Creative Confidence Podcast
IDEO U
IDEO’s Creative Confidence Podcast shares candid conversations with creative leaders, changemakers, and innovators navigating today’s most pressing challenges. Through real-world stories and insights, we explore how to lead with creativity, build resilient teams, and drive innovation. Grounded in IDEO’s 40 years of expertise in design thinking and innovation, each episode offers inspiration and practical tools for audacious leaders at every stage of their careers. Hosted by Mina Seetharaman, Head of New Ventures at IDEO, the podcast brings a human-centered lens to the complexities of making more courageous futures. Discover more at IDEOU.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 7, 2026 • 51min
Part 2: Honest, Realistic, and Optimistic Leadership Advice from Friends of IDEO
In this enlightening conversation, Ilya Prokopoff, a seasoned partner at IDEO, teams up with Frederik Pferdt, former Chief Innovation Evangelist at Google. They explore innovative leadership strategies, emphasizing the importance of nurturing potential and embracing uncertainty with curiosity. Conversations about vulnerability highlight transforming fear into action. They discuss grounding decisions in values and cultivating creativity amid AI. Frederik offers daily practices to build confidence and inspire a future-ready mindset. A must-listen for aspiring leaders!
36 snips
Dec 30, 2025 • 44min
Key Abilities of Creative Problem-Solvers: David Kelley (Replay)
David Kelley, the innovative mind behind IDEO and Stanford's d.school, shares insights on fostering creative problem-solving. He emphasizes the importance of deeper experiences over quick workshops for genuine innovation. Kelley discusses navigating ambiguity to uncover revolutionary solutions and stresses the value of rapid prototyping. He provides strategies for engaging leadership and ensuring client buy-in, while advocating for projects framed to encourage iterative design. Lastly, he inspires students to embrace unique life experiences that cultivate creativity.
18 snips
Dec 18, 2025 • 43min
Part 1: Honest, Realistic, and Optimistic Leadership Advice from Friends of IDEO
Ilya Prokopoff, a seasoned partner at IDEO, joins forces with voice memo contributor Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor, to share invaluable leadership insights for 2026. They delve into the necessity of embracing uncertainty, encouraging leaders to utilize intuition and pausing for clearer decision-making. The discussion explores how imagination can transform uncertainty into opportunity, the importance of direct feedback, and the value of experimental approaches in leadership. Ilya and Kim inspire a mindset of flexibility and strategy for the future.
19 snips
Dec 4, 2025 • 58min
3 Leadership Philosophies to Inspire Creative Excellence: Mike Peng
In this conversation, Mike Peng, CEO of IDEO, shares his journey from neuroscience to design and global leadership. He discusses three impactful leadership philosophies: 'fewer but better,' personal monopoly, and combinatorial creativity. Mike emphasizes the importance of humility and healthy friction in fostering creativity. He highlights how leaders should guide their teams by setting direction and creating conditions for success. Additionally, Mike provides insight into maintaining inspiration and building diverse, innovative teams.
64 snips
Nov 19, 2025 • 51min
How to Prototype with AI: Takashi Wickes
In this engaging conversation, Takashi Wickes, an interaction designer and founding designer at OpenStudio, shares his insights from the IDEO U course on AI prototyping. He emphasizes the importance of a creative mindset over rigid prompts and discusses how AI can enhance collaboration between creatives and technologists. Takashi advocates for intentional friction in design, fostering deeper engagement and reflection. He also highlights playful experimentation with AI and warns against relying solely on LLMs, urging the integration of human insights for richer design outcomes.
33 snips
Nov 7, 2025 • 45min
Asked & Answered: Justin Massa on Adopting AI with Purpose and Confidence
Justin Massa, an AI strategist and former IDEO partner, explores the thoughtful adoption of AI for organizations. He discusses why many companies fail, highlighting the need for a culture of safe exploration. Justin emphasizes that empathy and trust remain crucial in leadership, even as AI advances. He challenges the notion of fully automating tasks, recommending a more nuanced approach. Additionally, Massa shares insights on how small and mid-sized businesses can leverage AI agility, while cautioned experimentation can foster innovation without coercion.
14 snips
Oct 9, 2025 • 50min
How to Invest in AI for Your Business: Justin Massa
Justin Massa, an AI strategist and former IDEO partner, shares his insights on practical AI adoption for businesses. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on current AI capabilities and introduces his AI Opportunity Matrix for strategic innovation. Discussing the balance between automation and augmentation, he advises against overselling AI without addressing specific business needs. Justin also highlights the need for context in AI applications and provides actionable steps for leaders to effectively integrate AI into their organizations.
13 snips
Sep 11, 2025 • 49min
Asked & Answered: Jennifer Lo on Bringing Futuring into Your Organization
Jennifer Lo, Senior Director of Design Futures at IDEO, shares her expertise on integrating futuring into organizations. She discusses the vital role of futurists in decision-making and the importance of balancing visionary strategies with operational management. Jennifer reveals how AI can enhance trend analysis while emphasizing human creativity in innovation. She also highlights the need for organizations to consider personal privacy and adaptability in a tech-driven world. Practical strategies for embracing futuring across disciplines are also explored.
42 snips
Aug 27, 2025 • 41min
How to Think Like a Futurist: Jennifer Lo
Jennifer Lo, Senior Director of Design Futures at IDEO, shares her insights as a futurist and strategist. She discusses the importance of 'futuring' for leaders, emphasizing adaptability and creativity in navigating uncertainty. Listeners will learn how to spot trends, envision diverse potential futures, and cultivate a culture of curiosity within organizations. By using storytelling and practical tools, Jennifer inspires leaders to adopt a proactive mindset that prepares them for tomorrow's challenges and opportunities.
21 snips
Aug 13, 2025 • 38min
Asked & Answered: Catherine Connors on Storytelling for Leaders, Scale, and the Future of Narrative
Catherine Connors, a storyteller and strategist with a rich background as the former head of content at Disney Interactive, dives deep into the power of narrative for leadership. She discusses how storytelling can enhance culture and drive change within organizations. The impact of AI on storytelling is explored, emphasizing the need for empathy. Connors also champions collaborative storytelling as a way to combat misinformation and foster inclusion, making a case for co-authorship in leadership narratives.
