.”The Taco Bell CEO Who Taught His Team to Change Tires“Leadership isn't just coaching performance. It's preparing people for life—even if that means teaching them how to balance a checkbook.”Why Remembering Someone's Name Is a Leadership Move“Mark Benioff would walk into a room of 2,000 people and greet them by name. That's not ego—that's care.”The Toyota Truck and the Corner Cubicle“Andy Grove reinvented Intel—and drove a beat-up Toyota. That's not performative humility. That's values in action.”Is It Generosity If It Helps You Win?“If generosity leads to success, is it selfish? No—it's just wise. When done with pure intent, generosity multiplies.”Defining Generosity (Without the Guilt Trip)“It's not about money. It's any act of giving or kindness done without expecting a return. Even a smile counts.”Smiles, Bathrooms, and the Chemistry of Connection“A smile can save a life. Cleaning a public restroom can create joy for someone you'll never meet. This is the power we all hold.”The Ripple Effect Is Real—And It Changes Lives“When you're generous to one person, they're more likely to be generous to someone else. The ROI? It might not be financial—but it's exponential.”_____________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guests: Monte Wood --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.18 Million+ All-Time Downloads.80+ Countries Reached Daily.Global Top 1.5% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>170,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.
【欢迎订阅】 每天早上5:30，准时更新。 【阅读原文】 标题：Lip-Bu Tan, the man trying to save Intel The struggling American chip giant's new boss is no stranger to comebacks 正文：INTEL, AMERICA'S semiconductor giant, has had some notable bosses. Robert Noyce, its first, invented the silicon chip that gave Silicon Valley its name. Gordon Moore, who came next, etched his place in tech lore with a prediction—Moore's Law—that processing power would double every two years at the same cost. Andy Grove, the third boss, turned Intel into a semiconductor juggernaut, driven by the mantra that “only the paranoid survive.” The latest to join this lineage is Lip-Bu Tan, who took over in March. 知识点：semiconductor /ˌsemikənˈdʌktə(r)/ n. a substance that has electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator. 半导体（一种导电性能介于导体和绝缘体之间的物质 ） • Semiconductors are widely used in the production of electronic devices like computers and smartphones.（半导体广泛应用于电脑、智能手机等电子设备的制造中。 ） 获取外刊的完整原文以及精讲笔记，请关注微信公众号「早安英文」，回复“外刊”即可。更多有意思的英语干货等着你！ 【节目介绍】 《早安英文-每日外刊精读》，带你精读最新外刊，了解国际最热事件：分析语法结构，拆解长难句，最接地气的翻译，还有重点词汇讲解。 所有选题均来自于《经济学人》《纽约时报》《华尔街日报》《华盛顿邮报》《大西洋月刊》《科学杂志》《国家地理》等国际一线外刊。 【适合谁听】 1、关注时事热点新闻，想要学习最新最潮流英文表达的英文学习者 2、任何想通过地道英文提高听、说、读、写能力的英文学习者 3、想快速掌握表达，有出国学习和旅游计划的英语爱好者 4、参加各类英语考试的应试者（如大学英语四六级、托福雅思、考研等） 【你将获得】 1、超过1000篇外刊精读课程，拓展丰富语言表达和文化背景 2、逐词、逐句精确讲解，系统掌握英语词汇、听力、阅读和语法 3、每期内附学习笔记，包含全文注释、长难句解析、疑难语法点等，帮助扫除阅读障碍。
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comNick is an entrepreneur and journalist. He was the founder of Gawker Media, the publisher of Gizmodo, and the editor of Valleywag. He began his career as a journalist with the Financial Times — as a derivatives and tech correspondent — and later founded a Silicon Valley news aggregator called Moreover Technologies. He's now working on Maze.com, which hosts a network map of near-future timelines.For two clips of our convo — on the growing global dominance of China, and the Chinese outcompeting Elon Musk — pop over to our YouTube page.Other topics: raised in Hampstead in the lower-middle class; a Jewish mom who fled the Communists in Hungary; growing up on sci-fi; Asimov's Foundation; attending Oxford like his father; game theory; being a young reporter in London, Hungary, Romania, and Singapore; pioneering the internet in the ‘90s; Foundation parallels with Singapore; Lee Kuan Yew; Chinese pragmatism; Taiwan; EVs in China; Musk's companies; tech theft between the US and China; DOGE and Trump reigning in Musk; Peter Thiel; Andy Grove; Uber's Travis Kalanick; Kara Swisher; Oculus' Palmer Luckey; how Silicon Valley is PR obsessed; Zuckerberg; David Sacks and crypto; Andreessen; drones; Ukraine; Thatcher; housing crisis in the UK; Orbán; the German Greens; Russian expansionism; the Poles and nukes; Trump's tariffs; Tucker's interview with Putin; the growing US-Europe rift; Greenland; AI and DeepSeek; and Nick's predictions as a futurist.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Douglas Murray on Israel and Gaza, Evan Wolfson on the history of marriage equality, Francis Collins on faith and science and Covid, Stephen Macedo and Frances Lee on Covid's fallout, and Paul Elie on his book The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.
Monte Wood, former CEO of Opus Agency and author of Generosity Wins, knows that generosity isn't just about being nice—it's a game-changer in business and life. From working with icons like Steve Jobs and Mark Benioff to lessons from his mom, Monte has seen firsthand how small acts of giving create big returns. In this episode, he breaks down why generosity is the real secret to happiness and career success—and why it's more powerful than you think.Key Highlights of Our Interview:True Generosity in Leadership: More Than Just Charity“Being generous isn't just about grand acts of philanthropy. It's about caring for the individual. Whether it's helping employees grow beyond their roles or driving an old Toyota to work, leaders like Andy Grove and Mark Benioff show that humility and connection are what truly drive success.”Why Generosity is the Key to Confidence, Courage, and Success“Generosity isn't just about giving—it's a strategic move toward success. Helping others builds faster, more meaningful relationships, while also boosting your own confidence and courage. Harvard's 50-year study shows that close connections are the top predictor of happiness, and generosity is the engine that powers those relationships.”Tracking the Untrackable: The True ROI of Generosity“Generosity doesn't fit into the typical business models of ROI—no one's handing you a direct return. Yet, the rewards are undeniable. Life has a way of paying you back tenfold, proving that being generous might be the most strategic investment you can make, even if it can't be measured in dollars.”Generosity Isn't Always Grand – Sometimes It's Just a Smile“Even the smallest act of generosity can be life-changing. A smile, a kind word, or even cleaning up a public restroom can shift someone's day. In a world full of loneliness and depression, simple acts of generosity may be the most powerful way to create joy and connection.”_____________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guests: Monte Wood______________________--Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Deep Human Intelligence for Growth Progressives, Visionary Underdogs,Transformation Gurus & Bold Hearts.10 Million+ All-Time Downloads.Reaching 80+ Countries Daily.Global Top 3% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>130,000+ subscribers are outgrowing. Act Today.
Want to Start or Grow a Successful Business? Schedule a FREE 13-Point Assessment with Clay Clark Today At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com Join Clay Clark's Thrivetime Show Business Workshop!!! Learn Branding, Marketing, SEO, Sales, Workflow Design, Accounting & More. **Request Tickets & See Testimonials At: www.ThrivetimeShow.com **Request Tickets Via Text At (918) 851-0102 See the Thousands of Success Stories and Millionaires That Clay Clark Has Helped to Produce HERE: https://www.thrivetimeshow.com/testimonials/ Download A Millionaire's Guide to Become Sustainably Rich: A Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Successful Money-Generating and Time-Freedom Creating Business HERE: www.ThrivetimeShow.com/Millionaire See Thousands of Case Studies Today HERE: www.thrivetimeshow.com/does-it-work/
The New York Times has called Clyde Prestowitz “one of the most far seeing forecasters of global trends.” For more than fifty years, Prestowitz has studied, lived, and worked in Asia, Europe, and Latin America as well as in the United States and has become noted as a leading writer and strategist on globalization and competitiveness. His best -selling books include: Trading Places, Rogue Nation, Three Billion New Capitalists, The Betrayal of American Prosperity and Japan Restored.Prestowitz was a leader of the first U.S. trade mission to China in 1982 and has served as an advisor to Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and Obama. He has also worked closely with CEOs such as Intel's Andy Grove, Chrysler's Lee Iacocca, and Fred Smith of Fedex. In addition, Prestowitz has served on the Advisory Boards of Indonesia's Center for International Studies and of Israel's Ministry of Industry and Labor.As Counselor to the Secretary of Commerce in the Reagan administration, Mr. Prestowitz headed negotiations with Japan, South Korea, and China. Under the Clinton administration he served as Vice Chairman of the Presidential Commission on Trade and Investment in the Asia Pacific Region. He was also on the Board of Advisors to the Export/Import Bank.Prior to these posts, Prestowitz had a successful corporate marketing career, working for such companies as Scott Paper Company Europe in Brussels, Egon Zehnder International in Tokyo, and the American Can Company.Mr. Prestowitz holds a B.A. with honors from Swarthmore College; an M.A. in Asia Studies from the University of Hawaii and Tokyo's Keio University, and an M.B.A. from the Wharton Graduate School of Business. He speaks Japanese, Dutch, German, and French.Prestowitz's newest book is The World Turned Upside Down: China, America and the Struggle for Global Leadership (Yale University Press), which was published in January 2021.
Part Two. How many people do you know who walk into a public restroom and leave it cleaner than they found it? I do—and so does the wife of today's guest, Monte Wood. Turns out, small acts of generosity like this aren't just about hygiene; they're about making things better for the next person. Monte, author of Generosity Wins and former CEO of Opus Agency, has collaborated with heavyweights like Mark Benioff, Andy Grove, Steve Jobs, John Chambers, and Andy Jassy. He's learned from the greats, his mentors, and even his mother that generosity isn't just nice—it's transformative. In his world, giving back is more than a feel-good slogan; it's a life strategy. In the last episode, Monte unpacked his definition of generosity and explained why he sees it as the ultimate secret to happiness and career success. And that's just the beginning. Today, we'll tackle why generosity feels so hard in today's hustle culture and how you can cultivate a mindset centered on giving without burning out. Still skeptical that generosity pays off? Join the conversation and see how giving a little can lead to getting a lot—just maybe not in the way you expect. Key Highlights of Our Interview: Generosity Beyond Kindness: Lessons from Steve Jobs, John Chambers, and Andy Jassy “Steve Jobs' goal to democratize technology was generous, even if his approach wasn't. Leaders like Chambers and Jassy showed that while generosity doesn't always come with kindness, the drive to uplift others' success is, in itself, a powerful form of generosity.” The 600-Day Challenge: How Practicing Generosity Daily Transforms You “Documenting a daily act of kindness, whether it's a smile or genuine listening, became a habit that revealed a thousand ways to be generous—proof that practicing generosity opens new perspectives.” Unexpected Generosity in a Hot Tub: A Chat with Elon Musk “In an unexpected encounter, Musk showed genuine interest and warmth, sharing laughs and stories. It was a small gesture, but a powerful reminder of the impact of unexpected generosity from those at the top.” The Hidden Costs of Greed and Division in Today's Media “With opinion-driven media stirring division, the challenge lies in overcoming these forces with conscious generosity and mutual respect—proving that true strength is found not in agreement, but in the ability to disagree respectfully.” Connect with us: Host: Vince Chan | Guests: Monte Wood ______________________ Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously. Experiential Human Intelligence for Growth Progressives Global Top 2.5% Podcast on Listen Notes World's #1 Career Podcast on Apple Top 1: US, CA, MX, IE, HU, AT, CH, FI 3.5 Million+ Downloads 80+ Countries
Part One. How many people do you know who walk into a public restroom and leave it cleaner than they found it? I do—and so does the wife of today's guest, Monte Wood. Turns out, small acts of generosity like this aren't just about hygiene; they're about making things better for the next person. Monte, author of Generosity Wins and former CEO of Opus Agency, has collaborated with heavyweights like Mark Benioff, Andy Grove, Steve Jobs, John Chambers, and Andy Jassy. He's learned from the greats, his mentors, and even his mother that generosity isn't just nice—it's transformative. In his world, giving back is more than a feel-good slogan; it's a life strategy. In this episode, Monte unpacks his definition of generosity and explains why he sees it as the ultimate secret to happiness and career success. And that's just the beginning. Tomorrow, we'll tackle why generosity feels so hard in today's hustle culture and how you can cultivate a mindset centered on giving without burning out. Still skeptical that generosity pays off? Join the conversation and see how giving a little can lead to getting a lot—just maybe not in the way you expect. Key Highlights of Our Interview: True Generosity in Leadership: More Than Just Charity “Being generous isn't just about grand acts of philanthropy. It's about caring for the individual. Whether it's helping employees grow beyond their roles or driving an old Toyota to work, leaders like Andy Grove and Mark Benioff show that humility and connection are what truly drive success.” Why Generosity is the Key to Confidence, Courage, and Success “Generosity isn't just about giving—it's a strategic move toward success. Helping others builds faster, more meaningful relationships, while also boosting your own confidence and courage. Harvard's 50-year study shows that close connections are the top predictor of happiness, and generosity is the engine that powers those relationships.” Tracking the Untrackable: The True ROI of Generosity “Generosity doesn't fit into the typical business models of ROI—no one's handing you a direct return. Yet, the rewards are undeniable. Life has a way of paying you back tenfold, proving that being generous might be the most strategic investment you can make, even if it can't be measured in dollars.” Generosity Isn't Always Grand – Sometimes It's Just a Smile “Even the smallest act of generosity can be life-changing. A smile, a kind word, or even cleaning up a public restroom can shift someone's day. In a world full of loneliness and depression, simple acts of generosity may be the most powerful way to create joy and connection.” Connect with us: Host: Vince Chan | Guests: Monte Wood ______________________ Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously. Experiential Human Intelligence for Growth Progressives Global Top 2.5% Podcast on Listen Notes World's #1 Career Podcast on Apple Top 1: US, CA, MX, IE, HU, AT, CH, FI 3.5 Million+ Downloads 80+ Countries
Ready to spark real change in your organization? In this episode, Brian Milner sits down with April K. Mills, founder of Engine for Change, to reveal how anyone can become a powerful change agent—without waiting for permission. Learn how to drive meaningful change, navigate resistance, and reignite Agile practices with strategies that actually work. Overview In this inspiring episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian Milner talks with April K. Mills, CEO of Engine for Change and author of Everyone is a Change Agent, about what it truly means to lead change. April explains how effective change agents focus on clearing obstacles rather than forcing compliance, and why fostering curiosity, empowerment, and collaboration is key to sustainable change. From navigating corporate roadblocks to revitalizing Agile practices, April shares actionable insights and tactics to help you take control and make a lasting impact—whether you're in a small startup or a global enterprise. References and resources mentioned in the show: April K. Mills Everyone is a Change Agent: A Guide to the Change Agent Essentials by April K. Mills Change Tactics: 50 Ways Change Agents Boldly Escape the Status Quo by April K. Mills Certified ScrumMaster® Training and Scrum Certification Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule Subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast Want to get involved? This show is designed for you, and we’d love your input. Enjoyed what you heard today? Please leave a rating and a review. It really helps, and we read every single one. Got an Agile subject you’d like us to discuss or a question that needs an answer? Share your thoughts with us at podcast@mountaingoatsoftware.com This episode’s presenters are: Brian Milner is SVP of coaching and training at Mountain Goat Software. He's passionate about making a difference in people's day-to-day work, influenced by his own experience of transitioning to Scrum and seeing improvements in work/life balance, honesty, respect, and the quality of work. April K. Mills is an engineer-turned-change-evangelist and author of Everyone is a Change Agent and Change Tactics, empowers individuals and organizations to thrive through change using her proven Change Agent Essentials. With a passion for turning ideas into action, April helps people drive meaningful change with the time, title, and budget they already have. Auto-generated Transcript: Brian (00:00) Welcome in Agile Mentors. We're back for another episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast. I'm with you as always, Brian Milner. And today I have April K. Mills with us. Welcome in April. April K. Mills (00:11) Thanks for having me. Brian (00:13) Very happy to have April with us. April is the founder and CEO of an organization called Engine for Change. That's engine-for-change.com. That's her website. She's also an author. There's a book that she put out called, Everyone is a Change Agent, a Guide to the Change Agent Essentials. And that's what we wanted to have her on to talk about today with a little bit about being a change agent. Now I shouldn't say from the outset, April is a request. We had a listener request for April to come on. And I always love that. I always try to push those people to the top of our list and get them on as soon as possible. And it was such an interesting topic. I thought this would be just a really great way to have a great topic to have early in 2025. So April, let's start with just trying to understand when we say change agent, how do you define that? What do you mean by change agent? April K. Mills (01:09) Yeah, a change agent is someone who takes action to bring about the change they want to see in the world. So rather than waiting for a boss or a corporate program or somebody from HR to come in and say, hey, let's improve this process, the change agent sees the need for a change and takes action. And the big thing I talk about in my books and my work is the difference between what typically happens when somebody sees a need for a change in an organization where they decide, I'm gonna go get a boss to go make everybody do my idea. I call that driving people. And I draw the contrast with that and driving change where you choose the change for yourself and you clear the obstacles for others to choose it too. And I love talking about that with Agile audiences especially because Agile is a change agent movement. of folks who want to drive change. I see a better way to create this product and I want to be part of it. And that's always what's drawn me into the agile space. Brian (02:13) Yeah, that's awesome. Yeah. And it is a big change, right? To think about the dynamics of someone kind of sitting back and saying, yeah, I see something that needs to be done. I see something that should be a different way, but you know, who am I to say anything about this? Who am I to do anything about versus the person who actually takes action and does things. So that kind of leads to a question about change agents. What kind of skills or traits do you think are really helpful or beneficial to someone to be a better change agent. April K. Mills (02:46) Well, the key is that difference between driving people and driving change. It's not what degree do you have, it's not how long have you been in the industry, it's not are you a people person, are you more focused on the data or some of those factors that we usually like to talk about. It really is, are you willing to take the step yourself first and clear those obstacles and encourage and invite people to join you? Or do you want somebody to make them obey you? And that choice is really the key for anybody to be a change agent. Because so many times we've seen people who might be able to convince the boss, hey, our team should be agile. And what happens, right? It goes on for about three months. The team gets frustrated. The boss gets angry. And then everybody starts to have a reaction when you bring it up, right? I'm sure plenty of the listeners have gone into an organization. If you're passionate about agile and you go, hey, have you guys heard about agile? And they go, ooh. And they make like a face. That's because they've encountered somebody who is driving people. And so that's the big focus I always try and talk with people about is can you show up with that willingness to let people join you and understand what their obstacles are to doing it. Brian (03:57) What are some kind of warning signs or signals you'd look for to kind of recognize whether I'm actually approaching this from a driving people perspective versus driving the change? April K. Mills (04:08) So a lot of times the key is how are you thinking about or talking about in your own head about the people around you or even yourself? We have a tendency to drive ourselves as well. So you can hear it in the language, right? I'm frustrated because so-and-so won't listen. I wish I could get more attention. It's all this sort of vague or... putting the action onto someone else and then complain the action isn't happening fast enough. You can hear it in the language. And so when someone's driving change, you don't hear that. hear, you know, I'm working on, I'm doing, the next thing is my action is I'm going to go talk with this person. I want to understand. I'm going to be curious. And you get this agency, this power coming back into your body almost, and then taking taking the next step from there. And so it's almost easy. You can almost say, well, how far outside your body would you put the power to make this change happen is a useful question to ask people. And if they say, well, it's in the CEO of the company, it's in the industry, it's in my tech lead, but it's certainly not me, well, then you're not a change agent. Brian (05:20) So that brings up a good point because I think I can try to channel what the listeners might be thinking here. I know that in times I've been in organizations where, yeah, you have the ideal, you have the thing that you think is the best thing to do. But because the power dynamics in the organization, you don't really have the power to make that change and you depend a little bit on others that have the power to to help affect it. And so there is a sort of an aspect of, I don't really have the capability or the power to cause this change to happen. How can I still stay with that mindset of driving change versus driving people when I know I need someone else's help? April K. Mills (06:03) Right. So that's a great conversation. And I've started to call it phase one Agile versus phase two Agile. I'm old enough in this space where when I first joined, a lot of Agile was team-based. Somebody on the team or several people on the team said, yeah, I want better. And these are the things that we can do as a team to deliver better. And let's do them together. And then the problem was the teams could do it, but they couldn't scale it. And they were like, if only we could get the senior leaders to pay attention to us, that would solve all our problems. And then you get phase two agile, which was executives buying agile implementations and forcing it down on people. There is one right way and we will do exactly this and you must conform and no other versions are allowed. And then we got the fractures and all of the fights about all of the different aspects. And so we tried it both ways, right? We tried it with the team effort and then we tried it with this thou shalt effort. And I think the key to actually making Agile work across organizations and deeper into organizations is to keep that energy from the team-based Agile to say, we're choosing something better, but it's that piece of driving change. What are the obstacles for others to choose it to? We didn't do that step. We went from my team does it, now the boss should make everybody else do what my team does. And I think that's where we got off track. in really scaling Agile into something that was sustainable and brought that joy and commitment and everyday wanting to show up and be better across the organization. So that's what I would encourage folks to do is not try to cheat that step of getting your fellow teams and larger systems to join you by finding somebody with the power to make them be like you. Brian (07:50) That's fascinating. I know that in some of these changes I've been involved with as well, there can be things that happen that kind of find yourself stalled a little bit, right? The initiative or the changes you're trying to affect just doesn't feel like it's going where it needs to go. What advice do you have for people who feel like they're in that place where they feel like they're kind of stalled out? in the change. April K. Mills (08:16) Yeah, so a lot of the things I talk about in that book you mentioned everyone is a change agent are different tactics you can use to overcome that. One of the key things that I talk about is what I call a change buffer, which is how can you make the rules where you're at different than those rules across the organization? I mean, let's take a simple example. Let's say there's five software teams in a business. Very simple example, right? And one is doing some practices and they'd love for those practices to spread. but they're not spreading as fast as they would hope. One of the ways to protect your change is to say, on our team, we will behave this way, declare it, make it what I call a policy buffer. So when one of those other four teams says, well, why are you doing it that way? You can point to the piece of paper and say, we've agreed to behave this way. Now, if you'd love to join us, we'd love to share that with you, but this team behaves this way. So then it's not every developer having to defend in effect the practices, which can get exhausting. But then you can start to ask them, what's your policy on your team? How do you do this? And get curious. Not in a, I'm trying to lure them in and trap them into my way of behaving, but in a, really want to understand, do they have a different measure that they're being exposed to? How can we help maybe get that measure off of them? Do they have a boss who's got a different standard for what quality looks like? Well, should we have a corporate conversation around, quality across the five teams should be the same. We don't tend to have those because we want to skip the step of coming into that alignment together and just have a policy somehow drop from the stars that aligns with my values. yeah, policy buffers are really big to protect a change and help it spread and have those curious conversations at the edges. Think of it like system integration, right? You can't just dictate, you have to understand and merge. Brian (10:11) Let's say we put in place a policy buffer like that on our team and our whole team agrees to doing something and we think this is the right way of doing things. And someone higher in the organization, some manager or leader finds out about this and says, no, I don't want that to happen. We've been trying to affect the change, right? And not push the individual. But now we do have the individual who's saying, you shall not do this. How do you overcome that when you're the change engine? April K. Mills (10:38) Yeah, so a lot of times you have to understand what are the assumptions that that leader is making and again get curious, right? Because if we focus not on the method but on the outcome, we should be able to get alignment faster. So rather than going into a boss and saying, method A is my choice, method B is yours, you know, it's a cage match, two will enter, one will leave. You instead want to show up and say, Well, I think we both agree we want to deliver quality products on time that customers love at the lowest possible production costs. Are we aligned on that or not? And if they say yes, then you say, okay, now let's just understand what are you asking for? And from my perspective as a person who has to implement that, here's how I think that impacts our ability to deliver quality products that customers love at the lowest possible production costs. And these methods that I'm using are doing this and here's my data or evidence. And so you in effect want to shift it where it's not me looking at you, but as people are probably going to see on this podcast, it's us next to each other. So if we instead frame it as me and the leader looking at the issue together, because we want to win together, we're not in competition. So again, it's about seeking to understand, removing those obstacles so that we can be aligned together to go there together. Brian (11:57) I love the idea of backtracking a little bit and finding that common ground and going from that space. I think that's a great approach. I know I've had success with that in my career too, of being able to find, well, we agree on this, right? And if we agree on this, now we're just talking about the best way of getting from where we are to there. And then it's less personal, then it's less about the person, it's more about the best strategy. And we're a little bit less... personally invested that we think it's a you know a personal affront or challenge if it's if it's more about the idea So I agree. I think that's a that's a great kind of approach to doing that How about the differences in just the the context of this if I'm a change I know you know I've been in some small organizations. I've been in some medium large-sized organizations and You know I think anyone who's been in large organizations would say Well, yeah, that's nice and easy when it's in a startup, right? If I'm in a startup, then yeah, everyone's wearing a lot of different hats and it's really easy to make change, but you know, the institutional kind of inertia that can take place in larger organizations, how do you overcome that as a change agent? April K. Mills (13:00) Yeah, well, I can speak to that from deep experience because my background started as a civilian nuclear engineer for the US Navy in a hundred year old shipyard. And I started six weeks before September 11th. So I came into a nuclear shipyard, a hundred years old, very staid in the way they did things, optimized for the shipyard and the world changed. Brian (13:03) Ha ha ha ha. April K. Mills (13:25) And I watched as that organization struggled to deal with the rate of change that was being imposed upon them. And a lot of the things that I talk about in everyone is a change agent came out of that experience of understanding what tactics worked, what didn't, what philosophy worked, what didn't to be able to empower people to make changes happen. And we made amazing changes happen in the shipyard. And then I went on and did 10 years with Intel Corporation, right? The chip maker and taught these things globally and saw people do amazing things within the company. Now it's true, if you don't get the main rudder of the company, you're not gonna steer it. But there's a lot of change you can make in an organization from where you're at. And I think that's the powerful, powerful thing. And so these tactics work at scale. They work for an individual, right? If you stop talking to yourself like, you know what you need to do? You have to do this or so and so is gonna get mad at you and you instead say, What's our obstacle for getting up early and going to the gym? And how can I clear that? And how can I choose to do that every day all the way up to a team, all the way up to an organization? I've seen these things work all the way through that scale. So I've used it in community projects to deliver an accessible playground in three and a half years when everybody said it would take five or 10. And these tactics have also been proven, although they weren't listed this way, in historical successes. If you think about when Admiral Rickover founded the nuclear Navy back in 1950, they went from approval to use nuclear power to USS Nautilus underway in five years. We can't deliver anything in five years anymore because we constantly are looking for who's going to make people, how are we going to force them? Can we keep them forced to do it? And with employee turnover, with system turnover, with the rate of change, I would argue this era of driving people has to end because it wasn't ever really effective, but it's getting less and less effective. And that's the name of my second book, which is Change Tactics, which is both you should change tactics and here are some change tactics to help people accelerate their results. Brian (15:36) That's awesome. Yeah, I mean, it gets really deep really quickly here too, because you start to think about even the way we manage our projects and the fact that a lot of more traditional project management is sort of, when we talk about this change agent approach, is sort of managing the people and trying to push and drive the people towards deadlines, some, not even an outcome, but a timeline. versus trying to affect the outcomes that we're trying to achieve as an end result instead. So it really is interconnected, isn't it, through even the way we set up our projects? April K. Mills (16:13) Yes, it totally is. And I have that in the book and in the classes I teach is where is the force? So I'm an engineer by training, right? So I'm constantly looking and thinking about where's the force in the system if it was a pump or a reactor plant or whatever. And you can see it to your point with the program management is your, are you spending most of your time trying to push people to do something? Or are you moving the form, fit and function of whatever the product is? If that's delivering code and integrating code, if that's a physical product, are you clearing the obstacle so that product moves forward faster? And you hear this and see this in stories of what's going on at SpaceX, right? When they're confronting something about, can't get a part for six months or I can't get a part for a year and it's gonna cost me $50,000, they're saying. Isn't it just sheet metal? How could we make that in two weeks with what we've got? Because they're not talking about you should be able to shrink that timeline. What are you doing? Why aren't you talking to the vendor enough? aren't you pushing on the vendor hard enough? They're saying, what is the physical thing we need and how fast can we get it? And it's allowing them to shrink product costs. It's allowing them to shrink durations. It's what Rickover did in the 50s. It's what Andy Grove did with Intel back when it was Intel delivers in the 80s and 90s. Focus on the product, focus on the physics, focus on the engineering, the mechanics to support the engineering, the operations to support the mechanics, and you'll deliver products faster. And at the heart of all of that is change agents because they're not trying to get somebody to obey. They want to get something amazing done. Brian (17:50) One of the things I found kind of in when I've worked with organizations and talked with organizations about kind of moving from point A to point B is the fact that you kind of need help. kind of need, know, a lot of times people will try to make these changes all on their own and they sort of take the weight of the world on their shoulders. I can't figure out why it's not working. How do you kind of co-opt others into your strategy? April K. Mills (18:14) Yeah, well, the best way is to share with them what you've learned about being a change agent. I've had countless folks who, know, one person will read my book or come to a class and they'll go back and try it and people will get curious because you show up differently. So a simple example that I give in the book is rather than sending a mandatory meeting, which we're all guilty of, right, we get an assignment. and we go into the global outlook calendar and we pick people and we make them mandatory and we order them to come to our meeting. We say, Brian gave me this assignment. You have to come. Brian said this is really important. Come to my meeting or else. And we do that. That's the default. And I encourage folks from a driving change perspective to instead, maybe Brian, you gave me that assignment, but my meeting notice would say, I've been asked by Brian to lead this. I'm excited to do that. Here's why I've chosen this as the thing I'm going to focus on. I've marked you all optional. I think you have the skills and capabilities that would be amazing on this team. And if you're as passionate as I am, I'd love you to partner with me. We're going to start meeting on Tuesday. If you're not the right one, feel free to tell me. But I'm moving forward on Tuesday with whoever's there. And I'm really grateful that I get to work in an organization with you. Now. Who's gonna come to, which meeting are you gonna come to? The April says Brian's gonna be mad at you if you don't, or the one where April's gonna go off and do something amazing, I don't wanna miss out. And anybody can do that because everybody send in meeting notices out to people. So the simplest actions have the most powerful results. Brian (19:31) Ha It really is a cultural change too, right? mean, that's a very different cultural kind of approach to it to say, hey, it's optional, but, you know, get on board with this idea. If this is something that you're excited about, I want you to be a part of this versus, hey, you've got to, that's your job. you know, I've been given the authority to, to demand that you be here and, and, and, you know, really want. So, so how do you. You know culture changes is obviously one of the hardest things to do in an organization. How do you start to if you're a change agent? How do you start to? Change the culture in the organization to be more in line with that April K. Mills (20:25) So my focus is always on the culture starts with one. So people will treat you the way you show up. And so show up as a change agent and the world will bend around you in reaction to it. Now I do have a chapter in the book where I talk about my son who's got special needs and he took a long time for him to walk. He had to walk with forearm crutches. And the first time we were really out in public, he was walking with his forearm crutches. And you could tell that people were really confused and concerned, right? It's different. He's a small child. He looks very fragile. And you had all these reactions from people about, well, you know, where's his mother? Cause I was watching him from a little ways away. I always joke, no one ever asked where's his father if a child is wandering off. But you know, they're watching him and you could tell there were people that wanted to either pick him up and do it for him. Take him someplace because he looks so fragile, let me help you. Or they were mad that he was off on his own and I wasn't hovering. And I use that story for the same thing here. Because when you go off and you say, let's make this optional, I'm passionate about it, I'm committed, and even if I'm alone in this room, I'm going to move this forward, people are going to look at you funny. Like my son with his forearm crutches because they're used to somebody walking off strong, demanding, creating space. But it doesn't mean that that's necessarily the best way to do it. And so you have to be comfortable being different. And I use the concept of change buffers to help people with that. A personal buffer might be like Richard Feynman, the noted physicist. I don't care what other people think. I'm going to be me, their concerns to the wind. A friendship buffer. I'm going to go off and do this. when somebody goes, April's crazy. I call my friend Brian and you go, you're not crazy. You're doing the right thing. Keep it up. Let's go for coffee, let's go for the beer, whatever. A leadership buffer, maybe you're my boss and you believe in this, you've seen it. I go off and do it, people give me a hard time. I go, hey, take it up with Brian, my boss. We do things this way in his group. Or back to that policy buffer. In my group, we drive change, not people. So when somebody shows up differently, folks go, you know, why are you doing that? it's just the way we work. And that's what I've built in organizations over the years. The people that were in The groups with me that were doing this, depending on how comfortable and how strong they felt, could either say, I'm different, live with it. Or they could say, we're different. Or the policy is different. Whatever they needed to feel strong enough to show up differently. Because when you show up differently, you get amazing results. Brian (22:58) Yeah. That's so, that's so awesome. I completely agree. What if people are listening to this and hearing all this and getting excited about it and thinking, yeah, this is, this sounds like something I want to participate in. is, it sounds like something I want to start to do. if someone feels inspired by this conversation and wants to be, become more of a change agent, uh, but they really just don't know where to start. What are some practical things that you would give them to say, here's, here's a good way to start to, to move down this path. April K. Mills (23:27) Yeah, well, the simplest one is that's why you write books, right? So my book is available. I self-published it on purpose to make it very affordable. So it's, think, $9.99. Everyone is a change agent. It's $14.99 for change tactics because I accidentally wrote a longer book than I intended. sorry. When I got the first copy, I'm like, oh, that's more than I thought it was. OK. But so both of those. So for, you know, the price of a meal. Brian (23:44) You April K. Mills (23:54) for one person these days with inflation, right? You can get two books that help you not only have the basis, but have some just simple tactics, almost like a recipe book you can use. And then later this spring, I'm rolling out with my Engine for Change Company, this Change Agent Essentials class, which is based on that content. I've been teaching it now for 10 years in corporations. As we were talking before we started, right, I'm a recovering hider in corporations, I guess. Now I'm coming out into the world. And so it's going to be available for folks if they want to take the class to get that more immersive experience. So I'm really excited to bring it to the world because it works. And I'm especially passionate about agile people using it because there's too much conversation around agile dying and we need better products delivered faster that customers love at the lowest possible costs. And I don't know a better way to get there. So we got to reclaim agile from the driving people. Brian (24:47) Yeah, I completely agree. you know, anyone who's been involved in Agile in any significant, you know, way I'm sure would probably agree that it's not that the core concepts in any way are, are less, valid or, or, or no longer practical or anything like that. It's just people have seen so much bad versions of things that now that that definition has been marred a little bit, I would say. And so now we, we, we have to kind of take Like you said, take back control of that a little bit and say, now here's what it really is, and here's why we do things this way. And I like your approach there. Find the common ground and say, here's, you know, we both believe in this. Well, what's the best way of doing that? You know, here's what we think. April K. Mills (25:28) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I think it's going to be a really exciting time as we go into 2025. There's so much change happening, but so much of it is at that default of driving people. So there's a huge opportunity to show up differently, to create a ripple. That one person can create that ripple. You three people can support each other while they try these new things. By the time you get to five, you almost have critical mass, right? At least two of you will always be online at any one time to support each other. And you can grow it from there. And I've seen great, great things happen. And it really is an unleashing of energy. If people can remember the first feeling they had when they found Agile and it was like, yeah, that feels more like what a professional does. And that excitement and that energy, you can get back to that and you can get back to that by driving change. Brian (26:24) Love it, love it, this is awesome. Well, this has been a great conversation. I really appreciate you coming on. We're gonna put links to everything in our show notes for everyone so you can get to April's company and find out more about her classes and also find out more about her books there as well. So April, thank you so much for coming on. April K. Mills (26:40) Thanks for having me. It was an honor to be recommended. Brian (26:43) Well, and our honor to have you on as well. So thank you for our listeners and recommending people and thank you April for making the time for us.
From Intel's engineering labs to Silicon Valley's unicorns, OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) have transformed how tech companies translate vision into measurable outcomes. But what separates successful OKR implementations from failed experiments? And how can technology leaders avoid the common pitfalls that derail even well-intentioned rollouts? In this episode, we dive deep with leaders who've shaped OKR practices at some of tech's most influential companies. Our guests Josh Seiden, Holly Bielawa, and Deepika Yerragunta share battle-tested insights from their experiences at Intel, Amazon, Google, and beyond. The episode compiles the best segments around getting started on your OKR journey, de-risking and iterating your rollout, and our guests' tips on self-checking the health of your OKR implementation. Whether you're launching your first OKR initiative or iterating on an existing framework, you'll learn practical strategies for cascading objectives across teams while maintaining strategic alignment. Our conversation includes war stories from the field, as well as intuitive insights on what actually works: fostering genuine collaboration, maintaining human centricity, and achieving the elusive balance between ambition and accountability. Watch full episodes with Josh, Holly and Deepika here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL31JETR9AR0FGx2A9HQbq2e1Xywkqb6BQ Inside the episode... Why OKRs are a powerful alternative to traditional goal-setting frameworks. How OKRs promote collaboration and alignment across all levels of an organization. Best practices for implementing OKRs: starting small, iterating, and setting clear priorities. Tips for integrating OKRs into your product teams using human-centered design principles. Differentiating between business OKRs and product OKRs to avoid organizational misalignment. How to set and measure strategic objectives with actionable, customer-centric key results. Lessons learned from failed and successful OKR implementations, including war stories from the field. The role of product operations in making data accessible for measuring OKR progress. Why tying OKRs to compensation or promotions can derail the intent of the framework. Mentioned in this episode Measure What Matters by John Doerr Outcomes Over Outputs by Josh Seiden Escaping the Build Trap by Melissa Perri Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres Who Does What by When by by Jeff Gothelf, Josh Seiden User Story Mapping by Jeff Patton Convergence Episodes featured Building Customer-Centric Teams: Josh Seiden on OKRs and Agile Agile and Beyond Conference 2024: The Latest in A.I. Innovations and Product Development Strategies (features the interview with Holly Bielawa) Driving Cultural Change: PepsiCo's Deepika Yerragunta on Customer Obsession and Product Mindset Unlock the full potential of your product team with Integral's player coaches, experts in lean, human-centered design. Visit integral.io/convergence for a free Product Success Lab workshop to gain clarity and confidence in tackling any product design or engineering challenge. Subscribe to the Convergence podcast wherever you get podcasts including video episodes to get updated on the other crucial conversations that we'll post on YouTube at youtube.com/@convergencefmpodcast Learn something? Give us a 5 star review and like the podcast on YouTube. It's how we grow. Follow the Pod Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/convergence-podcast/ X: https://twitter.com/podconvergence Instagram: @podconvergence
In this episode of the SaaS Revolution Show our host Alex Theuma is joined by Abakar Saidov, CEO at Beamery, who shares his success story from Wall Street-er to tech unicorn. "A lot of entrepreneurs actually start businesses out of necessity. And necessity comes from two parts, either you have to do it because you have no other option, or you feel like you have to do it because you want the idea to exist so much. And usually I feel like if those are not your two reasons, one is like you can't imagine a world without this idea or you just have no choice. You're probably not going to make it through the the grind." Abakar shares: • On a mission to create equal access to work opportunities: The founding story of Beamery • Why customer experience is a key differentiator (and one of the reasons they've achieved such high NPS scores for implementations in an industry where low scores are common) • The top two qualities investors look for in founders • How evolving founder perspectives and motivations have shaped the company's growth • What he does to maintain energy after 10+ years as CEO • Why his ongoing process of growth and development is centred around Andy Grove's concept of the Competence Frontier and more! Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders
In this week's Thursday Thought, we explore the crucial role of 'Helpful Cassandras'—individuals with heightened perceptions of change within business environments. Drawing on analogies from nature, quotes from visionaries like Warren Buffet and Andy Grove, and the concept of 'Umwelt' by Jakob von Uexküll, we discuss how different sensory frameworks shape our understanding of market shifts and disruptions. The episode highlights the importance of recognizing and supporting these perceptive individuals to stay ahead of crises and seize new opportunities. Don't miss out on the launch of The Reinvention Summit, featuring a workshop led by Rita McGrath on early warnings and trend detection. 00:00 Introduction: Focus on the Playing Field 00:30 The Role of Helpful Cassandras 00:46 Developing Organizational Antennas 01:53 Understanding Umwelt in Business 03:14 Rodents: Masters of Olfactory Perception 04:26 Economic Signals: Smelling the Sausage 06:45 The Cassandra Story: Andy Grove and the Helpful Cassandras 09:16 Embracing Early Warnings 10:51 Conclusion: Join The Reinvention Summit Article: Navigating Change: The Hidden Scents, Sausages and Trip Wires “Games are won by players who focus on the playing field - not by those whose eyes are glued to the scoreboard.” - Warren Buffet. Just as different species perceive their environments in unique ways, individuals within a business environment experience and interpret the world around them through their subjective lenses. Some of these individuals—like modern-day Cassandras—are particularly attuned to early signs of change or disruption, but their warnings are often ignored. Using the analogy of rodents' heightened sense of smell, we explore how these Helpful Cassandras can guide companies away from crisis or towards new opportunities.yet are frequently overlooked. Embracing their foresight is crucial to navigating an uncertain future. "The capacity of an organization to read its environment somewhere out there, which requires hiring some people whose sole job is to pay attention to the things that we're not paying attention to. If you think about any system, any [00:01:00] creature has only certain antennas. Which means that those antennas allow them to be in touch with this part of the world and not that part of the world. And they get in trouble when the world suddenly has something as a threat to them that they have no antennas for. So it's very important in an organization to develop the capacity here to have these kind of emergent antennas. And or to have at least parts of things that are paying attention to what people are not paying attention to, because, in most every case, when a crisis is coming, there are people who know nobody wants to listen to them because things are going well. And you certainly don't help your career by talking about them. So I think organizations, if they want to really be on the edge of things, have to build in as capacity here to surveil parts of environment. That it has not been paying very much attention to." - Stan Deetz, Innovation Show 559 Jakob von Uexküll was a pioneering biologist interested in how living beings perceive their environments. [00:02:00] He argued that organisms experience life through species-specific, subjective reference frames he called Umwelt (The German word for environment). Each species experiences the world through its own unique sensory lens. A tick, for instance, uses the smell of butyric acid to locate a mammalian host, while a star-nosed mole relies on touch to navigate underground. Despite sharing the same physical space, animals perceive their surroundings in vastly different ways. This idea of Umwelt applies not only to biology but also to how individuals in a business environment interpret signals of change. In the business world, we each operate with different sensory frameworks. Some colleagues are tuned into technological advances, others are adept at...
Part Two. How many people do you know who walk into a public restroom and leave it cleaner than they found it? I do—and so does the wife of today's guest, Monte Wood. Like me, she does it because she wants to make things better for the next person. Monte, author of Generosity Wins and former CEO of Opus Agency, has worked with industry legends like Mark Benioff, Andy Grove, Steve Jobs, John Chambers and Andy Jassy. He's learned from them, his mentors, and his mother what generosity truly means and how it leads to success in life and career. In yesterday's episode, we looked into Monte's definition of generosity and why he believes it's the key to a happier, more successful life. Today, we'll explore why generosity is tough in today's world and how to nurture a mindset focused on giving. Still skeptical about how generosity can lead to success? Tune in and join the conversation. Key Highlights of Our Interview: Generosity Beyond Kindness: Lessons from Steve Jobs, John Chambers, and Andy Jassy “Steve Jobs' goal to democratize technology was generous, even if his approach wasn't. Leaders like Chambers and Jassy showed that while generosity doesn't always come with kindness, the drive to uplift others' success is, in itself, a powerful form of generosity.” The 600-Day Challenge: How Practicing Generosity Daily Transforms You “Documenting a daily act of kindness, whether it's a smile or genuine listening, became a habit that revealed a thousand ways to be generous—proof that practicing generosity opens new perspectives.” Unexpected Generosity in a Hot Tub: A Chat with Elon Musk “In an unexpected encounter, Musk showed genuine interest and warmth, sharing laughs and stories. It was a small gesture, but a powerful reminder of the impact of unexpected generosity from those at the top.” The Hidden Costs of Greed and Division in Today's Media “With opinion-driven media stirring division, the challenge lies in overcoming these forces with conscious generosity and mutual respect—proving that true strength is found not in agreement, but in the ability to disagree respectfully.” Connect with us: Host: Vince Chan | Guests: Monte Wood Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously. Experiential Human Intelligence for Growth Progressives World's Number One Career Podcast Top 1: US, CA, MX, IE, HU, AT, CH, FI Top 10: GB, FR, SE, DE, TR, IT, ES Top 10: IN, JP, SG, AU 1.5 Million+ Streams 50+ Countries
Part One. How many people do you know who walk into a public restroom and leave it cleaner than they found it? I do—and so does the wife of today's guest, Monte Wood. Like me, she does it because she wants to make things better for the next person. Monte, author of Generosity Wins and former CEO of Opus Agency, has worked with industry legends like Mark Benioff, Andy Grove, Steve Jobs, John Chambers and Andy Jassy. He's learned from them, his mentors, and his mother what generosity truly means and how it leads to success in life and career. In today's episode, we dive into Monte's definition of generosity and why he believes it's the key to a happier, more successful life. Tomorrow, we'll explore why generosity is tough in today's world and how to nurture a mindset focused on giving. Still skeptical about how generosity can lead to success? Tune in and join the conversation. Key Highlights of Our Interview: True Generosity in Leadership: More Than Just Charity “Being generous isn't just about grand acts of philanthropy. It's about caring for the individual. Whether it's helping employees grow beyond their roles or driving an old Toyota to work, leaders like Andy Grove and Mark Benioff show that humility and connection are what truly drive success.” Why Generosity is the Key to Confidence, Courage, and Success “Generosity isn't just about giving—it's a strategic move toward success. Helping others builds faster, more meaningful relationships, while also boosting your own confidence and courage. Harvard's 50-year study shows that close connections are the top predictor of happiness, and generosity is the engine that powers those relationships.” Tracking the Untrackable: The True ROI of Generosity “Generosity doesn't fit into the typical business models of ROI—no one's handing you a direct return. Yet, the rewards are undeniable. Life has a way of paying you back tenfold, proving that being generous might be the most strategic investment you can make, even if it can't be measured in dollars.” Generosity Isn't Always Grand – Sometimes It's Just a Smile “Even the smallest act of generosity can be life-changing. A smile, a kind word, or even cleaning up a public restroom can shift someone's day. In a world full of loneliness and depression, simple acts of generosity may be the most powerful way to create joy and connection.” Connect with us: Host: Vince Chan | Guests: Monte Wood Chief Change Officer: Make Change Ambitiously. Experiential Human Intelligence for Growth Progressives World's Number One Career Podcast Top 1: US, CA, MX, IE, HU, AT, CH, FI Top 10: GB, FR, SE, DE, TR, IT, ES Top 10: IN, JP, SG, AU 1.5 Million+ Streams 50+ Countries
Bienvenidos a un nuevo episodio de Indie vs Unicornio. Un episodio donde traemos dudas del público, las últimas noticias del mundo de negocios, y como siempre, a Lucas Lopatin y Cristobal Perdomo compartiendo su experiencia en el mundo del emprendedurismo. Arrancamos con algunas recomendaciones de las mejores apps de productividad, con una lista pendiente de las mejores rutinas de Lucas y Cristobal. También respondemos una pregunta del público: ¿Cómo cambia la estrategia de seducción y pitcheo cuando no buscas atraer a un VC, sino a organismos como el BID, la CAF o la CEPAL? Exploramos por qué no solo son valiosos sus fondos, sino también su apoyo y su red de contactos en toda LATAM. ¿Cómo adaptar tu pitch a estos gigantes institucionales? Nos metemos en un tema controversial: mientras muchos persiguen el sueño de la startup, cada vez más oportunidades se están abriendo en el mundo de los negocios tradicionales. Desde productos físicos hasta servicios de siempre, está resurgiendo este nicho olvidado? En otro orden de cosas, Elon Musk tiene la mira puesta en Argentina, mientras Qualcomm busca comprar Intel en un movimiento gigante. Además, analizamos por qué no siempre conviene levantar capital para abrir un nuevo país, salvo en situaciones muy específicas. Ahondamos también en los desafíos que enfrentan las empresas españolas de tecnología en LATAM, tomando como ejemplo el caso de Cabify. Cerramos el episodio con un análisis crucial: ¿dónde radican sus empresas los latinoamericanos? A raíz de la reforma del RIGI de Milei, discutimos el fenómeno de empresas argentinas que operan localmente pero están radicadas en el exterior. Te contamos los pros y contras de decidir dónde asentar tu negocio desde una perspectiva estratégica y fiscal. No te lo pierdas! __ Gracias a Kulkan Security por el apoyo! Un ataque de Ransomware puede detener tu operación o hundirte el negocio. Estás ocupandote de la seguridad de tus servicios e infraestructura o postergando lo inevitable? Kulkan Security posee un equipo especializado en seguridad ofensiva, con servicios que permiten impersonar atacantes, testear la seguridad de tus servicios, aplicaciones e infraestructura, y asesorarte en cambios necesarios para proteger tu información y la de tus clientes; y así permitirte dormir mejor de noche. Contactalos en www.kulkan.com - Menciona INDIE al contactarlos para tener un 10% off en tu primer test. __ Momentos del show: 05:42 Elon Musk 16:24 S&P 500 21:37 Apps de productividad 25:40 Radicar empresas 31:54 Oportunidades Negocios Trad 36:43 Startup Españolas en LATAM 41:36 Dinero de expansión __ Links del show: Annapurna Resigns: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/annapurna-interactives-entire-staff-resigns-leaving-developers-scrambling-report/articleshow/113306376.cms Libro High Output Management: https://www.amazon.com/High-Output-Management-Andrew-Grove/dp/0679762884 De la vida de Andy Grove: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/284083.Swimming_Across Focus Mode: https://focusmode.app/ Haze over: https://hazeover.com/es/ Tenes alguna pregunta? Escribinos y seguinos en: Twitter: @CristobaPerdomo y @llopatin Linkedin: Lucas Lopatin y Cristobal Perdomo y Visitá: Indie Build Wollef
This week on Upstream, we're dropping the first episode of Logan Bartlett, Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, and Zach Weinberg's newest podcast This Won't Last. The show is an unfiltered backchannel where they unpack the hype cycles in venture, startup culture, and business. In this episode they discuss Paul Graham's essay "Founder Mode", AI valuations, the state of the venture market, and free speech concerns with Telegram and TikTok. —
This week we're dropping the first episode of Logan Bartlett, Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, and Zach Weinberg's newest podcast This Won't Last. The show is an unfiltered backchannel where they unpack the hype cycles in venture, startup culture, and business. In this episode they discuss Paul Graham's Founder Mode, AI valuations, the state of the venture market, and free speech concerns with Telegram and TikTok. -- Apply to join over 400 founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://www.turpentinenetwork.co/ -- RECOMMENDED PODCASTS: This Won't Last Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics. Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/id1765665937 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast -- SPONSORS Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a single platform for your infrastructure, database, application development, and AI needs. OCI has four to eight times the bandwidth of other clouds and offers one consistent price. If you want to do more and spend less, take a free test drive of OCI at https://oracle.com/cognitive Building an enterprise-ready SaaS app? WorkOS has got you covered with easy-to-integrate APIs for SAML, SCIM, and more. Join top startups like Vercel, Perplexity, Jasper & Webflow in powering your app with WorkOS. Enjoy a free tier for up to 1M users! Start now at https://bit.ly/WorkOS-Turpentine-Network Head to Squad to access global engineering without the headache and at a fraction of the cost: head to https://choosesquad.com/ and mention “Turpentine” to skip the waitlist. -- LINKS High Output Management by Andy Grove https://www.amazon.com/High-Output-Management-Andrew-Grove/dp/0679762884/ Keith Rabois' lecture notes from 2013: How to Operate https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fQHLK1aIBs Tesla vs Edison: The Last Days of Night: A Novel by Graham Moore https://www.amazon.com/Last-Days-Night-Novel/dp/0812988922 Disruptive Innovation by Clayton M. Christensen https://hbr.org/2015/12/what-is-disruptive-innovation The Success Equation: Untangling Skill and Luck in Business, Sports, and Investing by Michael J. Mauboussin https://www.amazon.com/Success-Equation-Untangling-Business-Investing/dp/1422184234 Dark Wire by Joseph Cox https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Wire-Incredible-Largest-Operation/dp/1541702697 On railroads: Engines That Move Markets by Alistair Nairn https://www.amazon.com/Engines-That-Markets-Alisdair-Nairn/dp/0857195999/ The Kremlin has entered your chat https://www.wired.com/story/the-kremlin-has-entered-the-chat/ The Logan Bartlett Show https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCugS0jD5IAdoqzjaNYzns7w -- TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Intro (01:01) Show origins (01:52) Kevin comes back from Burning Man (03:33) Paul Graham's Founder Mode, founder mode intuitive Keith, Pierre Lamond anecdote (06:11) Keith's response to kernel of Founder Mode, Andy Grove High Output Management (07:40) Zach asks what's unique about Founder Mode and Keith clarifies (08:25) Manager vs. Founder (12:09) Founder moral authority (14:12) Investing in founder driven CEOs (17:55) OCI | WorkOS Ads (19:56) State of venture markets (22:25) Driverless car future (28:35) Revenue quality in Al valuations (32:54) Squad Ad (36:33) New technology being disruptive or helpful for incumbents (39:12) Al in Biotech (42:14) Al impacting fund AUM (45:56) Al as the transistor (46:50) Hurdle to return Al CapEx (48:00) Unrealized Capital Gains Tax (50:56) Sweden's tax vs Norway and corporation tax rates (58:23) Medicare and Social Security, beneficial tax policies and misleading life expectancy stats (1:05:44) Lina Khan, Antitrust effect on tech industry (1:13:46) Perplexity shocking Google (1:15:59) Pavel Durov and Russia's Influence in Telegram (1:20:15) Not using TikTok & Telegram, risk in capital in Chinese companies (1:25:55) Closing
Pankaj Kedia has been a trailblazer across laptop PC, smartphone, and wearable products, having held leadership roles at Intel and Qualcomm over the last 3 decades. Now an active AI investor, advisor, mentor, and speaker, Pankaj founded 2468 Ventures in 2021 and has since made angel investments in such notable AI companies as Anthropic, Athena, Figure, Groq, and OpenAI. Recently appointed as the Chief AI Officer and board member at Biossmann, a Mexican healthcare solutions company, Pankaj brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the AI space. He holds engineering degrees from IIT Roorkee and the University of Michigan, along with an MBA from Wharton.In this conversation, we discuss:The journey of transitioning from early AI work in the 1980s to becoming a key player in the wearable revolution.Leadership lessons learned from working with iconic leaders like Andy Grove at Intel and Irwin Jacobs at Qualcomm.The evolution of wearable technology and its role in augmenting human capabilities through AI.The ethical implications and potential risks associated with the integration of AI in wearable devices.Insights into the mindset and qualities of successful AI entrepreneurs and the criteria for investing in disruptive technologies.Predictions about the future of work, the rise of AGI, and the shift towards an age of abundance where work becomes a choice rather than a necessity.ResourcesSubscribe to the AI & The Future of Work NewsletterConnect with PankajAI fun fact articleBabak Hodjat, co-inventor of Siri, on AI and the Future of Work
Skippy is enamored by Uber's cumulative to date operating losses. Doogles goes through the history of the one and only George Foreman Grill. Skippy shines light on the effectiveness of investing alongside Wall Street Bets. The episode wraps with the many failures of Intel and the history of dominant stocks in the market.Join the Skippy and Doogles fan club. You can also get more details about the show at skippydoogles.com, show notes on our Substack, and send comments or questions to skippydoogles@gmail.com.
For our seventh episode of Working Smarter we're talking to Drew Houston, the co-founder and CEO of Dropbox. If you've been online long enough, it's likely Dropbox was your introduction to the cloud. The goal is still more or less the same—give you one organized place for all your stuff—but it's no longer just about storing and syncing files. A hundred files on your desktop is now a hundred tabs in your browser, and Houston believes AI is what will finally bring calm to the chaos that's been created by the tools of modern work.For Houston, AI's potential is so great that its arrival feels like a civilization shift. It's also not just a professional preoccupation; AI is a personal interest too. A few years ago he decided to teach himself machine learning in his spare time—and some of the AI tools Houston now uses to run Dropbox are ones he built himself. Hear Houston discuss why it's gotten so hard to find the information you need to do your job, the types of tasks we'll increasingly offload to our silicon brains, and what Dropbox is doing to help make modern work more meaningful and fulfilling.Show notes:To learn more about Dropbox Dash and try Dash for free, visit dropbox.com/dashThe two books Houston mentions are “High Output Management” by Andy Grove and “The Effective Executive” by Peter Drucker~ ~ ~Working Smarter is a new podcast from Dropbox about how AI is changing the way we work and get stuff done.You can listen to more episodes of Working Smarter on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. To read more stories and past interviews, visit workingsmarter.aiThis show would not be possible without the talented team at Cosmic Standard, namely: our producers Samiah Adams and Aja Simpson, technical director Jacob Winik, and executive producer Eliza Smith. Special thanks to Benjy Baptiste for production assistance, our marketing and PR consultant Meggan Ellingboe, and our illustrators, Fanny Luor and Justin Tran. Our theme song was created by Doug Stuart. Working Smarter is hosted by Matthew Braga.
Send us a Text Message.Today I am speaking with John Belizaire, CEO of Soluna Holdings, a pioneering developer of green data centers designed for batchable computing, utilizing wasted renewable energy. That's a mouthful - Soluna is essentially using unused energy or wasted energy from renewable energy, like solar power, to power AI servers. During our conversation, John shares his remarkable background, recounting his entry into the tech industry and sharing some fun anecdotes from his time at Intel during the era of Andy Grove. We then talk about the evolution of AI, discussing how Soluna (not to be confused with Solana) addresses energy challenges associated with AI and blockchain. John also shares a lot of insights into business, entrepreneurship, and his vision for the future of web3 and crypto.Show Notes and TranscriptsThe GRTiQ Podcast takes listeners inside web3 and The Graph (GRT) by interviewing members of the ecosystem. Please help support this project and build the community by subscribing and leaving a review.Twitter: GRT_iQwww.GRTiQ.com
What I learned from reading The Tinkerings of Robert Noyce: How the Sun Rose on Silicon Valley by Tom Wolfe. Read The Intel Trinity: How Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andy Grove Built the World's Most Important Company by Michael Malone with me. ----Founders Notes gives you the superpower to learn from history's greatest entrepreneurs on demand. You can search all my notes and highlights from every book I've ever read for the podcast. Get access to Founders Notes here. ----Build relationships with other founders, investors, and executives at a Founders Event----(1:00) America is today in the midst of a great technological revolution. With the advent of the silicon chip, information processing, and communications, the national economy have been strikingly altered. The new technology is changing how we live, how we work, how we think. The revolution didn't just happen; it was engineered by a small number of people. Collectively, they engineered Tomorrow. Foremost among them is Robert Noyce.(2:00) Steve Jobs on Robert Noyce: “He was one of the giants in this valley who provided the model and inspiration for everything we wanted to become. He was the ultimate inventor. The ultimate rebel. The ultimate entrepreneur.”(4:00) When you read biographies of people who've done great work, it's remarkable how much luck is involved. They discover what to work on as a result of a chance meeting, or by reading a book they happen to pick up. So you need to make yourself a big target for luck, and the way to do that is to be curious. Try lots of things, meet lots of people, read lots of books, ask lots of questions. — How To Do Great Work by Paul Graham. (Founders #314)(7:00) Bob Noyce had a passion for the scientific grind.(10:00) He had a profound and baffling self-confidence.(15:00) They called Shockley's personalty reverse charisma. — Broken Genius: The Rise and Fall of William Shockley, Creator of the Electronic Age by Joel Shurkin. (Founders #165)(25:00) What the beginning of an industry looks like: Anywhere from 50 to 90% of the transistors produced would turn out to be defective.(33:00) Young engineers were giving themselves over to a new technology as if it were a religious mission.(41:00) Noyce's idea was that every employee should feel that he could go as far and as fast in this industry as his talent would take him. He didn't want any employee to look at the structure of Intel and see a complex set of hurdles.(43:00) This wasn't a corporation. It was a congregation.(43:00) There were sermons. At Intel everyone, Noyce included, was expected to attend sessions on "the Intel Culture." At these sessions the principles by which the company was run were spelled out and discussed.(45:00) If you're ambitious and hardworking, you want to be told how you're doing.(45:00) In Noyce's view, most of the young hotshots who were coming to work for Intel had never had the benefit of honest grades in their lives. In the late 1960s and early 1970s college faculties had been under pressure to give all students passing marks so they wouldn't have to go off to Vietnam, and they had caved in, until the entire grading system was meaningless. At Intel they would learn what measuring up meant.(49:00) When you are trying to convince an audience to accept a radical innovation, almost by definition the idea is so far from the status quo that many people simply cannot get their minds around it. They quickly discovered that the marketplace wasn't just confused by the concept of the microprocessor, but was actually frightened by its implications. Many of my engineering friends scoffed at it was a gimmick. Their solution? The market had to be educated. At one point, Intel was conducting more seminars and workshops on how to use the microprocessor than the local junior collage's total catalog of courses. Bob Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andy Grove became part of a traveling educational roadshow. Everyone who could walk and talk became educators. It worked. — The Intel Trinity: How Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andy Grove Built the World's Most Important Company by Michael Malone. ----“I have listened to every episode released and look forward to every episode that comes out. The only criticism I would have is that after each podcast I usually want to buy the book because I am interested so my poor wallet suffers. ” — GarethBe like Gareth. Buy a book: All the books featured on Founders Podcast
In this episode of Grow a Small Business, host Troy Trewin interviews Nima Gardideh, founder of Pearmill, about his journey scaling the company from 3 to 35 team members. Nima shares valuable insights on leveraging AI for operational efficiency, maintaining work-life balance, and achieving phenomenal revenue growth. Join us as we delve into Nima's strategies for success in the tech industry. Why would you wait any longer to start living the lifestyle you signed up for? Balance your health, wealth, relationships and business growth. And focus your time and energy and make the most of this year. Let's get into it by clicking here. Troy delves into our guest's startup journey, their perception of success, industry reconsideration, and the pivotal stress point during business expansion. They discuss the joys of small business growth, vital entrepreneurial habits, and strategies for team building, encompassing wins, blunders, and invaluable advice. And a snapshot of the final five Grow A Small Business Questions: What do you think is the hardest thing in growing a small business? Nima Gardideh believes that one of the toughest challenges in growing a small business is acquiring customers and maintaining revenue. This struggle highlights the ongoing effort required to sustain and expand a customer base, a crucial aspect of business growth. What's your favourite business book that has helped you the most? Nima Gardideh's favorite business book, which has been most helpful to him, is "High Output Management" by Andy Grove. He finds the book's insights and principles valuable for his work and business endeavors. Are there any great podcasts or online learning resources you'd recommend to help grow a small business? Nima Gardideh recommends "The Bartlett Show" and "All In" podcasts for tech-related insights, given his background in the tech industry. He also enjoys podcasts by thinkers like Sam Harris and Steven Pinker, as they often feature entrepreneurs and scientists whose perspectives expand his thinking and excite his mind. What tool or resource would you recommend to grow a small business? Nima Gardideh recommends using AI tools like Chat GPT or similar AI tools that can consume vast amounts of information on the internet. These tools can provide valuable insights and help automate tasks like writing press releases or copywriting, allowing business owners to focus more on sales and growth. What advice would you give yourself on day one of starting out in business? On day one of starting out in business, Nima Gardideh advises focusing on establishing a rhythm and building rituals for introspection earlier in the journey. This approach can enhance personal productivity and facilitate better decision-making throughout the entrepreneurial endeavor. Book a 20-minute Growth Chat with Troy Trewin to see if you qualify for our upcoming course. Don't miss out on this opportunity to take your small business to new heights! Enjoyed the podcast? Please leave a review on iTunes or your preferred platform. Your feedback helps more small business owners discover our podcast and embark on their business growth journey. Quotable quotes from our special Grow A Small Business podcast guest: Building a successful business is about creating momentum through rhythm and empowering your team to do the same – Nima Gardideh Creating the right incentives for your team and clients is crucial for sustainable growth – Nima Gardideh Professional development isn't just about business; it's about becoming a better person in all aspects of life – Nima Gardideh
Ron Whittier Interview Introduction Intel Corporation was founded in 1968 by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, who left Fairchild Semiconductor to start their own company. In the early years from 1970 to 1978, Intel went through major inflection points that helped transform it from a startup to an industry leader. Ron Whittier, who joined Intel in 1970 as an engineering manager, played a key role in navigating many of these pivotal moments. This included instilling the pioneering "Intel Culture" driven by Andy Grove, expanding into new product lines like microprocessors, raising funds through Intel's first public offering in 1972, and then rapidly scaling up design and manufacturing capabilities. From 1978 to 2000, Intel experienced explosive growth riding the PC revolution and the emergence of the world-wide web. Ron helped the company successfully navigate through additional inflection points like improving manufacturing processes under Craig Barrett's leadership, the famous decision to exit the DRAM business to focus on microprocessors, developing major marketing campaigns like "Intel Inside", transitioning to being a sole microprocessor supplier, and forming new groups like the Intel Architecture Labs and Intel Capital. Through recognizing and deftly navigating these many inflection points, Ron and Intel's leadership team transformed the company into a global technology powerhouse. We talked about How did Intel balance looking for outside ideas and developing things internally? When you listen to historians talk about the history of Intel, what are they missing or not getting 100% correct? What words do you want to say to the next generation of Intel employees and entrepreneurs out there? Did you ever look at the other companies in Silicon Valley and think that their businesses were being run in ways that you wished to model? And much more…
Guest: Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity and Radical Respect: How To Work Together BetterAfter her first management book Radical Candor became a worldwide bestseller, Kim Scott found herself giving talks to all kinds of companies about how they could apply her advice and build a stronger, kinder culture. But then, after one such talk, the CEO — a longtime friend and former coworker — came up to Kim with an asterisk. As a Black woman, she explained, “as soon as I offer anyone even the most compassionate, gentle criticism, I get assigned the ‘angry Black woman' stereotype.” Kim realized in that moment that her book needed a prequel of sorts, explaining what you need to have before you can create radical candor: “You're not going to care about people who you don't respect,” she says.In this episode, Kim and Joubin discuss regret minimization, Juice Software, Sheryl Sandberg, saying “um,” moments of connection, Dick Costolo, negative truths, James March, snobbery, Charles Ferguson, Shona Brown, Fred Kofman, Christa Quarles, Jason Rosoff, Andy Grove, founders as outliers, Jack Dorsey, Steve Jobs, glows and grows, the Post Ranch Inn, failing your colleagues, sexual harassment, DEI, and intellectual honesty.In this episode, we cover:(01:04) - Loud voices (03:59) - Writing a bestseller (07:48) - Why Kim wrote Radical Candor (14:21) - How to show you care (18:04) - Coaching tech CEOs (21:24) - Ruinous empathy and obnoxious aggression (25:40) - Leaving things unsaid (30:30) - Not an academic (35:21) - Learning from failed startups (38:55) - Performance reviews (42:30) - Why feedback feels risky (49:21) - How to reject feedback (53:11) - Creating space for feedback at home (56:08) - Running and sleeping (59:45) - Radical Respect and Kim's other books (01:04:27) - The hardest story to share (01:06:44) - Optimism about the future Links:Connect with KimBuy Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your HumanityPre-order Radical Respect: How To Work Together BetterTwitterLinkedInConnect with JoubinTwitterLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner PerkinsThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm
This is Matt Reustle. Today, we are breaking down Intel. In the late 80s, a newly appointed CEO, Andy Grove, pivoted to exit memory chips and focus on logic chips. They were the leading edge chip designer, but Intel missed out on the mobile market and EUV technology as technology shifted. Now they're left playing catch up and falling from their iconic status. To cover Intel, I am joined by Todd Ahlsten, CIO of Parnassus Investments. Todd started covering semiconductors in the mid-nineties and has since lived through eight cycles in the sector. We look at what separates secular changes from cyclical ones, and Todd helps outline what went wrong, what is changing today, and what we can monitor as this progresses. Please enjoy this breakdown of Intel. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to the best content to learn more, check out the episode page here. ----- This episode is brought to you by 10 East. 10 East is a platform where qualified investors can co-invest on a deal-by-deal basis across private equity, private credit, real estate ventures, and other one-off opportunities typically unavailable through traditional channels. It's no surprise that founders, executives, and portfolio managers from leading investment firms are using 10 East to diversify their personal portfolios. Their level of sourcing and diligence is institutional grade. To learn more, check out 10east.com. ----- Business Breakdowns is a property of Colossus, LLC. For more episodes of Business Breakdowns, visit joincolossus.com/episodes. Stay up to date on all our podcasts by signing up to Colossus Weekly, our quick dive every Sunday highlighting the top business and investing concepts from our podcasts and the best of what we read that week. Sign up here. Follow us on Twitter: @JoinColossus | @patrick_oshag | @zbfuss | @ReustleMatt | @domcooke Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Business Breakdowns (00:04:32) Introduction to Intel's History and Current Challenges (00:10:45) Intel's Missed Opportunities and Current State (00:12:02) Intel's Strategy for Recovery (00:18:30) Tracking Intel's Progress (00:21:43) Understanding Intel's Profit Pools and Future Potential (00:29:21) The Future of GPU and CPU Markets (00:34:34) The Future of Intel's GPU Space (00:35:49) Recovering Intel's CPU Business (00:44:21) The Geopolitical Dynamics Impacting Intel (00:48:25) Competition Landscape: NVIDIA and AMD (00:52:28) Intel's Diverse Portfolio: Mobileye, Altera, and More (00:56:09) Risks and Challenges for Intel (00:59:17) Intel's Role in the Semiconductor Cycle (01:05:47) Lessons from Intel's Business Model Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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