From Unique Insight to Original Idea: A Founder's Process
As startup founders, we're on a quest for that elusive breakthrough idea - the one that could reshape an industry or create an entirely new one. But when it seems like every idea has already been thought of, how do we unearth truly original concepts? The landscape of
Pattern Breakers: Why Some Startups Change The Future – A Book Summary
Steve Blank calls "Pattern Breakers" by Mike Maples Jr. and Peter Ziebelman the most important start-up book of the last ten years. So I naturally picked it up. I found the concepts in it helpful to me, and important enough to write a book summary post that can
The ultimate book list on creativity and innovation for builders of products and brands
As builders, makers, and creators, we must innovate. Innovation requires us to generate original ideas that are both surprising and valuable. These ideas will emerge from the unique insights we gain, ultimately leading to our next creation. As I wrote in my Startup as artist essay, "The startup of
Cultivating Creativity Through Rest: Alex Soojung-Kim Pang on the Hidden Benefits of Downtime
Lessons from Nobel Laureates, Rock Stars, and Neuroscience on Maximizing Your Creative Potential In this episode, I talked to Alex Soojung-Kim Pang about his book "Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less" Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed Introduction and Background: * Alex lives in
Startup as artist
The Future of Business: Infusing Artistry into Startups In 2018, musician and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams gave a presentation to the Berklee College of Music community for a course. [1] The course description says, “In this course, artists are developing business-related skills that will be fundamental in their career.” Artists developing
Beyond Eureka!: The Rocky Roads to Innovating with Marylene Delbourg-Delphis
In this episode, I talked to Marylene Delbourg-Delphis about her book "Beyond Eureka!: The Rocky Roads to Innovating" Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed My takeaways from our chat: - Marylene is one of the first European women to have founded a tech company in Silicon Valley.
Crafting creativity, flow state, and redesigning rituals with Shane Heath of MUD\WTR
In this episode, I sat down with Shane Heath, the founder of MUD\WTR, to discuss the intersection of wellness, creativity, and entrepreneurship. Shane shares his personal journey of reducing caffeine intake and developing a healthier morning ritual, which led to the creation of MUD\WTR, a coffee alternative that
10 cents for 12 ideas? No, ideas are no longer a dime a dozen
Ideas are a dime a dozen. Execution is key. Anyone can come up with ideas. Execution is what really matters. Sound familiar? This has been conventional wisdom that only a few might disagree with. It is what I believed for as long as I can remember. This is no longer
Innovating in cold water waves with Tom Kay of Finisterre
In an inspiring conversation, I dive deep with Tom Kay, the visionary founder of Finisterre, the iconic sustainable outdoor brand that has been making waves in the industry for over two decades. Listen on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RSS Feed From its humble beginnings crafting fleeces for cold-water surfers to its
Productive Daydreaming
I’ve been practicing a method called productive daydreaming. In short, it’s a conscious effort to catch your thoughts to produce ideas or solve problems. When I first read about the word daydreaming in Jonah Lehrer’s book “Imagine” [1], I thought it was about looking out the window,
