036: The 13th Warrior with Adam Weil

In this episode I catch up with Adam Weil, Senior Director of Research at Shapiro + Raj to talk about where good ideas come from and what separates the great ones from the noise.

Adam’s career has spanned television networks to innovation agencies but what stands out most is his obsession with insightful storytelling. We talk about how he teaches younger researchers to transform data into stories that move people, how "iron sharpening iron” still sits at the center of his process and what The 13th Warrior taught him about ideating.

He also shares how GenAI has become a thought partner in his workflow, how he knows when he’s found a kernel worth chasing, and why surrounding yourself with smart, curious people is the best way to sharpen your own thinking. Adam leaves us with a reminder that creativity might look like play from the outside, but it’s deeply demanding work—equal parts curiosity, humility, and practice.

Plus this season I'm asking everyone coming on the pod what song would be on their ideation soundtrack, Adam's choice is the first added to the spotify playlist.

~ Noel

A76 and its episodes are created by Noel Childs

Season 4 on the Human Spark is produced by Noel Childs
Season 3 on Scale is produced by Noel Childs
Season 2 on Change was produced by Noel Childs
Season 1 on AI was produced by Casey Hudetz and Noel Childs

Our theme music was composed and performed by Stella Solveig
and mixed and mastered by Abbey Nettleton

The outro was read by Trudie and Storey Childs

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