Tech Leader Talk

Do you want to learn how to avoid innovation failure? Today I'm talking with Tony Ulwick, who has spent his career clarifying the complex world of innovation. Tony believes that innovation isn't just about creating new ideas – the heart of innovation is uncovering and addressing unmet customer needs. Tony shares that true innovation isn't just about fresh ideas. If you want a winning product, Tony explains that you must start by uncovering what people actually want, not just what you think is cool. That shift changes everything. During our conversation, Tony shares insights about creating a culture of alignment around customer needs. He discusses how to avoid "innovation failure" by looking at problems experienced by other technology companies. I think you will enjoy this episode and get some new ideas for leveraging innovation in your business. Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - Common reasons companies fail at innovation - Creating a culture of alignment around customer needs - Tony's Outcome-Driven Innovation process - Revisiting unmet needs regularly - Integrating AI into the innovation process Resource: Tony's Innovation Newsletter: https://strategyn.com/newsletter/ Connect with Tony Ulwick: Website: https://strategyn.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyulwick/ Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

Have you ever thought about how to protect your company name, logo, or slogan – and when you should do that? On this episode, my guest is J.J. Lee, and he will answer those questions. J.J. Lee is an experienced Trademark Attorney and the Founder of Trademark Lawyer Law Firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan. J.J. and his team have successfully registered over 7000 trademarks for their clients. During our conversation, J.J. shares insights regarding his experience helping companies protect their brands using trademarks. He discusses when to consider filing a trademark application and how to avoid costly mistakes that can impact your business and brand. J.J. shares practical advice for startups as well as established companies. He explains why it's important for technology companies to secure their trademarks early in the growth of the business. I encourage you to listen to this episode so you get a better understanding of how to protect your company's valuable brand. Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - Why you should protect your core brand first - The right time to file a trademark application - Avoiding trademark scams - Preliminary searches for trademark availability - Common trademark mistakes Resource: TM Telegram Newsletter: https://tmtelegram.kit.com/ Connect with J.J. Lee: Website: https://www.trademarklawyerfirm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjleelaw/ Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

This is a Fun episode – we're talking about playing poker. But not the kind of poker you're familiar with. Today, I'm talking with Stephen Shapiro. Stephen is a leading keynote speaker, author, and advisor on innovation. He has two decades of practical innovation experience, including working at Accenture, where he created and led a 20,000 person innovation practice. Stephen and I are talking about poker today. But this poker game is different – it can improve your company and your individual team members. Stephen will be discussing Personality Poker, which is a Fun, Experiential game played with special decks of cards. Personality Poker was created by Stephen and has been played by more than 250,000 participants worldwide. During our discussion Stephen shares examples of how Personality Poker can Drive Innovation and Collaboration in the Workplace. Our discussion will provide some valuable insights on how the Personality Poker tool might help your organization. Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - Why opposites don't always attract - Valuing team members who are different from us - How organizations assess and understand their own "personality" - Self-Awareness = Better Collaboration - Creating a "full deck" of personalities for stronger problem-solving Connect with Stephen Shapiro: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shapiroinnovates/ Website: https://personalitypoker.com Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

Are you looking for ways to accelerate and innovate your tech startup? Then you're in the right place because that's what I'm discussing today with Zack Weisfeld, who is the Chairman of Ignite DeepTech. Ignite DeepTech accelerates deep-tech innovation by giving founders the knowledge and resources they need to turn groundbreaking ideas into extraordinary companies. Zack has more than 25 years of experience as an executive and a serial entrepreneur. Zack shares his experience in helping startups with funding, mentoring, and C-level executive support. His experience includes founding and leading tech startups, corporate entrepreneurship, and mentoring tech founders. During our conversation, Zack discusses challenges faced by tech founders and the importance of mental resilience in the tech industry. Zack explains the Intel Ignite program and its unique approach to supporting tech startups and providing mentoring. He also shares the goals of Intel Ignite and the criteria used to select startups for each cohort. Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - Mental resilience in the tech industry - The importance of mentorship in building businesses - Challenges faced by tech founders - Intel Ignite's startup selection criteria Book Recommendation: Give and Take by Adam Grant - https://www.amazon.com/Give-Take-Helping-Others-Success/dp/0143124986 Connect with Tzahi (Zack) Weisfeld: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tweisfeld/ Website: https://ignitedeeptech.com/ Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's latest book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

In this solo episode, I talk about the importance of training your team to identify every invention created in your organization. Invention identification is critical because you can't evaluate and protect an invention if you don't first identify it. Identifying every invention is more complicated than simply asking, "What have you invented lately?" Listen to this episode so you understand how to implement this critical 1st step in building your robust patent strategy. Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - Why many people fail to identify inventions - Discovering hidden inventions with Invention Mining - The importance (and value) of incremental inventions - A simple approach for capturing invention details - Be proactive and make inventing fun Questions? If you have any questions about identifying your critical inventions, contact me to schedule a complimentary call so a million dollar invention doesn't fall through the cracks. Contact me via email: Steve@SteveSponseller.com Or visit my website: https://www.SteveSponseller.com Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of my latest book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover my proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

Podcast Partner I want to thank the New Mexico Tech Council (www.nmtechcouncil.org) for being the Podcast Partner for this episode. The NM Tech Council was established with the vision of propelling New Mexico into a brighter future, and serves as a catalyst for collaboration, education, and networking among businesses, entrepreneurs, researchers, and tech enthusiasts. The organization plays a pivotal role in uniting the diverse tech community in New Mexico and helps these stakeholders come together to collaborate and build synergistic relationships. This Episode Have you ever thought about whether your business needs a "Digital Wingman" that can empower your team with real-time insights and support - exactly when it's needed? On this episode, my guest, John Hernandez, will be talking about this topic. John Hernandez is the CEO of Dash2 Labs in Albuquerque, NM. During today's discussion, John shares insights regarding AI-powered systems Dash2 Labs has developed that provide solutions to overcome information overload, improve risk management, and empower manufacturing teams. John shares the meaning behind the name "Dash2 Labs" and explains how his military background inspired the creation of a "Digital Wingman." He describes how curated knowledge and real-time insights allow businesses to streamline operations and stay ahead of risks. I'm sure you will enjoy this discussion with John and get some valuable tips to make your team smarter, faster, and more effective. Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - How to overcome information overload - Systems for managing subject matter expertise - How to effectively communicate with your team and clients - Tips for improving risk management Connect with John Hernandez: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchernandez1/ Website: https://www.dash2labs.com/ Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

In this engaging discussion, leadership expert Kevin Eikenberry shares insights from his book, Flexible Leadership. He emphasizes the importance of adaptable leadership to thrive in today's fast-paced tech landscape. Kevin highlights the need to differentiate between real signals and distractions, and he encourages involving teams in decision-making during uncertain times. He also discusses the value of admitting when you don't have all the answers and promoting a mindset of flexibility to enhance leadership effectiveness.

On this episode, I have the pleasure of talking with John Rossman. John is a thought leader on digital and innovation strategies. He is the author of four books on leadership and business innovation including the best seller The Amazon Way and Big Bet Leadership. John is also a keynote speaker on leadership for innovation and transformation. John is a former Amazon executive who was a leader in launching and scaling the Amazon Marketplace business. He has also served as the senior technology advisor at the Gates Foundation and senior innovation advisor at T-Mobile. During our conversation, John shares his insights on why Big Bets are important to businesses today. Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - John defines a "Big Bet" as an initiative that has immense potential and high complexity. - True transformation comes from crystal-clear goals, maintaining momentum, and experimenting quickly to validate assumptions - Business disruption isn't slowing down—if anything, it's accelerating! - Companies should focus on durable customer needs, rethink how work gets done, and embrace cost model innovation to seize new opportunities and build lasting competitive advantage. Resources: Book: Big Bet Leadership: Your Transformation Playbook for Winning in the Hyper-Digital Era by John Rossman & Kevin McCaffrey: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Bet-Leadership-Transformation-Hyper-Digital/dp/1957588225 Connect with John Rossman: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-rossman/ Website: https://rossmanpartners.com Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.

Welcome to another episode of the Tech Leader Talk podcast. We're back from a break and I'm excited to publish new episodes every Thursday. As always, the Tech Leader Talk podcast brings together successful technology company leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts from around the technology industry. Podcast guests share successes, challenges, and examples of what's working now to build strong tech companies. After 154 episodes, the Tech Leader Talk podcast is launching a new season with new guests that share their experiences and stories to help others in the tech industry. Upcoming guests: An artificial intelligence expert talks about the current state of AI technology and what to expect in the future. An innovation expert who has released a program that helps tech companies with team building, collaboration, and innovation. I've known this guest for many years and his new program is fantastic! A technology leader with expertise in risk management and market assessments. He uses his military experience to help tech companies today. A trademark expert shares his tips to help tech companies identify and protect their most valuable brand identifiers. A business leader discusses his latest book that helps technology companies navigate uncertainty and lead with confidence. An aerospace leader who leads a company building Quantum Communication systems. An experienced engineer currently developing innovative space-based data storage. If you want to listen to a few of the episodes from the first season, here are the Top 3 most popular episodes: Episode 70 – Nick Donofrio – Tech leader at IBM https://www.podpage.com/tech-leader-talk-1/leading-innovation-at-ibm-nick-donofrio/ Episode 87 – Dan Lockney – NASA Technology Transfer https://www.podpage.com/tech-leader-talk-1/using-nasa-inventions-to-launch-or-grow-your-company-daniel-lockney/ Episode 145 – Zack Weisfeld – Intel Ignite https://www.podpage.com/tech-leader-talk-1/accelerating-and-innovating-tech-startups-tzahi-zack-weisfeld/ I'm always happy to receive your feedback on the podcast episodes. What do you like? What could be better? Is there a topic or technology you want covered on the podcast? Connect with me on LinkedIn: Steven Sponseller Contact me via email: Steve@SteveSponseller.com OR see my contact information on my website, which is: SteveSponseller.com I hope you're looking forward to the upcoming episodes. You will see new episodes every Thursday on your favorite Podcast App. Thank you for listening to the Tech Leader Talk podcast and welcome to Season 2.

Are you using design reviews and testing to build a strong tech team? Today I am talking with Shawn Buckley. Shawn is the VP Destinations at Sierra Space where he and his team are developing and implementing the next generation of power and infrastructure for the evolving space economy. Shawn is passionate about space systems, especially inflatable space habitats. He loves attending design reviews. He considers it a privilege to participate in design reviews to see people's work and see their excitement. During design reviews, Shawn enjoys seeing all of the hard work done by hundreds of team members. Shawn talks about mentors he's had in his life and the way that he mentors young team members in his current work. I'm sure you will enjoy this discussion with Shawn and get some valuable insights about working with your design team members. "For our inflatable structures, we have orbital debris protection that's stronger than steel. This protects against high speed objects." – Shawn Buckley (Senior Director of Engineering at Sierra Space) Today on the Tech Leader Talk podcast: - Designing and burst testing inflatable space habitats - Improving collaboration between remote teams - Protecting against high-speed space debris - Mentoring younger team members - Managing supply chain issues Resources: Burst test video: https://youtu.be/TcJuz6JA0BU Courage is Calling by Ryan Holiday - https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Calling-Fortune-Favors-Brave/dp/0593191676 Connect with Shawn Buckley: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lashawn-buckley-5b246328/ Website: https://www.sierraspace.com/ Thanks for listening! Be sure to get your free copy of Steve's latest book, Cracking the Patent Code, and discover his proven system for identifying and protecting your most valuable inventions. Get the book at https://stevesponseller.com/book.