FUTUREPROOF. How to Spot the Next Big Innovation Before It Looks Obvious (ft. author Scott D. Anthony)
Sep 16, 2025
Scott D. Anthony, a Dartmouth professor and renowned innovation expert, discusses the nonlinear nature of disruption. He highlights how innovations like the transistor radio and cryptocurrency reshape our world in unexpected ways. Scott delves into why disruption often takes decades and the surprising roles figures like Julia Child played in innovation. He also shares insights on how leaders can navigate challenges posed by incumbents and learn from past failures to embrace transformative changes in technology.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Disruption Democratizes And Creates Mess
- The printing press and the automobile show how technologies can democratize capabilities and create messy societal change.
- Disruption often requires new rules, norms, and institutions before benefits fully materialize.
Plan For Decades, Track Gating Factors
- Bet on long-term demographic and systemic trends while hedging on pace and gating factors.
- Identify technological, policy, or business-model triggers that indicate the S-curve will move from slow to fast.
Julia Child As A Proto-Disruptor
- Scott links Julia Child's cookbook innovations to distributed ledger ideas and adoption mindset.
- He imagines Child using smart contracts and even accepting crypto, illustrating innovators' daring mindset.
