The Innovation Show Chuck House The Odyssey of an Intrapreneur Permission Denied
Nov 11, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Chuck House, a former Hewlett-Packard executive and author, shares his journey as a serial intrapreneur. He discusses the challenges of innovating within large corporations, emphasizing how internal resistance often leads to 'permission denied.' Chuck reveals insights on navigating technological shifts, the pivotal role of customer engagement, and the emotional weight of having to kill a beloved project. His anecdotes reflect on the balance of perseverance, leadership, and the true cost of honesty in the workplace.
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Success Erodes Innovation Courage
- Successful companies gain capacity to invest but often lose the courage to innovate.
- New paradigms (like AI) threaten incumbents while creating big opportunities for those who act.
Emphysema Research That Began With A Diagnosis
- Chuck joined an air-pollution commission after a personal emphysema scare and analysed 2,700 death records.
- He found submicron particulate matter in rural air pockets caused emphysema deaths decades before mainstream acceptance.
From FAA Prototype To Commercial Success
- Chuck built an early computer graphics display initially intended for FAA towers and persisted despite division resistance.
- Customers forced production and HP later sold ~17,000 units after initial internal attempts to cancel it.
