Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney
Step into the world of relentless creativity with the Killer Innovations Podcast, hosted by Phil McKinney. Since 2005, it has carved its niche in history as the longest-running podcast. Join the community of innovators, designers, creatives, entrepreneurs, and visionaries who are constantly pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo. Discover the power of thinking differently and taking risks to achieve success. The podcast covers a wide range of topics, including innovation, technology, business, leadership, creativity, design, and more. Every episode is not just talk; it's about taking action and implementing strategies that can help you become a successful innovator. Each episode provides practical tips, real-life examples, and thought-provoking insights that will challenge your thinking and inspire you to unleash your creativity. The podcast archive: KillerInnovations.com About Phil McKinney: Phil McKinney, CTO of HP (ret) and CEO of CableLabs, has been credited with forming and leading multiple teams that FastCompany and BusinessWeek list as one of the “50 Most Innovative”. His recognition includes Vanity Fair naming him “The Innovation Guru,” MSNBC and Fox Business calling him "The Gadget Guy," and the San Jose Mercury News dubbing him the "chief seer."
It can be extremely frustrating when your ideas can't seem to secure support or backing. Why? Is it the idea or is it you? In this weeks show, I share some of my personal lessons learned along with the collection of frustrations and lessons learned from my mentoring and coaching clients on the challenges of securing […]
Direct download: Top_8_Reasons_Why_Your_Ideas_Dont_Get_Backed_S12_Ep39.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 8:00am PDT

Getting innovation advice from actual innovators is invaluable. In this weeks, show, we hear from Tyler Reynolds, the CEO and Co-founder of Trinity Mobile Networks. Tyler and his co-founder,  Stephen Hall, are innovators who were inspired to innovate a solution to a problem they themselves had. During the show, Tyler shares how the idea behind Trinity […]
Direct download: 3_Pieces_of_Innovation_Advice_For_Entrepreneurs_S12_Ep38.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

I have a morning routine where I run down a set of daily questions that help me stay on track and focused on the right things. These question have come about over my years of learning the hard way. The inspiration for the questions came from Ben Franklin who asked himself two questions ever day. […]

There is an explosion in companies who are securing innovation by M&A (mergers and acquisitions). In the last 36 months, 57% of M&A deals were based on innovation. When companies find themselves behind the market, “innovating by acquisition” becomes a quick way to catch-up through the work of others. At the same time, if an […]
Direct download: The_Insiders_Guide_to_Innovation_by_MA_S12_Ep36.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Limiting beliefs are those that constrain you in some way. Just by believing them, we do not think, do or say things because this limiting belief inhibits us. Our limiting beliefs originate from self doubts that then become “rules” we apply to our everday activities. In extreme cases, limiting beliefs can sabatoge our hapiness, our […]

While many companies recruit for start-up experience, large company experiences can be a secret ingredient to success. The ability to call on executives who have the experience of understanding scale, managing remote staff, complex manufacturing, global markets, selling to large organizations and much more is invaluable. In today's show, we discussed: Barry's career at IBM and the […]
Direct download: Why_Large_Company_Experiences_are_the_Secret_Ingredient_S12_Ep34.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

An idea has no value on its own. It's when you find a way to monetize your idea is when value gets created and you benefit from your creative output. There are a number of ways to monetize your idea and here are a few of the ones I've used. 5 ways to monetize your […]
Direct download: How_To_Monetize_Your_Idea_S12_Ep33.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

With the never ending M&A activities facing most industries, managing your career success through acquisition is a critical survival skill. In today's show, our guest Andrew Skafel shares his lessons learned in how to not only survive acquisitions but how to navigate the changes to ensure career success. We discussed: Andrew shared is academic background […]
Direct download: Career_Success_Through_Acquisition_S12_Ep32.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Managing the fuzzy front end of the innovation funnel can be daunting especially when management has high expectations from the innovation efforts. This weeks show focused on answering a question emailed in by a listener. The question focused on the challenges of creating an innovation process for a team within a large organization and dealing with […]
Direct download: Managing_the_Fuzzy_Front_End_Of_The_Innovation_Funnel_S12_Ep31.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Creating a social innovation to impact the social problems and opportunities our society faces is incredibly rewarding. Most (but not all) organizations working to address the social challenges are stuck in a rut. They are running their programs the same way they've always done them. In today's world, getting caught in the rut will dome […]

Winning innovation competitions or innovation awards can be a major achievement and proof of you and your teams ability to innovate. Which innovation competitions or awards should you submit to? Are there any downsides to submitting and winning a competiton or an award? In this weeks show, we discuss the structures and thinking behind innovation competitions and […]

Leading innovation is one of the hardest roles I've ever had in my career. With that said, it is also one of the most exciting and satisfying which is what keeps me in the game. So what does it take succeed in an innovation leadership role? In this weeks show, I share some real-world experiences […]
Direct download: How_To_Succeed_Leading_Innovation_In_Your_Organization_S12_Ep28.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 11:00am PDT

While many may link innovation with technology, innovation can be applied to any job in any industry in any geography. If that is the case, what are the innovation career opportunities for those who want to be innovators but who don't have a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) background? This week, I received an email […]

There is a mystique about Silicon Valley. Some think its this magical place where the breakthrough innovation is done. Others talk about it in hushed terms reserved for spiritual experiences. In reality, Silicon is much more complex and harder to grasp than with some simple labels. To understand it, you need to understand the answers to these […]
Direct download: Decoding_Silicon_Valley_Best_Practices_S12_Ep26.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Many have the dream of making it into the CxO (CEO, CFO, CIO, CTO, etc) suite. What skills and abilities does it take to be in position to become a world-class CTO? During the time I was CTO at Hewlett-Packard, what where the skills and abilities I had – and which are the ones I […]
Direct download: 9_Skills_You_Need_To_Become_A_World-Class_CTO_S12_Ep25.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 7:00am PDT

There are many tools you can use to generate ideas such as brainstorming. Every innovator runs into walls where they know there are better ideas out there but can't seem to get a grasp on what they is. SCAMPER is one of those tools that has always come in handy for me when I want […]
Direct download: How_To_Use_SCAMPER_To_Greatly_Improve_Your_Product_S12_Ep24.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Just as we make sure we don't skip many meals, we need to prioritize the feeding of our creative mind. Our creative mind is a critical resource that enables our ability to think creatively. Without it, we stunt our creative output and therefore our personal and professional success. For some reason, most people don't prioritize it. […]
Direct download: 15_Ways_To_Feed_Your_Creative_Mind_S12_Ep23.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 7:30am PDT

What do you do with a highly successful 35 year career? You pay-it-forward. You take the ups and downs you experienced and share it with others and help them achieve not just professional success – but also personal success. There seems to be an explosion of people hanging out their coach and mentor shingles. The […]

The emerging creative economy is dependent on having a workforce that is skilled differently than in the past. These new skills include: critical thinking, using our natural ability to be highly creative, be willing to take risks and to not have a fear of failure. There are kids/young adults who showing the rest of us how they […]

Our early childhood experiences have a major impact on our lives. In the case of Rodney Williams, he started down his path of being entrepreneur at the early ago of 8. While his friends were out cutting grass, he had his first entrepreneurial success by renting, for $0.50, the latest and hippest magazines to customers waiting in his […]

Creative thinking is not about how many ideas you can generate in a brainstorming session. Creative thinking is the result of using a variety of thinking styles to improve your creativity. The result is better ideas that turn into better innovations. We are born with a variety of thinking styles that are established based on […]

Creative thinking is a critical skill for personal, professional and business success. When you look at others who have been highly successful, such as Elon Musk, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, the common skill they have is a well exercised skill of creative thinking. Creative thinking is the fuel to everything you do. Creative Thinking According […]

The role of designers and design thinking is impacting every product and service being created. The old days of a product being created and then tossed over the wall to a designer to “wrap it in plastic and make it look nice” are long gone. With the introduction of products like the iPhone and Tesla, customers […]
Direct download: Innovating_Design_And_The_Changing_Role_of_Designers_S12_Ep17.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 7:48am PDT

The first challenge every innovator will experience is the task of taking their idea and turning it into something real. If your idea is a physical items such as a electronic device, a tool or any other tangible 3D item, how do you go about manufacturing it? What innovators need is access to reasonably priced […]

As with any idea, taking that spark and turning it into a product and a company runs into a never ending set of challenges. Early in the process, the innovation antibodies will come out in force. The one innovation antibody response that creates pause is when people you respect say that your idea is impossible. Should you go […]
Direct download: How_To_Overcome_The_Innovation_Antibody_Of_Impossible_S12_Ep15.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

As a kid, I would setup a lemonade stand to try to make enough money to maybe go the movie or buy some candy. How times have changed. Kid entrepreneurs are not settling for a few bucks in their pocket. They are taking entrepreneurial opportunities by the horns and creating real businesses with real income […]

When building an innovation team, taking special care that all of the official and unofficial roles are filled is key – not to mention teamwork. So what are those critical roles for the innovation team? In this weeks Killer Innovations Show, we address a listener question: What are the roles I should look for when […]
Direct download: 7_People_You_Should_Recruit_to_Your_Innovation_Team_S12_E13.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

How do you find and take advantage of an innovation,  business and/or career  coach/mentor? I was the beneficiary of a great mentor who had a major impact on my career success. As a result, I believe others can benefit from finding the right mentor that can help them through this thing called life. So, do […]
Direct download: Finding_and_Benefiting_From_A_Coach_and_Mentor_S12_Ep12.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 8:00am PDT

In this weeks show, we dive into an an area that is ripe for innovation – healthcare. With are currently  seeing one of the most partisan, divided political cycles. Is there really an opportunity to be disruptive by innovating healthcare in Amercia? My guest, Dr Stephen Klasko, shares his perspective on what it will take to transform and […]
Direct download: Innovating_Healthcare_in_America_S12_Ep11.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Everywhere you turn, there seems to be someone who is blocking you from making progress on your idea. These innovation antibodies seems to have one more reason as to why your idea won't work. In this weeks Killer Innovations Show, we are answering a listener question on how to deal with these innovation antibodies. Here […]

This weeks show is what we call an “Ask Phil” episode where we take your questions on innovation via Facebook or via email, and answer them live during the show. The questions answered during the show were: “I loved your post about feeling stupid!!! You give the best advice that is grounded in you immense amount […]
Direct download: What_Are_Your_Most_Pressing_Questions_on_Innovation_S12_Ep9.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

We all have experienced that regular work annoyance. That thing that is like finger nails on a chalk board. When you ask why, you typically hear back that “its always been done this way”. True innovators don't settle and keep asking “why” — and then go out and innovate a solution. In this example, go […]
Direct download: How_A_Day_Job_Annoyance_Launched_A_Medical_Innovation_S12_Ep8.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

The ability of any organization to have innovation success is defined by its willingness and ability to do things differently. To change. Lets not fool ourselves – change is hard and makes everyone unconformable. In this weeks show, we discuss the role of change, fear and failure on innovation success. We cover such topics as: Why is […]
Direct download: Why_Is_An_Ability_To_Change_Critical_For_Innovation_Success_S12_Ep7.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Detecting emerging trends and turning them into innovation opportunities can have a dramatic impact on an organization. Where do you find and track these emerging trends? By tracking sites such as TrendWatching, you can gain insights into what is changing so that you aren't surprised and are able to create new products and services ahead of your […]
Direct download: How_To_You_Use_Trends_To_Create_Innovation_Opportunities_S12_Ep6.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

With the growing interest of organizations to have a closer, real-time connection with their customers, there is the emergence of business-to-consumer messaging channels coming from startups and even well established companies. To address the growth of customer interactions with these new messaging platforms, organizations are turning to chatbots, natural language processing, artificial intelligence and machine […]

What do you do if you have that next great idea but don't have the technical skill to turn it into that next breakthrough innovation? Would you even know how to interview and qualify a person to take on your idea? Many will turn to their network of friends and family or to one of […]
Direct download: How_To_Find_The_Top_Talent_For_Your_Next_Innovation_S12_Ep4.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 6:22am PDT

One of the more common questions asked by innovators is about patents and trademarks. For some reason, many innovators focus on patents believing that they need one to secure funding and/or support for their idea. That somehow a patent validates novelty. Given the average cost to secure a patent ($20,000 to $30,000 USD), how should […]
Direct download: Should_You_Trademark_Your_New_Innovation_S12_Ep3.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 6:23am PDT

It seems that every organization is looking for the secrets to make their teams more innovative. Is it hiring? Or is it office space design? In this weeks Killer Innovations Show, Thomas D. Kuczmarski, president and founder of Kuczmarski Innovation and co-founder (with journalist  Dan Miller) of the Chicago Innovation Awards, shares his thoughts on what […]

In this weeks show, we talk with Tracy Hazzard of Hazz Design whee she has co-invented 35 patents with an 86% commercialization rate and designed 250+ consumer products bought everyday generating over $750 million for her clients. How does she go from idea to on the shelf? On the show, we discuss: The common challenges innovators […]
Direct download: What_Are_The_Steps_To_Go_From_An_Idea_To_On_The_Shelf_S12_Ep1.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

This week, I share my experience with innovation coaching and innovation mentoring in response to questions from a recent blog post. Over the years I've mentored and coached hundreds of executives, teams and entire companies. Each one is unique and different and I walk away learning something from each and every one. Over the years, […]
Direct download: Valuable_Secrets_From_Innovation_Coaches_and_Mentors_S11_Ep52.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

This weeks guest was Robert Scoble. Robert was the futurist at Rackspace who recently announced he was joining UploadVR. In this new role, Robert will be covering the latest advances in virtual reality and augmented reality. During the interview, Robert and I discussed: SXSW and what was the buzz at the show. His perception of […]
Direct download: Robert_Scoble_on_Virtual_Reality_-_Augmented_Reality_S11_Ep51.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 11:13am PDT

In this weeks Killer Innovations radio show, we pick up on a series we started in early February to take you from a blank page to brainstorming to a killer idea.  Now you need to create and deliver your innovation pitch. As background, those shows covered: How to create and use predictions to create an […]
Direct download: 7_Parts_to_an_Innovation_Pitch_for_Your_Idea_S11_Ep50.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

This weeks guest on the Killer Innovations radio show was Tom Fishburne. Tom is a cartoonist that pokes fun at marketing, creativity, design and innovation and I've shared his cartoons on my blog many times. His work is meant to challenge conventional thinking and to cause teams and leaders to see themselves in the cartoons. While I'm […]
Direct download: Cartoons_Creativity_and_Innovation_with_Tom_Fishburne_S11_Ep49.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

For this weeks show, Phil invited Kym McNicholas (Emmy award winning journalist) to join him to discuss and debate the latest innovations coming from startups. They cover startups that presented at Sir Richard Branson's Extreme Tech Challenge finals on Necker Island, the personal reactions from seeing the reveals of new VR technologies at TED and […]
Direct download: What_Are_The_Latest_Innovations_Coming_From_Startups_S11_Ep48.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 4:00am PDT

Most organizations use the traditional approach to host brainstorming session with their teams. If they took the time to evaluate the impact, they would recognize that there are some inherent weaknesses in the way brainstorming have been done in the past. Is there a next generation brainstorming approach? In this weeks show, we share with you how […]
Direct download: How_To_Run_A_Next_Generation_Brainstorming_Session_S11_Ep47.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 11:56am PDT

Two weeks ago where we discussed creating an innovation timeline and last week we then discussed on to take the items from a timeline and do prepare scouting reports for each item. This week we are going to take the next step and discuss how to take all of this and generate ideas  by understanding the rules […]
Direct download: 6_Golden_Rules_for_Brainstorming_S11_Ep46.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:05am PDT

This weeks show continues our discussion from last week. Now that you understand what an innovation timeline is, what should you do next? You need to take each of the innovation items on your timeline and scout the innovation landscape or what I call the innovation battlefield – depending on the level of competition in […]
Direct download: Scouting_The_Innovation_Battlefield_S11_Ep45.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Part of my job has been and continues to be about predicting the future. A few weeks back, I shared with you my prediction about what was going to be the hot innovations of 2016. Most have been already validated by the buzz coming for the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  Lets be honest, […]
Direct download: Predicting_The_Future_S11_Ep44.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Sharing has become the new business model that is being applied to a wide range of industries. The most popular sharing economy companies include Airbnb, Uber and Lyft. Can the sharing economy take over your industry? If so, what would that look like? In this weeks show, we take a look at the innovation happening in the […]
Direct download: Innovating_The_Shareconomy_For_Other_Industries_S11_Ep43.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:00am PDT

Internet of things (IoT) has become a hot space for innovation over the last few years. Smart thermostats, smart light bulbs – heck even internet connected smart sprinkler systems. Where is this going and what opportunities does this open up for innovators working with the internet of things (IoT)? This week, we have the CEO of […]

In this weeks show, Phil McKinney and Kym McNicholas talk about the winners of the technology and innovation competitions held at CES along with an eclectic set of companies and innovations they believe could be winners in 2016. They discuss: Extreme Tech Challenge – one of the largest innovation competitions with more than 3,000 entrants each year, […]
Direct download: Winners_of_Innovation_Competitions_S11_Ep41.mp3
Category:Past Shows -- posted at: 5:50am PDT