A Sherpa's Guide to Innovation

Ben and Jay welcome back the one and only Bob Moesta for a record 4th episode.  Bob is a founding father of Jobs to Be Done theory, CEO of The ReWired Group (which has a great new website) and author of the recently published Learning to Build: 5 Bedrock Skills of Innovators and Entrepreneurs.  Hear Bob talk about why he wrote the book, a couple of non-JTBD topics from the book, and what he's focusing on in his remaining 1,890 days.  Yes, it's morbid, but it will be explained.  And hopefully it's much longer than that.Learn about another of Bob's mentor's, David T. Lord here, and his book The Visual System of Work here.All Things Twitter, while it lasts:Bob MoestaA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

For our penultimate episode of 2022, we interview Perry Klebahn about his soon-to-be-published book Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric that Matters, co-authored with Jeremy Utley. Perry is an Adjunct Professor and Director of Executive Education at the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design--the d.school--at Stanford University. Prior to his role at the d.school, Perry was CEO of Timbuk2 and COO of Patagonia. He's also an avid surfer. Perry posits that innovation is not an event, a workshop, a sprint, or a hackathon, but rather the result of mastering ideaflow. Put simply, ideas / time = ideaflow. When applied, ideaflow is an effective approach to problem-solving that reduces effort, minimizes risk, and magnifies results. To illustrate this concept, Perry shares personal stories of when he has (and hasn't) applied ideaflow to gnarly business problems, and how he, Jeremy, and the d.school team promulgate this approach to their students, startups, and large corporations.  "Once you fully understand what ideas are, where they come from, and how to separate the winners from the losers, you can finally put that lightning rod down and start making lightning." Pre-order Ideaflow today and learn more by visiting ideaflow.design/.On Twitter:@SherpaPod@JayGerhart@TheBenReport@jeremyutleySupport the show

Ben & Jay reconnect with a former colleague and friend of innovation, Mona Baset, Vice President, Digital Services at Intermountain Healthcare.   During her career prior to Intermountain, Mona has held a variety of leadership positions in marketing and technology at Atrium Health and Bank of America.  While at Atrium Health, she participated in the very first cohort of the Innovation Engine's Catalyst Program, a hands-on design thinking course featured in Episode 35: Catalyzing an Environment of Innovation.  Today, Mona leads digital engagement strategy and transformation, including the development and implementation of the digital technology road map at one of the country's leading and most respected health care systems.  Hear Mona talk about her career journey, enhancing the health care consumer experience, and the importance of design thinking in her approach.All Things Twitter:A Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay dig again into Jobs to Be Done, this time from a fascinating perspective with Ruth Hartt, Chief of Staff to the President at the Christensen Institute and creator of Culture for Hire.  Ruth, a former opera singer and vocal teacher, is passionate about bringing customer-centric innovation to arts marketing.  Classical music audiences have declined nearly 50% since 1997.  Hear how Ruth applies Jobs to Be Done theory to help arts organizations reverse this trend and expand their notion of their audience and how reach them.  The Art of Relevance by Nina SimonAll Things Twitter:Ruth HarttA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay have a fun Jobs to Be Done deep dive with Scott Burleson, Senior Vice President at the AIM Institute, a company on a mission to change B2B innovation.  Scott is an expert in Outcome-Driven Innovation, with deep product management and innovation experience at John Deere and Strategyn.  He is author of The Statue in the Stone: Decoding Customer Motivation with the 48 Laws of Jobs-To-Be-Done Philosophy and co-host the the Product Quest podcast.Hear Scott talk about why he views Jobs to Be Done as a philosophy, why value propositions present us with a paradox, and his attempt to break JTBD through a dialogue about chicken wings and chicken tenders.Alchemy - the Rory Sutherland book Scott referencesAll Things Twitter:Scott Burleson (@newproductdog)A Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay venture into technology, invention and intrapreneurship with Kapil Kane, Director of Innovation for Intel Corporation in China.  Kapil co-founded and leads GrowthX, an award-winning corporate - startup accelerator that has launched multiple new businesses generating $400M+ in projected revenues through bottoms-up innovations in areas of AI, IOT, 5G & new silicon technology.  Hear about how Kapil developed this platform for inventors, as well as his experiences at Apple in the days of Steve Jobs.View Kapil's TEDx talkThe Sherpas on Twitter:A Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay are joined by Michele Hansen, author of Deploy Empathy, A Practical Guide to Interviewing Customers.  Michele is co-founder of Geocodio, an indie SaaS, and co-host of the Software Social podcast.  Hear about Michele's journey from sending interview tips to founders by email to a newsletter to a book, her aspiration for the book, and about being a fan of Jobs to be Done.All Things Twitter:Michele HansenDeploy EmpathySoftware Social podcastA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay are joined by Kyushik Nam, an MFA candidate in Design Management at the Savannah College of Art & Design.  Kyushik was mentored by our teammate Isabelle Magnin for his master's thesis.  This episode is a great opportunity to hear about the design process from the perspective of a student on a live project, making a difference from individuals struggling to manage Type 2 diabetes.  Kyushik not only brings insights and perspective from his graduate work, but from his professional experiences with Michelin, Gulfstream Aerospace, and Google.All Things Twitter:A Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay welcome a multi-industry innovation hall of famer, Roy Rosin, Chief Innovation Officer at UPenn Health System.  Roy leads The Center for Health Care Innovation, which facilitates the rapid, disciplined development, testing, and implementation of new strategies to reimagine health care delivery for dramatically better patient outcomes, value, and experience.  The Center comprises four coordinated teams – the Acceleration Lab, the Center for Digital Health, the Nudge Unit, and Way to Health.  Prior to going UPenn, Roy worked 18 years at Intuit, becoming its first innovation leader, building a highly regarded innovation culture.Hear Roy cover a range of topics including his approach at UPenn, his passion for behavioral economics and what he learned from Scott Cook at Intuit.All Things Twitter:Roy RosinThe Center for Health Care InnovationA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay talk with demographic futurist Bradley Schurman, founder & CEO of the research and advisory firm The Super Age and author of a fascinating book by that name.  Brad spent a significant portion of his career with AARP as a Senior Advisor and Global Director for Partnerships and Strategic Engagements.  He specializes in helping organizations understand the challenges and harness the opportunities of demographic change with a focus on population aging.  Adults have grown-up. Today, they represent the fastest growing group of workers and consumers in the world. They are superagers; a social and economic force unlike any other.  Bradley speaks regularly at thought leader forums around the world, and has advised national governments and major business on their longevity strategies.The Super AgeVideo: Nagoro, Japan - Valley of the DollsAll Things Twitter:The Super AgeBradley SchurmanA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Innovation Sherpas Ben and Jay interview Kip Lee, Vice President of Innovation & Product Strategy at University Hospitals, and a Managing Director of UH Ventures. He’s pursuing a Doctorate in Design and Innovation at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, and serves as an editor of the journal, Design Issues, published by MIT Press. In this inspiring conversation, Kip shares a bit about his background--such as designing at Marriott International--and the lessons healthcare innovators can apply from the hospitality industry. He describes the origin story of the UH Ventures group and how they worked as nomads across the University Hospitals organization, developing empathy and conducting ethnographic research simultaneously. We are thrilled to have our listeners listen to and learn from this wise and kind innovation leader. Kip's TEDxCLE talk: http://www.tedxcle.com/kipum-lee/Check out Kip's blog: https://architekton.org/Find us on Twitter@SherpaPod@JayGerhart@TheBenReport@KipumSupport the show

Ben & Jay find another opportunity to weave improv into your innovation expedition, joined by Mike Eppehimer, founder of ThreefoldYes.  Prior to starting ThreefoldYes, Mike was a seasoned senior healthcare executive who integrated his experience in the creative arts with improvement science.  Mike talks about his unique career arc and numerous practical insights on improvisational leadership that he shares in his recent TEDx talk "The Performance of a Lifetime".  Ben participates in a fun and useful exercise on shifting status.  And if you stick around past the exit music, Mike and Jay improvise at opera.All Things Twitter:A Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

In 2009, Professor Clayton Christensen published The Innovator's Prescription:  A Disruptive Solution for Health Care, with co-authors Dr. Jerome Grossman and Dr. Jason Hwang.  Well over a decade later, Ben & Jay revisit this robust and insightful body of work with Ann Christensen, President & CEO of the Clayton Christensen Institute and Ann Somers Hogg, Senior Research Fellow, Health Care at the Institute.  Much has happened in health care since 2009.  But where are we in terms of disruptive solutions?  These four Sherpas dig in deep on the past, present and future, guided by great theories.Please offer your thoughts to us on Twitter or LinkedIn!  This will not be our last dialogue...Find Ann Somers' outstanding blog posts here and subscribe to their newsletterThis fine piece by Aaron Martin is an excellent accompaniment - and launching pad for further dialogue!All Things Twitter:Clayton Christensen InstituteAnn ChristensenAnn Somers HoggA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay welcome in a new year with Nora Herting, CEO and co-founder of ImageThink, world's leading visual strategy firm.  Nora is author of "Draw Your Big Idea" and a frequent keynote speaker.  Hear Nora share her insights on:Founding a firm that uses the tools of graphic facilitation, visual theory and design thinkingThe neuroscience behind the effectiveness of visual techniquesHow organizations can solve problems and develop strategy using visual techniquesHow your team can bring visual techniques into your work today in simple waysNora's podcast Ask the Experts!See Nora's photography hereAll Things Twitter:ImageThinkA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay reflect upon and celebrate 100 episodes of A Sherpa's Guide to Innovation.  We look back, look forward, and express our appreciation for our guests and listeners.  Ann Somers Hogg drops in to say hello and talk about her new role at the Clayton Christensen Institute.  Read Ann Somers' latest blog post here:  All Things Twitter:Christensen InstituteAnn Somers HoggA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay have a deep-dive on building corporate innovation from the ground up with Paul Puopolo, Executive Vice President of Innovation at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Following a career as a naval aviator, Paul built and led innovation teams at Humana, Highmark and MetLife.  Paul has outstanding insights on not only building an innovation function from scratch with a well-defined, discipline process, but also on fostering an innovation culture that reaches every employee at DFW.View Paul's excellent February 2020 talk at Skookum (now Method) hereAll Things Twitter:A Sherpa's Guide to Innovation Ben TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay are joined by Dr. Bon Ku, Director of Jefferson Health Design Lab in Philadelphia.  Dr. Ku is well-known on a number of fronts - a practicing emergency medicine physician; a leader in teaching design to medical students and physicians; a co-author of Health Design Thinking; host of Design Lab podcast; and from his prominent role in TNT's Chasing the Cure.Hear Bon talk about the amazing work he and his team do to help the most vulnerable communities in Philadelphia, how Design Lab is like a small restaurant, and his other creative projects.See and hear more Bon Ku:Dr. Ku at Mayo Transform 2017Dr. Ku on Masters of Scale Rapid ResponseDr. Ku on InstagramAll Things Twitter:Bon KuDesign Lab PodcastA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

Ben & Jay return from a short break to talk with a rising star - Abrea Armstrong, Senior Marketing & Communications Coordinator for the Innovation Quarter.  The iQ is an innovation district in downtown Winston-Salem, NC, bringing together forward-thinking companies in the areas of research, business and education in biomedical science, information technology, clinical services and advanced materials.  Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist has led the development of the Innovation Quarter in partnership with city, county and state government, local businesses, developers and community members,Hear Abrea talk about the origins of iQ, what brought her there, and how iQ has an impact on the community.  In addition, hear about her own business, 91-2-Infinity, which provides a full suite of marketing services and digital strategy from an inclusion-perspective.  A storyteller, a poet, an entrepreneur, a connector, a journalist - you will quickly appreciate Abrea's passion and creativity.LinkedIn:Abrea ArmstrongInnovation QuarterAbrea on InstagramThe Sherpas on Twitter:A Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show

An episode 20 years in the making! For our 96th episode, Ben welcomes long-time friend Matthew Swift, co-founder and CEO of Concordia, to discuss how he innovates in the world of public affairs.  Concordia is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to actively fostering, elevating, and sustaining cross-sector partnerships for social impact, including hosting the annual Concordia Summit. Matt described Concordia as "A forum discussing the world not as one person sees it but as a broader collective sees it, with no bias towards political party or political movement, and no bias for public sector or private sector."Learn how the idea for Concordia started at a student auction at Georgetown University, and how the Concordia Annual Summit began as a small event with 100 people (mostly friends and family, Matt admits) to now hosting nearly 4000 attendees with  representatives from 90 countries and 17 sitting heads of state.Additionally, Matt shares his insights on how to convene leaders to drive change, as well as:Counsel for healthcare innovators about how to approach public/private partnershipsThe experience design of a Concordia Summit eventWhy the response to Covid-19 is perhaps the greatest public/private partnership in historyOn Twitter:@MatthewASwift@ConcordiaSummit@SherpaPod@TheBenReportSupport the show

Ben & Jay are joined by David Duncan, Managing Director at Innosight and author of The Secret Lives of Customers:  A Detective Story About Solving the Mystery of Customer Behavior.  This new book is a fresh and creative approach to demonstrating and teaching the language, methods and mindset of Jobs To Be Done theory.   Hear why Dave choose a fictional narrative approach to the majority of the book, some of his own real-life experiences as a "market detective", and his experience collaborating with Dr. Clayton Christensen, Karen Dillon and Taddy Hall on Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice.All Things Twitter:David DuncanInnosightA Sherpa's Guide to InnovationBen TingeyJay GerhartSupport the show