E32: Nick Malouin: From Chaos to Clarity: How Innovators Turn Uncertainty Into Action

Mary Katherine Johnson welcomes Nick Malouin, Senior Strategy Director at Electric Innovation, to unpack how innovation strategy turns ambiguity into action. From Capgemini to Electric, Nick has spent a decade taking ideas from insight to in-market—bridging hard data with human truth so teams can build products people actually want. He breaks down why the best work starts with the consumer journey, not the org chart; how to separate signal from noise with out-of-category insights; and why “possible futures” beat single-line forecasts. If you care about product development, consumer insights, behavioral economics, category design, and getting prototypes into the wild, this one’s for you.

Nick explains Electric’s niche between classic strategy firms (anchored in what’s proven) and pure design shops (anchored in what’s possible). Their mantra, de-risking bravery, means chasing bold ideas while pressure-testing feasibility, business model, and adoption risk early. We dig into methods that move the needle: defining a sharp tension/insight before jumping to features, using ethnography to observe real behavior (not just self-report), stress-testing concepts with fast “Instagram prop” ads to gauge click intent, and shaping education that inspires novices (think visual, not academic) so they stay engaged after the first setback. 

You’ll hear a post-pandemic gardening case where growth stalled despite strong data trends; the  fix came from understanding beginners’ fragility and redesigning inspiration and reassurance, proof that buyer-focused journeys beat static funnels. Nick also shares a Vanguard example  translating an intangible future into a tangible target number + savings rate, turning “I’ll invest  tomorrow” into action today. We close with the real talk: getting from Post-it to shelf is  nonlinear; commit long-term, stay flexible, and solve one job at a time. Subscribe to Fortunes of  the Brave for bold, credible, visionary conversations that help you take the next right step. 

Key Takeaways: 
• Start with tension → insight → solution; the best concepts “reveal themselves.” 
• Blend data + human truth; watch behavior, don’t just record opinions. 
• Prototype demand fast (e.g., ad tests) to validate value props before you build. 
• Design buyer journeys, not one-shot funnels; inspire novices with visuals. 
• Commit to the long game; be brave and adapt when the world changes. 

Chapters: 
• 00:00 – Welcome + “electric, strategy, innovation” 
• 00:43 – Nick’s path: Capgemini → innovation consulting 
• 02:51 – Mindset shift: comfort with uncertainty 
• 05:10 – Why Electric: merging proven data with possibility (de-risking bravery) 
• 08:01 – Start with the consumer: research, ethnography, human truths 
• 10:03 – “Category” defined; core vs adjacencies 
• 11:37 – Long-term truths vs trend noise 
• 13:40 – Possible futures, not predictions; avoiding hype curves 
• 17:11 – Data ≠ answer; innovation is where lines deviate 
• 17:39 – Case study: gardening stall → inspire & reassure beginners 
• 20:38 – Make education visual, not academic; buyer-focused journeys 
• 25:57 – Insight first; Vanguard: make the future tangible 
• 31:26 – From Post-it to product: solve one job; get feedback early 
• 33:54 – “Instagram props” to test click interest in real time 
• 35:29 – Final advice: long-term commitment with flexibility 

Resources Mentioned: 
• Electric Innovation (strategy, innovation & design consultancy) 
• Capgemini; Fahrenheit 212 (innovation consultancy reference) 
• Vanguard (behavior-driven planning example) 
• “Instagram props” for rapid concept testing (ad-based pretotyping) 

Connect with Nick: 
• Company: Electric Innovation 
• Search: “Nick Malouin Electric Innovation” for talks & articles 

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