Rule 4: Ask Why Relentlessly

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.

• 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

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.

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.

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