The Innovators Studio with Phil McKinney

Peter Lierni of Solutioneering joins us on the second episode of Season 18. The Solution Engineering Tool (SET) is a framework that takes an engineering-based approach to win competitive deals. The Solution Engineering Tool As a Navy officer, Peter lived on a ship, which he described as a system of systems. After leaving the Navy, he started consulting in the Pentagon, assessing complex weapons sy...

Welcome to season 18 of the Killer Innovations podcast ! We are thrilled to kick off the 18th year of Killer Innovations. Today's show is dedicated to answering your questions about the podcast.  Ask Me Anything Q&A What was the original impetus for the podcast? My mentor Bob Davis, who I attribute much of my success to, inspired me to pay it forward What was your inspiration for the format and st...

COVID-19 greatly impacted technology efforts and continues to do so rapidly. Tim Bajarin joins us from Silicon Valley to discuss work from home shifts and the newest innovations from Apple. Work From Home (WFH) Shifts Over the last eighteen months, businesses have realized that bringing everybody back to the office isn't realistic. People are comfortable with the flexibility that working from home...

It's no mystery that COVID-19 disrupted the technology industry. Today, Bob O'Donnell joins us to discuss the innovation impacts of broadband and 5G.   Innovation Impacts of Remote Work COVID-19 dramatically changed how we communicate, increasing the need for fast, consistent broadband. The broadband industry globally builds around two and a half years of capacity ahead of time. High internet usag...

Many businesses find their innovations fail, often at great expense and strenuous effort. These innovation failures surprise and frustrate them. They are then left wondering as to what caused their innovations to fail. Innovation Preparedness Many causes result in innovation efforts failing. While many causes of innovation failure are within your control, some are not. Understanding the most commo...

Innovation tools allow us to do things we naturally can't, which unleashes our creative potential. It can be hard to pinpoint the right one for your organization with thousands of options out there. Let's explore several innovation tool categories that will help improve performance. 9 Types of Innovation Tools Idea sketching tools : Idea sketching tools can be extremely helpful in speeding up the...

Creativity is one of the most important skills you can have. It unlocks the door to game-changing ideas. Although some people have it naturally, some exercises help in improving creativity. 10 Exercises That Will Improve Your Creativity Take a walk outside : Breaking free of your work, moving around, and observing your surroundings can give you mental clarity and boost creativity.  Write a list of...

Benchmarking compares your organization to others to measure your performance and identify areas for improvement. When done correctly, benchmarking can help you learn from your peers and identify areas for improvement. However, benchmarking can also have negative consequences if done incorrectly. How do you escape the innovation benchmark trap? Good Vs. Bad Benchmarking Proper benchmarking helps y...

It takes practice and patience to  develop your creativity , and there are bad habits people learn which crush their creativity. But like all bad habits, we can break these if we are willing to work at it! What Are Habits? Habits are things you do automatically, without thinking. Bad habits can form in a few days, but it can take months or years to form good ones. Breaking bad habits and creating...

With the start of a new year, let's look back at the most downloaded episode of 2021. The Most Downloaded Episode of 2021 As an innovation leader , I encounter loads of information every day. I like to use tools that capture/organize this information and bring it together in a way that's easy to access. I need these tools to be accessible on an iPhone, Android, laptop, and iPad. Here are the five...

Creative people can think of new ideas, and creative ideas are those ideas that are new, useful, and different. It all starts with the creative person. What is so special about them? What are the Qualities of a Creative Person? Creative people often have a sense of limitless creative  freedom and experimentation . Their creative genius is a natural part of who they are. If you are not naturally cr...

Most people are afraid of what others will think about them if they do anything out of the box . It's easy for people to lose sight of their identity and uniqueness. So how do leaders and individuals combat this fear of taking risks? 3 Factors That Encourage Risk-Taking Suppose you want to build an environment where everyone works together towards a common goal without fear of failure or judgment...

For innovation leaders , it is vital to learn how to turn failures into successes. Innovation is all about seeing opportunities others don't see and seizing them. Successful failures lead to successful innovations. The Importance of Failure The experimentation phase is within the innovation process, often full of failures. These failures are not always negative. When things don't go as planned, fa...

It is crucial to stand out among the crowd in a world filled with so many  innovations . Organizations that want to improve their innovation impact need to implement a high-impact strategy. We will be exploring the seven essential ingredients of agile innovation.  Agile Innovations Agile is the ability to think/understand quickly and move quickly and flexibly. Agile innovation helps teams deliver ...

We are finishing up a two-part series on innovation leaders. Innovation leadership skills go beyond the basic skills associated with managing people or processes. They are leadership styles to increase creativity , competency, and collaboration that result in innovations that contribute to the organization's success. The Challenge The Harvard Business Review recently said, "A major paradox manager...

Innovation is the  secret sauce to success . Unfortunately, efforts to create innovative products or services often get derailed by good intentions, market factors, or other roadblocks holding us back. Leadership Alignment Business leadership has spent billions searching for innovation. From creating Innovation Centers to investing in incubators, organizations continue on a snipe hunt for innovati...

Eric Yuan, the CEO of Zoom, is a longtime friend of mine whose leadership has positively impacted countless people. Zoom is a sponsor of the show, and we are honored to have Eric join us to discuss  game-changing innovations .  During COVID-19,  Zoom saw explosive growth  from schools, businesses, and individuals alike. Eric attributes two factors to Zoom's success: the product's architecture that...

We are back to discuss impactful  healthcare-related innovations , specifically disability innovation. Kevin Spencer is an award-winning magician who is passionate about developing children with autism. Disability Innovation through Magic Tricks Kevin is a magician known by many as "the kid whisperer." Years ago, Kevin had a brain and spine injury from a motorcycle accident. During the therapy pro...

We are back in Texas with a venture capital firm and its FinTech portfolio company. Bryan Chambers and Joel Radtke join us to discuss venture capital innovation and the journey of an up-and-coming Texas startup. Capital Factory is a firm that connects investors with new companies and talent. Texas has five of the twelve largest and fastest-growing cities in the U.S, making it a hot area for startu...

Artist Uprising connects creative talent with large corporations and businesses. The company started with Merrick's passion for artists and her desire to see "starving artists" get paid. Many talented artists lack business skills. There is a need for them to bridge the gap between their work and the business world. Both sides have a hard time communicating their needs. Merrick comes in and helps t...

Adaptive 3D is an innovative company that partnered with Desktop Metal and UT Dallas. Walter Voit discusses the innovation behind microarchitecture within material manufacturing and how partnerships in Richardson, Texas, have created a thriving innovation ecosystem. Innovating 3D Printing and University Research At Adaptive 3D, Walter focuses on using 3D printing to produce additive materials. The...

Joining us are three guests who  lead innovation efforts  in Richardson, Texas, known for the "Telecom Corridor." The Richardson Innovation Quarter (IQ) lies within the city, a 1,200 square foot land where innovative companies and entrepreneurs collaborate. The Richardson Innovation Quarter Paul Voelker has been in the  Richardson, Texas  area for over thirty years. To Paul, being mayor is his way...

Today, we see an emergence of technologies in healthcare. Richardson Methodist Medical Center is at the helm of breakthrough medical innovations . Josh Smith joins us to discuss his work at the medical center around cardiology and electrophysiology. Technology Breakthroughs and Challenges Technology has allowed physicians and scientists to explore sub-specialties of specialties like cardiology. Jo...

In today's world, buzzwords are everywhere. Within the realm of innovation , the misuse of these innovation buzzwords runs rampant. Often, these words and phrases push people away from innovation as they perceive it to be too complex.  Buzzwords: What are they? Often used to impress something upon someone, buzzwords can be technical or specific to a particular industry. Common buzzword examples ar...

When studying different companies and their cultures, you will notice different team structures. The question of which structure is the best may eventually cross your mind. Some companies have large teams, while others operate with small, close-knit groups. I believe there is an optimal innovation team size that leads to killer ideas when it comes to innovation. Studies on Team Size The question o...