Innovation Insights
by Stephen Shapiro

In order to sell your ideas, you need to be better at using data. But what if leading with data might be the very thing that prevents you from selling your ideas? On this episode, I am joined by my

In this week’s episode, I am joined by my guest Dan Kaus. Together we tackle the problem: “How can we find time for innovation?” Dan has innovation experience with a wide range of companies and industries, including Accenture, BP, Campbell’s

In this episode, we explore the power of adventure and new experiences as a means for improving luck, increasing creativity, and enhancing problem-solving skills. This episode is dedicated to the memory of my friend, Dr. Jeff Salz, the quintessential adventurer,

Thought leaders for years have told people what to do. They write books, shoot videos, and create online training programs. Consultants on the other hand do all of the heavy lifting for their clients, implementing the solutions. But what if

Marketers will tell you the importance of growing your network. But what if the key to long-term success is about nurturing your network? In today’s episode we explore some power of creating deep relationships versus a large number of transactions.

Scaling a service-based business isn’t easy. Especially if you are a solopreneur who doesn’t want to hire employees or have expensive overhead. Short of cloning yourself or working 24 hours a day, what’s the solution? A question I am often

It gets easy to fall into the trap of equating novelty with innovation. But they are not the same. Value and relevancy are what matter with innovation. In this episode, we explore how to make sure you are solving the

In this episode, I share three useful tricks every innovator should steal from magicians. Then I share one of my favorite lenses – #24: VARIATIONS. The three tricks to steal are: Don’t trust the brain Start with the impossible solution.

When looking for solutions to your problems, it seems logical to turn to best practices for answers. But what if best practices are stupid? What if they are not the key to innovation or problem-solving and may lead you down

In today’s episode, we explore how concepts from linguistics can impact innovation. In particular, we dive into the distinction between surface structure and deep structure. Understanding these concepts will help you be better at strategic alignment, innovation, and problem-solving. We

In this episode, we first explore a myth of productivity. Although most organizations are busier than ever and they want to “do more with less,” this is often the opposite of what is effective. Instead you want to “do less,

In today’s episode, we explore how changing just one word in a problem statement can unleash an entirely new range of possible solutions – including new business models. We explore 3 lenses in particular: #15: SUBSTITUTE – change a word,

Today’s episode is about a topic that is one of my favorites. During the pandemic, everyone keeps asking me, “How are you going to pivot your business?” My response is, “I’m not. I’m going to DIVOT.” What does it mean

Here is the rough transcription for Episode 14 of the Invisible Solutions podcast. It’s not perfect, but if you prefer reading vs listening, this is the way to go. Enjoy! *** Don’t Pivot; Divot! What if pivoting is the wrong

What if a great way to find better solutions is to look for terrible ideas? This is lens #20 from Invisible Solutions. In this episode, I share several examples of how seemingly bad ideas become great ideas. For example, you

Everyone loves brainstorming. Right? Unfortunately, the way most teams run their sessions is ineffective and inefficient. But what if there is a better way? In todays’ episode, I explore the 5 problems associated with traditional brainstorming. For each, I give

Here is the transcription for Episode 11 of the Invisible Solutions podcast. It’s not perfect, but if you prefer reading vs listening, this is the way to go. Enjoy! *** What if all problems are equal yet, some are more

In Episode 9, I briefly talked about differentiation and why it is an important part of innovation. In this episode we do an even deeper dive into the topic. And in particular I share my Innovation Targeting Matrix. The premise

Episode #10 of the Invisible Solutions podcast is now live. In today’s episode we explore one of the lenses from Invisible Solutions: #19 PAIN VS GAIN. We often hear the expression “Build it and they will come.” With innovation, a

Episode #9 of the Invisible Solutions podcast is now live. Today we start by answering the question, “What if trying to innovate everywhere can negatively impact your innovation effort?” The key is to innovate where you differentiate. Not all opportunities

Episode #8 of the Invisible Solutions podcast is now live. In this episode, I explore why some people are luckier than others – and how you can create luck. Contrary to what some experts say, luck is not just about