Beyond Flying Cars And Futurist Myths With Nick Foster - TWMJ #1009
Release Date: 11/09/2025
Prosperity And Economic Growth With Chris Bradley - TWMJ #1045
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1045 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent more than twenty-five years helping organizations navigate strategy, growth, and long-term transformation as a Senior Partner at . He also serves as a Director of the , the firm's independent research arm, where he explores some of the biggest economic, technological, and societal questions shaping our future. His latest book, , challenges one of today's most pervasive narratives: that humanity's best days are behind us. Drawing on years of research, Chris argues that another century of...
info_outline
A World Of Intelligent Machines With Steve Brown - TWMJ #1044
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1044 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent more than twenty-five years helping organizations prepare for the future of technology. A former Senior Director and in-house futurist at during the launch of , former Chief Evangelist and Futurist at , entrepreneur and advisor, Steve has worked with global brands including Nike, JPMorgan Chase, Samsung, Disney and more to navigate digital transformation and the rapidly evolving AI landscape. His latest book, , argues that AI is not another technology deployment but a fundamental...
info_outline
A Playbook For Growth With Nicolas Darveau-Garneau - TWMJ #1043
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1043 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent his career helping organizations understand where technology creates lasting competitive advantage. A serial entrepreneur, former General Manager of in Canada, and then off to the Valley (where he still resides) as Google’s former Chief Evangelist, Nicolas has advised more than a thousand executives on digital transformation, AI, marketing, and growth strategy. His latest book, , challenges one of business’s most common assumptions: that efficiency is the ultimate measure of success....
info_outline
The Most Powerful Force In Business With Marcus Buckingham - TWMJ #1042
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1042 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). has spent more than three decades changing how organizations think about people, performance, and leadership. As one of the pioneers of the strengths movement, his research has influenced millions of managers around the world and helped reshape the way companies approach employee engagement and organizational culture. After beginning his career as a researcher at , Marcus became one of the driving forces behind some of the most influential ideas in modern management. His books include , , , and . He has...
info_outline
Winning With AI With Charlene Li - TWMJ #1041
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1041 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when every leadership team is being told that artificial intelligence will change everything, has spent her career helping organizations separate signal from noise. A New York Times bestselling author and trusted advisor to CEOs and boards, Charlene first became widely known for helping leaders understand transformative shifts through books like , and . Her latest book, , co-authored with , tackles one of the most pressing questions facing business leaders today: not what AI is, but what to do...
info_outline
AI And The Knowledge Economy With Sangeet Paul Choudary
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1040 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). Long before artificial intelligence became the dominant business conversation, was helping leaders understand another profound shift in economic power: the rise of platforms. As the co-author of , founder of , advisor to global corporations and governments, and a respected thinkers on digital business models, Sangeet has spent years studying how technology changes the sources of competitive advantage and reshapes entire industries. His latest book, , extends that work into the age of artificial...
info_outline
Developing A Vital Voice With Carmine Gallo - TWMJ #1039
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1039 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). I believe that communication has always been one of the most valuable skills in business. But in an era of AI-generated content, algorithmic feeds, podcasts, newsletters, keynote stages, short-form video and endless digital noise, it may be becoming even more important. Few people have spent more time studying what makes ideas resonate than . A communication coach, author, and instructor in executive education at , Carmine is best known for bestselling books including , , and . His latest project, , is...
info_outline
Human Agency With Marcus Fontoura - TWMJ #1038
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1038 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a time when technology feels simultaneously more powerful and more opaque than ever, is making a case for something many people feel they’ve lost: agency. A Technical Fellow and Corporate Vice President at , Marcus has spent decades helping build the infrastructure that powers the modern internet, including leadership roles at , and . His new book, , is both a guide to understanding the technologies shaping our lives and a reminder that we are not merely passengers along for the ride. Drawing on...
info_outline
The Value Of Uncertainty With Simone Stolzoff - TWMJ #1037
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1037 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). At a moment when certainty has become both a cultural obsession and a commercial product, is asking a far more uncomfortable question: what if the real skill is learning how to live without it? A journalist whose work has appeared in publications like and author of the bestselling book , Simo has built his work around examining the hidden psychological contracts shaping modern life… especially our increasingly tangled relationship with work, ambition and identity. His new book, , pushes that...
info_outline
Unlocking The Best In People With Ashley Herd - TWMJ #1036
Thinking With Mitch Joel
Welcome to episode #1036 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation). did not set out to become a management expert. Trained as an employment lawyer and later serving in senior HR and leadership roles supporting organizations including , Ashley built her career at the intersection of people, performance and workplace culture. What began as practical leadership advice shared through short-form social media videos evolved into a , with hundreds of thousands of managers turning to her for direct, actionable guidance on how to lead teams without burning people out. Her new...
info_outlineWelcome to episode #1009 of Thinking With Mitch Joel (formerly Six Pixels of Separation).
The future isn’t something to predict... it’s something to practice. Few people embody that idea more completely than Nick Foster, a designer, futurist and author whose work has quietly influenced some of the most innovative companies on the planet - from Sony, Nokia, and Dyson to Google X, where he served as head of design. In his new book, Could Should Might Don’t - How We Think About The Future, Nick challenges the way we imagine what comes next. Rather than offering forecasts, he explores four mindsets - could, should, might, and don’t - that shape how individuals and organizations approach uncertainty. In this conversation, Nick reflects on his evolution from industrial design to futures thinking, examining how curiosity fuels creativity, why nostalgia shapes our forward gaze and how responsibility must now sit at the core of every design decision. He questions the seductive influence of science fiction on our collective imagination and unpacks the cultural anxieties that accompany rapid technological change. What emerges is not a roadmap to the future but a framework for thinking. One grounded in humility, storytelling and the courage to sit with what we don’t yet know. For Nick, futures design is not about prediction... it’s about perspective. Enjoy the conversation…
- Running time: 1:01:27.
- Hello from beautiful Montreal.
- Listen and subscribe over at Apple Podcasts.
- Listen and subscribe over at Spotify.
- Please visit and leave comments on the blog - Thinking With Mitch Joel.
- Feel free to connect to me directly on LinkedIn.
- Check out ThinkersOne.
- Here is my conversation with Nick Foster.
- Could Should Might Don’t - How We Think About The Future.
- Follow Nick on LinkedIn.
Chapters:
(00:00) - Introduction to Futures Design.
(02:55) - Curiosity and Creativity in Design.
(06:01) - Exploring the Future: Challenges and Opportunities.
(08:58) - The Role of Responsibility in Design.
(12:01) - Cultural Shifts and the Future.
(14:59) - Navigating the Unknown: The Importance of Questions.
(17:49) - The Impact of Nostalgia on Future Thinking.
(20:46) - The Role of Science Fiction in Shaping Futures.
(24:05) - The Anxiety of Possibility: Handling the 'Might'.
(27:10) - The Importance of Humility in Future Predictions.
(29:46) - Embracing Uncertainty and Curiosity.