In this thought-provoking episode, Aidan McCullen — Thinkers50 Innovation Award Winner, author of Undisruptable, and host of The Innovation Show — welcomes Samuel Arbesman, scientist, author, and polymath, for the grand finale of their trilogy.

Together, they explore The Magic of Code: How Digital Language Created and Connects Our World, diving deep into how code shapes our understanding of reality — from biology and evolution to artificial intelligence and the simulation hypothesis.

Discover how code is the new DNA, the universal language linking art, philosophy, and technology, and why rekindling curiosity, humility, and wonder is essential in our age of machines.

00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message

00:18 The Power and Mystery of Code

01:33 Guest Introduction: Samuel Arbesman

02:26 The Magic of Code: Themes and Inspirations

03:53 Rekindling Wonder in Computing

11:01 Biology and Computation: A Deep Dive

14:43 Artificial Life and Evolution in Computing

24:17 Emergent Behavior and Evolutionary Contingency

28:28 Simulation Hypothesis: Reality as a Program

29:30 The Complexity of Digital Simulations

30:35 Weather Prediction and Simplified Models

32:00 The Physicality of Computing

33:17 The Simulation Hypothesis

39:05 The Role of Language in AI

44:09 Humanity and Technology

47:39 The Future of Technology and Society

57:00 Final Thoughts on Humility and Curiosity

• The connection between code, language, and human creativity

• How biology and computation mirror one another

• Artificial life, evolution, and digital ecosystems

• The simulation hypothesis: Are we living in code?

• The importance of humility, restraint, and curiosity in an AI-driven world

🔗 Find Sam: https://arbesman.net

A former international rugby player, Aidan now helps organisations and leaders adapt and evolve in an age of exponential transformation.

Get Sam's Book: https://amzn.to/3Xb8abN

Find the Innovation show: https://thethursdaythought.substack.com

In this episode, we explore the intricate world of modern technology with Samuel Arbesman, author of Overcomplicated: Technology at the Limits of Comprehension.

Why did the New York Stock Exchange shut down in 2015? What caused Toyota vehicles to accelerate without warning? Samuel reveals how technological "accretion" and interconnected systems create outcomes that even developers, engineers, and executives can't predict.

We discuss:

• Why technology often evolves beyond human comprehension

• How "spaghetti code" and legacy systems create systemic risk

• The biological limits of human understanding

• Generalists vs. specialists in innovation

• The balance between intellectual humility and progress

• How we can better live with—and design—overcomplicated systems

This is a must-listen for leaders, technologists, and innovators navigating today's complex digital ecosystem.

🎙 Hosted by Aidan McCullen, keynote speaker on change and innovation.

💡 Sponsored by Kyndryl

Facts change — and that's a good thing.

In this episode, Samuel Arbesman, complexity scientist and author of The Half-Life of Facts, joins Aidan McCullen to explore how what we know — and believe to be true — constantly evolves.

Together, they unpack how facts have a "half-life," why collaboration matters in a changing world, and how exponential knowledge growth reshapes science, strategy, and society.

In this episode:

• Why facts and truths decay over time

• How science self-corrects — from the Brontosaurus myth to the spinach iron story

• The concept of "meso-facts" — slowly changing knowledge

• How exponential growth drives innovation and discovery

• Why curiosity, humility, and adaptability are essential for leaders

📚 Guest: Samuel Arbesman — author of The Half-Life of Facts, Overcomplicated, and The Magic of Code.

🌐 https://arbesman.net | https://arbesman.substack.com

🎙️ Hosted by Aidan McCullen — international keynote speaker on change, transformation, and innovation, author of Undisruptable, and host of The Innovation Show.

💼 Brought to you by Kyndryl – helping leaders harness the power of technology for smarter decisions and faster innovation.

👉 https://www.kyndryl.com/ie/en/institute

📘 Connect with Aidan McCullen:

🌐 https://theinnovationshow.io

📰 Substack: https://thethursdaythought.substack.com

📕 Book: Undisruptable

🎤 Speaking: https://aidanmccullen.com

Why couldn't Adobe—with all its resources—stop Figma? In this power-packed episode of The Innovation Show X, Aidan McCullen dives deep into disruption, transformation, and the future of work with Howard Yu (Leap) and Sangeet Paul Choudary (Reshuffle, Platform Revolution).

You'll learn why Adobe's shift to the cloud was just Act 2, and why surviving in the new economy requires mastering Act 3—orchestration, data flows, and multiplayer collaboration.

💡 Topics include:

• Why collaboration isn't just a feature—it's a business model

• How AI is reshaping the architecture of value creation

• What John Deere, Shein, and Tesla can teach legacy companies

• The hidden difference between execution and orchestration

• How to make your business future-ready

📚 Books discussed: Leap by Howard Yu and Reshuffle by Sangeet Paul Choudary

🔗 Follow the guests:

Howard Yu – Substack: One Inch Ahead https://howardyu.substack.com

Sangeet Paul Choudary – Substack: Platforms https://platforms.substack.com

Aidan McCullen https://thethursdaythought.substack.com

🎙 Hosted by Aidan McCullen | Sponsored by Kyndryl

#InnovationShow #AdobeVsFigma #BusinessStrategy #DigitalTransformation #FutureOfWork #AI #PlatformEconomy

In this final part of our compelling trilogy, Manu Kapur, author of Productive Failure, returns to uncover the psychology behind effective learning. Discover why failing first can drive deeper understanding, greater retention, and lasting mastery.

Hosted by Aidan McCullen, this episode explores real-world strategies rooted in research—from the Zeigarnik Effect to motivational boosts like loss aversion, endowed progress, and goal gradients.

Whether you're an educator, leader, or lifelong learner, this episode offers tools to rethink failure as a powerful ally in personal growth and innovation.

• Why failure can enhance memory and understanding

• The science of loss aversion and how to hack it for learning

• Endowed progress and goal gradient theory in practice

• How to spark curiosity and mastery in children and adults

• Building learning resilience and overcoming imposter syndrome

• A practical model for designing learning for yourself and others

• 🧠 Manu Kapur's Book: Productive Failure – https://amzn.to/3WzFuZD

• 🌐 Manu Kapur's Website: www.manukapur.com

• 🔗 Kyndryl Institute: www.kyndryl.com/institute

• 🎙️ Host: Aidan McCullen – www.TheInnovationshow.io

00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message

00:38 Welcoming the Guest: Manu Kaur

01:15 Understanding the Zeigarnik Effect

04:00 Affective Boost Levels: Loss Aversion and Endowed Progress

08:16 Goal Gradient and Personal Motivation

12:44 Growth Mindset and Effort

16:46 Children, Uncertainty, and Learning

21:51 Achievement Goals vs. Mastery Goals

26:27 Phenomenological Primitives and Learning

29:01 Understanding the Role of Context in Learning

31:49 The Power of Comparison and Contrast

34:34 Learning Through Metaphors and Case Studies

38:58 Addressing Imposter Syndrome and Embracing Challenges

41:14 Productive Failure in Learning and Growth

45:17 Designing Effective Learning Tasks

49:44 The Importance of Affective Draw in Mastery

56:13 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

Simon Hill, author of Expected Value (xV), reveals how to measure and prove the real value of innovation—avoiding theatre, zombie projects, and wasted budgets with his groundbreaking xV framework.

Simon introduces his Expected Value (xV) framework, a new system that combines confidence, predicted value, time sensitivity, and strategic fit to prove innovation's worth in terms business leaders and CFOs understand. From case studies to the role of AI, Simon shows how xV helps organizations escape wasted budgets, align innovation with strategy, and create lasting competitive advantage.

We discuss:

• Why most companies fail at measuring innovation

• The pitfalls of innovation theatre and zombie projects

• How the xV formula works in real-world organizations

• Kill credits, project evaluation, and stopping bad investments early

• The role of AI and data science in innovation decisions

• Case studies including Nvidia and the S-Curve of technology adoption

👉 Get Simon's Book: https://xvbook.com

👉 Learn more about Wazoku: https://wazoku.com

👉 About our sponsor Kyndryl: https://kyndryl.com/institute

This episode is essential listening for innovation leaders, CFOs, strategists, and business executives who want to move beyond activity metrics and finally prove the real value of innovation.

In this episode, Michael Raynor — author of The Strategy Paradox and co-author with Clayton Christensen of The Innovator's Solution — joins Aidan McCullen to explore why most strategies fail and how leaders can fix them.

From the RAP (Resource Allocation Process) model to the real-world case of BCE's diversification journey, Raynor unpacks how strategy is shaped by resource allocation, risk, and CEO intervention. Learn how top leaders can navigate uncertainty, overcome divisional barriers, and unlock strategic synergies.

🔑 What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why strategies often fail — and the CEO's role in fixing them

• How the RAP model explains real-world decision-making

• Lessons from BCE's diversification journey

• The tension between divisional goals and corporate strategy

• Practical tools for managing risk and strategic integration

⏱️ Episode Guide
00:00 Intro & Kyndryl Overview
00:28 Historical Perspectives on Strategy
00:57 Approaches to Resource Allocation
02:36 Guest Introduction: Michael Raynor
03:13 Academic Journey & Mentors
07:35 The RAP Model Explained
11:32 Challenges in Strategic Decision Making
22:51 BCE's Diversification Story
31:46 Entering Mobile Telephony
32:28 Strategic Synergies & Capital Constraints
33:48 Independent Operations & Market Dynamics
35:19 Challenges of Strategic Integration
36:11 Retail Distribution & Evolutionary Lessons
38:36 Governance Rights & Incentive Structures
48:31 Historical Lessons & Modern Applications
58:20 Concluding Thoughts & Future Directions

🚀 Topics Covered: strategy, resource allocation, RAP model, diversification, BCE, corporate governance, disruptive innovation, CEO decision-making, real options, strategic integration.

👉 If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe, share, and explore more insights at

https://thethursdaythought.substack.com

In this episode of The Innovation Show, Aidan McCullen welcomes back Manu Kapur, author of Productive Failure, to explore the science of learning through failure.

We uncover the Basic Knowledge Fallacy, debate Direct Instruction vs. Discovery Learning, and introduce the Four A's of Learning (Activation, Awareness, Affect, Assembly). Manu also explains why variability, struggle, and pretesting drive deeper learning, adaptability, and long-term success.

Whether you're an educator, business leader, coach, or lifelong learner, this conversation will transform the way you think about learning and growth.

00:00 – Introduction and Sponsor Message

00:33 – Welcoming the Guest: Manu Kapur

01:01 – Understanding the Basic Knowledge Fallacy

05:07 – Direct Instruction vs. Discovery Learning

08:08 – The Science Behind Productive Failure

14:01 – The Importance of Variability in Learning

21:14 – Pretesting and the Role of Struggle in Learning

26:43 – Final Thoughts and Cognitive Reflection Test

• Why the path to learning is as important as the knowledge itself

• The strengths and limits of direct instruction and discovery learning

• How the Four A's of Productive Failure create lasting understanding

• Why variability and desirable difficulties improve adaptability

• How struggle, pretesting, and impasses unlock deeper insights

📺 Watch more episodes of The Innovation Show: The Innovation Show on YouTube

🌐 Learn more about Manu Kapur: www.manukapur.com

📘 Get Manu's book Productive Failure: https://amzn.to/3KrdV1Q