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Building an Innovation Studio - Part 2

Release Date: 02/11/2025

Why Your Best People Give You The Worst Information

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

The $25 Million Perfect Presentation Picture this: You're in a conference room with 23 executives, everyone has perfect PowerPoint presentations, engineering milestones are ahead of schedule, and you're about to sign off on a $25 million bet that feels like a sure thing. That was the scene at HP when we were developing the Envy 133—the world's first 100% carbon fiber laptop. Everything looked perfect: engineering was ahead of schedule, we projected a $2 billion market opportunity, and the presentations were flawless. Six weeks after launch, Apple shifted the entire thin-and-light laptop...

3 Innovation Decision Traps That Kill Breakthrough Ideas (And How to Avoid Them)

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

Every breakthrough innovation starts the same way: everyone thinks it's a terrible idea. Twitter was dismissed as "breakfast updates." Google looked "too simple." Facebook seemed limited to "just college kids." Yet these "stupid ideas" became some of the biggest winners in tech history. After 30 years making innovation decisions at Fortune 100 companies, I've identified why smart people consistently miss breakthrough opportunities—and how to spot them before everyone else does. Why Smart People Miss Breakthrough Ideas The problem isn't intelligence or experience. It's that we ask the wrong...

The $1.2 Billion Innovation Disaster: 5 Decision Mistakes That Kill Breakthrough Technology (HP WebOS Case Study)

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

In 2011, HP killed a $1.2 billion innovation in just 49 days. I was the Chief Technology Officer who recommended buying it. What happened next reveals why smart people consistently destroy breakthrough technology—and the systematic framework you need to avoid making the same mistake. HP had just spent $1.2 billion acquiring Palm to get WebOS—one of the most advanced mobile operating systems ever created. It had true multitasking when iOS and Android couldn't handle it, an elegant interface design, and breakthrough platform technology. I led the technical due diligence and recommended the...

Your Child's Creative Brain on AI: The Emergency Parents Don't See

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

University of Washington researchers discovered something that should concern every parent: children who use AI to create can no longer create without it. And here's the concerning part: most parents have absolutely no idea it's happening. If you've been following our series on Creative Thinking in the AI Age, you know I've been tracking how artificial intelligence is rewiring human creativity. We've explored the 30% decline in creative thinking among adults, the science of neuroplasticity, and practical exercises to rebuild our creative capabilities. But today's episode is different. Today,...

Human-AI Creative Partnership: How to Harness AI While Preserving Your Innovative Edge

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

The most innovative creators don't use AI as a replacement – they use it as a strategic partner in a carefully choreographed dance of human and machine intelligence. Welcome to Part 4 of our series, Creative Thinking in the AI Age – on strengthening your uniquely human creativity while using AI as a partner, not a replacement. In Part 1, we explored the alarming decline in creative thinking as we've grown dependent on AI. In Part 2, we discovered how neuroplasticity allows us to rebuild and enhance our creative capabilities. And in Part 3, I gave you a practical 10-minute daily workout to...

How to Strengthen Creative Thinking The 10-Minute Daily Brain Workout Based on Neuroplasticity Research

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

Humans who committed to four thinking exercises for 10 minutes daily generated 43% more original solutions than the most advanced AI systems. Welcome to Part 3 of our series, Creative Thinking in the AI Age – on strengthening your uniquely human creativity while using AI as a partner, not a replacement. In Part 1, we explored the concerning 30% decline in creative thinking as our use of AI tools has increased. In Part 2, we discovered how neuroplasticity – your brain's lifelong ability to reorganize itself – offers us a pathway to not just recover but enhance our creative abilities....

Train Your Brain to Outthink AI Boost Creativity 40% (2025)

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

Harvard neuroscientists confirm: creative thinking uses neural pathways that AI can't replicate – and never will. Hello, I'm Phil McKinney, and welcome to my innovation studio. Welcome to Part 2 of our series, – on strengthening your uniquely human creativity while using AI as a partner, not a replacement. In Part 1, we explored the alarming decline in creative thinking as we've grown dependent on AI. We saw how our ability to solve complex problems without algorithmic assistance has dropped by 30% in just five years, and how this cognitive atrophy affects everyone from students to...

Train Your Brain to Outthink AI Boost Creativity 40% (2025)

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

Your Brain on AI: The Shocking Decline in Creative Thinking (2025)

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

Our ability to solve complex problems without AI has plummeted 30% in just five years. That's not just a statistic – it's the sound of your brain cells surrendering. We are announcing a new series we are calling – Creative Thinking in the AI Age – on strengthening your uniquely human creativity while using AI as a partner, not a replacement. Today, we will explore how AI dependency is creating a pandemic of reduced creative thinking and why this matters more than you might realize. Look around. We've all seen it – colleagues endlessly prompting AI for answers, friends asking...

5 Questions that Unlock Breakthrough Innovation

Killer Innovations with Phil McKinney

In 2007, two designers struggling to pay rent in San Francisco had a seemingly simple thought: "What if people could rent out their spare rooms to travelers?" This question—posed by Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia—sparked what would become , a company now valued at over $100 billion that has fundamentally reshaped how millions of people travel. The power of their question wasn't just in identifying a market gap. It challenged fundamental assumptions about hospitality, property use, and trust between strangers. It wasn't just incremental—it was transformative. And here lies the innovation...

More Episodes

Ever wondered what it takes to build a space that sparks creativity and enables innovation? I've been on a journey transforming my studio from a simple podcast recording room into a full-fledged innovation workspace, and I'm excited to share the progress with you.

Five months ago, we embarked on a complete teardown and reconstruction. While we missed our January completion target, the transformation has been remarkable. We've installed hardwood flooring (goodbye, dust allergies!), added professional-grade tool organization with Husky cabinets, and installed a suspended lighting grid that would make theater technicians proud.

The studio now features dedicated zones for different types of creative work. There's a 3D printing station with the constantly-running Bamboo Labs X1 Carbon, professional audio and video equipment storage, and flexible workspace areas for prototyping and ideation sessions. Everything is designed to keep the floor clear and maximize the space's versatility.

Some challenges have emerged along the way – like the unexpected acoustic effects of the hardwood flooring (hello, echo!) and the adventure of hoisting heavy tool cabinets above the garage with a man lift (don't tell my wife!). We're still working on sound suppression solutions and evaluating options for a collaboration display wall.

Want to see how it all comes together? Check out the full video tour where I dive into the details of each upgrade and share the thinking behind the design decisions. You'll get an inside look at the professional-grade lighting grid installation, the cable management solutions, and even some fresh 3D prints hot off the printer.

If you're interested in innovation, making, or creating your own creative workspace, consider supporting the channel by becoming a member. You'll get exclusive content, live stream invites, and early access to videos. Plus, you might even get a chance to collaborate on prototyping your own ideas in the studio.

Subscribe and join me on this journey of creation and innovation.

Become a member on:

YouTube Members: https://www.youtube.com/@PhilMcKinney

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/philmckinney

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