When Do You Trust Your Gut?
When do you trust others, and when do you trust your gut? In 2011, Portfolio Penguin bought the rights to two of my books. The working title of one of them was The Little Book of BIG Innovation Ideas. The publisher loved it. I hated it. The publisher was the expert, so I should trust […]
Good Ideas Aren’t Always Good Ideas
There’s a big difference between good ideas in theory and good ideas in practice. On October 28, 2010, Personality Poker was published by Portfolio Penguin. To solve the challenge of pairing a book with a deck of cards, they created a hardcover with the cards glued to the top. Smart idea—until: The decks started falling […]
New Beginnings at 60
I saw Leonid & Friends perform their musical magic this past Saturday night. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are a world-famous Russian band that performs the music of Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Ides of March, Tower of Power, Steely Dan, Lighthouse, and others. The timing of this concert was perfect as my […]
Welcome to my new website!
This week we launched my new website. I’m still learning the “ropes,” so I might be slow in posting for a little while. On this site, you will find all of the same content from the previous one – just with a fresher design and updated technology. If you encounter any issues, please get in […]
Strive for Clarity, Not Cleverness
We live in a world of clickbait and hyperbole. Although this might catch someone’s initial interest, it may have a negative long-term impact on your customer. Equally, businesses have been told to shoot for creativity, but often this only leads to confusion. I recently had dinner at a restaurant in a boating community. I needed […]
An Interview with the Writer of TV’s “Monk”: What Innovators Can Learn from Mysteries
I’ve always found that innovation and mysteries have a lot in common. They both involve solving complex problems, and sometimes making the impossible possible. This is why I primarily read and watch mysteries during my spare time. They force me question my thinking in order to see the clues. One of my all-time favorite television […]
Are There Any New Ideas?
My most recent Inc. article has been popular and controversial. The premise is that there are no new ideas. (if you haven’t read it, please do so before reading on…) This got me thinking back to when I was pitching a TV show. My agent said that Hollywood doesn’t want you to think OUTSIDE the box, […]
Recent Interview in Forbes
I was recently interviewed by David Benjamin and David Komlos for their Forbes column. The article is titled: Why This Could Be One Of The Greatest Times In The History Of Innovation This one was particularly interesting as they focus on what they call Brody Moments (from Jaws’ Police Chief Brody and his famous line […]
Speak Aid 2020
In 1985, I attended Live Aid with 90,000 other people packed into JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. In addition to being a celebration of music, it was a fundraiser for those suffering in the Ethiopian famine. Of course today, we can’t gather that many people in one place. But maybe we can do it virtually. For […]
Inspirational and Funny Innovation Quotes
I hope you, your family, and your coworkers are all doing well during these crazy times. I’ve intentionally held back on posting here for the past month. Although my new book launched 6 weeks ago today, I’ve not promoted it. However, I do want to add value in whatever way I can. Today, I want […]