The Curious Advantage Podcast

#79 Imagining the Future - Where Sci-Fi Meets Curiosity with Ari Popper (Founder & CEO, SciFutures)

Jun 11, 2025
Ari Popper, Founder & CEO of SciFutures, shares his transformative journey from midlife crisis to innovating for the future through storytelling. He discusses how science fiction can inspire creativity and prepare organizations for change. The conversation highlights the evolving landscape of leadership in an AI-driven world and emphasizes the need for curiosity, adaptability, and ethical awareness. Ari also reflects on the challenges of emerging technologies and the importance of integrating emotional intelligence into leadership.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

SciFutures Born From Midlife Crisis

  • Ari Popper started SciFutures after a midlife crisis led him to a science fiction writing class at UCLA.
  • Writing sci-fi stories sparked his epiphany to use storytelling for envisioning the future in business contexts.
INSIGHT

Epiphanies Spark Present Change

  • To inspire meaningful action today, SciFutures combines research with storytelling to create epiphanies that change leadership and innovation.
  • They focus on preferred futures three to five years ahead and then work backward to make present change.
ADVICE

Use Sci-Fi Writers For Futures

  • Use storytelling to help people process emerging technologies and make futures personal with relatable characters.
  • Hire talented science fiction writers to craft compelling future visions that clients can act upon.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app