The Innovation Show

🔮 Navigating the Accelerated S-Curve with Paul Nunes | Big Bang Disruption & Shark Fin Strategy Welcome to episode 2 of our exclusive Harvard Business School series! 🎓 Join host Aidan McCullen as he interviews Paul Nunes, renowned as the King of the S-Curve, in a masterclass on navigating today's fast-evolving business cycles. 📈 Discover how exponential technology change is collapsing traditional life cycles and creating "Shark Fin" business models—where sudden success can be catastrophic and strategic timing is everything. Paul explains how companies like Netflix, Apple, Peloton, and Intel navigated (or missed) these cycles and what it means for your business. 🔥 Learn about Big Bang Disruption, the death of early adopters, managing multiple S-curves, the rise of orchestrator firms, and how strategy must evolve for verticalized industries, fleeting advantage, and supply chain complexity.   ⏰ Timestamps for Key Topics: 00:00 - Introduction and Welcome 00:26 - The Evolution of S-Curves 01:43 - What is the Shark Fin Strategy? 03:52 - Managing Multiple S-Curves 05:29 - Rapid Market Change & Business Lifecycle 07:42 - Case Studies: American Giant & Peloton 10:30 - The New Supply Chain Realities 18:01 - Is Vertical Integration Still Viable? 24:13 - Strategy in the Age of Compression 24:34 - Industry Diversification & Component Thinking 25:17 - Nvidia, Intel, and Strategic Orchestration 27:02 - Innovation vs. Manufacturing Models 33:15 - Capital Investment, Risk & Timing 39:06 - Why the Chief Strategy Officer Role is More Crucial Than Ever 47:55 - Final Reflections & Thank Yous 💡 Whether you're a strategist, innovator, entrepreneur, or business leader, this episode is a must-watch to future-proof your thinking and strategy. 📚 Based on Paul's seminal works: Jumping the S-Curve, Big Bang Disruption, and Pivot to the Future 🔗 Watch, learn, and subscribe for more expert-led strategy content! #SCurve #BigBangDisruption #PaulNunes #SharkFinStrategy #BusinessStrategy #Innovation #ChiefStrategyOfficer #AidanMcCullen #HBS #Nvidia #Intel #Netflix #Apple #Peloton #ExponentialChange #FutureOfBusiness

Based on a ten-year study, Teresa Amabile reveals why retirement—and any major life transition—requires far more psychological work than we expect. In this special episode of The Innovation Show, recorded at Klarman Hall at Harvard Business School, Aidan McCullen sits down with renowned psychologist and researcher Teresa Amabile to explore one of the most underestimated transitions we face: the move out of a long-held role and into what comes next. Drawing on a ten-year study of 120 professionals—many healthy, financially secure, and highly accomplished—Amabile reveals a striking insight: when people hear the word retirement, their dominant associations are fear, uncertainty, and loss of identity. And that fear has little to do with money or health. This conversation reframes retirement as a broader human challenge: how we navigate endings, detach from identities that once defined us, and rebuild a life structure that still allows for progress, meaning, and contribution. Amabile outlines the four core tasks people must work through when leaving a career, why these tasks rarely happen in a neat sequence, and why "it takes work to stop working." The discussion also examines the role organisations play—often poorly—in this transition. From sidelining experienced contributors to missing opportunities for knowledge transfer, Aidan and Teresa explore how meaningful final assignments, creative work, rituals, and continued post-retirement connection can dramatically improve outcomes for both individuals and institutions. Along the way, Amabile introduces the Four A's framework—Alignment, Awareness, Agency, and Adaptability—as a practical lens for navigating not only retirement, but any major life or career transition. The episode closes with a nuanced exploration of purpose, showing how meaning in later life often shifts away from grand missions toward day-to-day quality, relationships, and contribution. This is not an episode about "retiring early" or financial planning. It's about renewal, identity, and preparing—psychologically, relationally, and structurally—for the transitions we all know are coming, but rarely prepare for. Episode Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Special Guest Welcome 00:13 The Concept of Preparing for the Future 00:37 Introducing Theresa Am Abate 00:43 Gifts and Gratitude 01:47 Sponsor Acknowledgment 02:04 The Word 'Retirement' and Initial Reactions 02:39 Research Findings on Retirement Perceptions 05:21 The Four Tasks of Retirement 07:01 Framework for Renewal and Organizational Change 13:16 The Role of Organizations in Supporting Retirees 18:50 The Importance of Rituals and Celebrations 24:37 Life Structure and Retirement 31:24 Practical Actions and The Four A's Framework 37:17 Finding Purpose in Retirement 40:45 Final Thoughts and Messages Recorded live at Harvard Business School with thanks to the production team Dave, Ellie and Simona and sponsor Kyndryl.

Join us for a special edition of The Innovation Show, recorded at Harvard Business School, featuring Scott D. Anthony, Clinical Professor at the Tuck School of Business and co-author of Seeing What's Next with the late Clay Christensen. Scott joins us to discuss his latest book, "Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World." In this episode, Scott shares insights from his groundbreaking book, Epic Disruptions: 11 Innovations That Shaped Our Modern World. Through compelling historical parallels and modern business cases, he uncovers the hidden patterns that define true disruptive innovation and how leaders can respond with resilience and creativity. From Henry Ford and the Model T to the fall of Constantinople, from Netflix vs. Blockbuster to the scientific revolution, Scott connects past transformations to today's urgent innovation challenges. He unpacks powerful concepts like emergent strategy, value networks, and the critical role of business models in enabling — or blocking — change. Whether you're a startup founder, corporate leader, or curious learner, this episode delivers practical, thought-provoking guidance on navigating disruption in real time. Special thanks to the Harvard Business School Publishing team for hosting us, and to our sponsor Kyndryl for their continued support of forward-thinking conversations on The Innovation Show. What You'll Learn: The difference between sustaining vs. disruptive innovation Why innovation diffusion is often slower than we think Lessons from the Honda Super Cub and Kodak's collapse How McDonald's, the printing press, and scientific revolutions disrupted systems — not just products Actionable frameworks like the ABCs of Dual Transformation Episode Chapters & Highlights 00:00 Introduction and Acknowledgements 00:22 Introducing Today's Guest: Scott D. Anthony 01:38 Defining Innovation and Disruption 04:10 Sustaining vs. Disruptive Innovation 07:03 Netflix vs. Blockbuster: A Case Study 07:47 The Value Network and Market Dynamics 16:50 Emergent Strategy and the Honda Super Cub 18:37 Gunpowder and the Innovator's Dilemma 23:03 The Fall of Constantinople: A Lesson in Disruption 32:42 The Printing Press: Collaboration and Consequences 35:50 The Slow Diffusion of Innovations 38:24 The Kodak Story: A Tale of Missed Opportunities 44:17 The ABCs of Dual Transformation 50:10 The Historical Impact of the Scientific Revolution 56:04 McDonald's: Revolutionizing the Fast Food Industry 01:05:07 The Persistence of Henry Ford and the Model T 01:09:25 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections   Quotes from the Episode: "Innovation is something different that creates value... Disruption takes things that were complicated and expensive, makes them simple and affordable, and changes market dynamics." — Scott D. Anthony  "History doesn't repeat, but it often rhymes... The walls that stood for a thousand years collapsed in 47 days. What is your equivalent to the Theodosian Walls?" — Scott D. Anthony  Links & Resources: Book: Epic Disruptions by Scott D. Anthony Website: EpicDisruptions.com Connect with Scott: LinkedIn Connect with The Innovation Sho Connect with Aidan:  LinkedIn Tags/Keywords: Disruptive Innovation, Scott D. Anthony, Clayton Christensen, Business Strategy, Corporate Transformation, History of Innovation, Dual Transformation, McDonald's Case Study, Kodak, Artificial Intelligence, The Innovation Show, Aidan McCullen.  

The Innovation Show with Aidan McCullen | Guest: Chuck House How do you drive real innovation inside a large organisation—without getting shut down by hierarchy, process, or short-term thinking? In this episode of The Innovation Show, host Aidan McCullen is joined by legendary Hewlett-Packard intrapreneur Chuck House, author of Permission Denied, for a deep dive into intrapreneurship, corporate innovation, and innovation leadership. Drawing on decades of experience building breakthrough technologies at HP, Chuck shares the 7 rules of intrapreneurship, explains why most organisations unintentionally kill innovation, and reveals what both intrapreneurs and leaders must do differently to succeed. In this episode, you'll learn: The key differences between entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs Why intrapreneurs need air cover, not permission The 7 rules every intrapreneur must follow Why doing your own market research is non-negotiable How asking "why" relentlessly leads to breakthrough innovation Why great intrapreneurs often look like troublemakers How leaders can identify, fund, and empower intrapreneurs Why traditional KPIs and program reviews fail exploratory innovation Lessons from Hewlett-Packard, Apple, and major corporate innovation efforts The conversation also explores the rarely discussed discipline of managing intrapreneurs, including how executives can create the conditions for innovation without smothering it with metrics, timelines, or control systems designed for incremental work. This episode is essential listening for: Innovation leaders and executives Transformation and strategy teams Corporate intrapreneurs Product leaders and change agents Anyone trying to innovate inside a complex organisation About the Host Aidan McCullen is a Thinkers50 Global Innovation Award winner (2025), founder of the Reinvention Summit, and host of the globally acclaimed Innovation Show. A bestselling author and former international rugby player, Aidan advises global organisations on innovation, transformation, and leadership. About the Guest Chuck House is a pioneering intrapreneur whose work at Hewlett-Packard helped shape modern computing and systems innovation. His book Permission Denied is widely regarded as essential reading for corporate innovators. 🔔 Subscribe to The Innovation Show for conversations with the world's leading thinkers on innovation, transformation, leadership, and the future of work.

  In this episode of The Innovation Show, Chuck House—legendary HP intrapreneur and author of Permission Denied—joins Aidan McCullen, host of The Innovation Show and a Thinkers50 Innovation Award recipient, to explore the real dynamics behind innovation inside large organizations. House shares how he repeatedly challenged assumptions, defied orders, built high-performing teams, and navigated the "corporate immune system" to create breakthrough technologies such as the logic analyzer and Pisces system. Together, Chuck and Aidan unpack why innovation is resisted, how success blinds leaders to the next paradigm shift, and what intrapreneurs must do to survive and thrive. Brought to you by Kyndryl, this conversation blends deep corporate experience with modern innovation thinking—from one of HP's most impactful engineers and one of the world's leading thinkers on transformation and change. Episode Highlights Why organizations punish failure while preaching innovation The paradox of permission: what leaders say vs. what innovators hear How established success blinds teams to new paradigms Emotional and psychological realities of intrapreneurs How to unlearn, relearn, and escape old mental models Why existing sales forces resist innovative products Hard-earned lessons from HP's logic analyzers & the Pisces project What leaders must do to build systems—not heroes—that drive innovation   Episode Timestamps 00:00 Intro & Sponsor 00:30 Chuck House returns 00:57 Defiant innovation at HP 01:44 Permission paradox 03:07 Amazon's failure philosophy 03:47 Radical transparency 05:16 Future architecture & vision 06:00 Chuck reflects on his journey 07:47 AMD recruitment story 17:02 Paradigm shifts 19:34 Organizational resistance 22:42 Innovation cycles 32:26 Unlearning & relearning 40:16 The irony of pointing fingers 40:45 Navigating new paradigms 44:18 Challenges of intrapreneurship 44:33 Winning the sales channel 45:09 Sales force resistance 51:44 Understanding real customers 53:08 Innovation vs incrementalism 01:03:03 Rise & fall of logic analyzers 01:08:00 Managing intrapreneurial projects 01:13:06 Quality, collaboration & culture 01:20:34 Closing reflections About the Guest Chuck House is an award-winning engineer, HP Fellow, and author of Permission Denied. His innovations shaped decades of computing and instrumentation, and his perspective on intrapreneurship remains profoundly relevant. About the Host Aidan McCullen is an author, global keynote speaker, innovation consultant, and host of The Innovation Show. A former international rugby player for Ireland, he later moved into transformation roles across media and technology. Aidan is the author of Undisruptable, lectures on emerging technology at Trinity College Dublin, and is recognised by Thinkers50 for his global contribution to innovation and reinvention. https://aidanmccullen.com