Masters of Scale How to solve an impossible challenge, w/Megan Smith (US CTO, Google, shift7)
Dec 13, 2019
Megan Smith, former US CTO and Google executive, shares her insights on tackling impossible challenges by leveraging existing solutions. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration, introducing the concept of "scout and scale"—finding and uplifting those who have already solved similar problems. Megan discusses successful initiatives like TechHire, which connects local training with coding opportunities, and how community-driven approaches can combat issues like child malnutrition. Her journey reflects the power of innovation and diverse perspectives in creating impactful solutions.
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The Crab Solution
- Monique Sternin, a nutrition expert, worked in Vietnam to combat child malnutrition.
- By asking locals about well-nourished children, she discovered the importance of readily available crab meat.
Scout and Scale
- When facing impossible challenges, find those who've already solved them.
- Don't reinvent solutions; leverage existing ones by "scouting and scaling."
Partner for Scale
- Partner with larger platforms to scale your reach and impact.
- Megan Smith used this approach as CEO of PlanetOut, partnering with AOL and Yahoo to reach LGBTQ+ communities.