Digital Disruption with Geoff Nielson

• Disney Exec Explains Why Creativity is the Most Important Skill for the Future

  Creativity is the key to staying competitive, so why do so many organizations struggle to innovate?Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Duncan Wardle, former Head of Innovation and Creativity at Disney.Duncan and his team helped Imagineering, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Pixar, and Disney Parks to innovate, creating magical new storylines and experiences. Now a global keynote speaker and innovation advisor, he shares his unique Design Thinking approach to help organizations spark creativity, unlock fresh thinking, and embed innovation into their culture. A TED speaker and contributor to Fast Company, Forbes, and Harvard Business Review, Duncan also teaches innovation Master Classes at Yale, Harvard, and the University of Edinburgh.Duncan sits down with Geoff to explore how businesses can break down the barriers to innovation by tapping into their most powerful resource: human imagination. Duncan gives a look into the magic of Disney’s approach to creativity and explains how companies can design cultures that foster curiosity, risk-taking, and collaboration. From solving complex problems with simple questions to creating space for disruptive thinking, Duncan shares practical, transformative advice for leaders ready to think boldly and challenge the current workplace roles. In this episode: 0:00 Intro2:00 Time at Disney5:40 Creativity is now the most in-demand skill8:15 Barriers to innovation11:30 Tools for creative thinking14:45 Reframing problems as innovation18:10 The power of naïve experts21:00 Innovation at Disney25:50 Tips for embedding in any organization29:00 How leaders can foster innovation32:00 Tools to think differently33:21 Overhyped tools34:01 What’s different about Gen Z36:03 Duncan’s mission to unlock creativity39:03 Changing cultureConnect with Duncan:Website: https://duncanwardle.com/Twitter: https://x.com/duncanjwardleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/duncanjwardleLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncanwardle/  Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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  41:36
• What AI Can Never Understand: Futurist Jonathan Brill Explains

  With all the AI hype, is there still a place for humans in organizations?Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Jonathan Brill, the world’s top-ranked futurist by Forbes, advisor to Amazon, HP, Samsung, and an author.Jonathan helps executives and audiences spot, prioritize, and act on the forces shaping the next five years — from AI to geopolitical disruption. As the former Global Futurist at HP and a board member of one of the world’s largest private intelligence agencies, he brings unique insights from decades of work in innovation, strategy, and emerging tech. His invention firms have developed over 325 products, generating more than $27 billion in revenue for clients like HP, Samsung, and Verizon. Jonathan is the author of Rogue Waves, praised by The Economist and Adam Grant, offering a practical framework for thriving through disruption. He shares his insights globally on stages like TED, at institutions like Harvard and CERN, and with media outlets including ABC, CNBC, and HBR. Jonathan sits down with Geoff Nielson to explore what leaders need to do to survive and thrive through the next decade of accelerating technological disruption. They discuss why the traditional organizational model introduced in the railroad era is no longer equipped to handle the complexity of AI-powered transformation. Jonathan speaks on the concept of the "octopus organization," where intelligence, decision-making, and adaptability are distributed rather than centralized. He breaks down AI’s biggest shift not just in task automation, but in decision-making and organizational design and emphasizes the importance of psychological safety in successful AI adoption. In this episode0:00 Intro1:14 Enterprise AI2:47 Code and complexity6:07 From Railroad Model to Octopus Organization9:35 AI isn’t just automating work12:03 Why CIOs must lead cultural change18:28 Human intuition is still important20:16 Four leadership traits for the AI era25:32 Executional vs. strategic thinking in IT29:39 The real value of coding in the future35:16 AI’s superpowers38:57 Human vs. machine41:21 Specialists vs. generalists in an AI world47:02 Optimism despite disruption49:48 Governments will shape the pace of change53:04 What’s the hype and what’s real?58:19 Tech adoption is inevitable  Connect with Jonathan:Website: https://www.jonathanbrill.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbrill1/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@brill_jonathanVisit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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  59:13
• The 6 Technologies That Will Define the Future with AI Futurist Steve Brown

  If you're not ready for the speed of change — you're already behind.Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Steve Brown, a leading voice in the field of artificial intelligence and a former executive at Google DeepMind and Intel.Steve has delivered hundreds of engaging keynotes and AI innovation workshops across five continents. With over 25 years of experience in AI and emerging technologies, Steve helps organizations build winning strategies that drive innovation, boost productivity, and fuel growth. He has advised leading brands including Nike, JP Morgan, Samsung, Comcast, Audi, Bank of America, PepsiCo, and Disney. Steve is the co-founder of The Provenance Chain Network, a BCG Luminary, and an advisor to multiple AI startups. He has been featured on CNN, BBC, Bloomberg, Forbes, and The Wall Street Journal. His book, The Innovation Ultimatum, explores how six strategic technologies will reshape every business in the 2020s. He holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Micro-Electronic Systems Engineering from Manchester University and lives in Portland, Oregon.Steve sits down with Geoff Nielson to explore how AI, robotics, and automation are reshaping business, education, and the future of work. Steve reflects on the six emerging technologies he forecasted in The Innovation Ultimatum, where he got it right, and what surprised him — from the power of process orchestration and the quiet rise of blockchain, to the next potential “ChatGPT moment.” Steve also shares a preview of his upcoming book, The AI Ultimatum, and what business leaders need to know now to stay relevant and human in an AI-powered economy. In this episode:0:00 Intro0:42 Revisiting 2019's predictions2:04 The Rise of process orchestration3:11 Process orchestration5:12 AI and sales enablement6:33 Blockchain’s future11:14 The mixed reality opportunity13:49 What’s the next “ChatGPT moment”?15:12 Robotics, Quantum & what's next18:40 The real AI transformation opportunity20:10 Top 3 areas where AI is impacting businesses21:37 AI-enabled employee experiences22:54 From lockdown to enablement24:36 Getting started with AI transformation28:01 Unexpected use cases31:29 The education disruption is coming36:20 Learn to get the most out of AI37:48 How to become robot-proof40:39 What gives life meaning43:20 Creativity in the age of AI45:42 The rise of one-person enterprise 49:19 Do we need AGI50:50 Hype vs. reality52:10 The AI Ultimatum 53:36 Speed of change  Connect with Steve:Website: https://www.stevebrown.ai/aboutLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/futuresteve/Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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  56:46
• Marty Cagan Explains How to Design a Product Like Steve Jobs

  What does it really take to build a product-driven organization in the age of AI, and are organizations ready for what's coming next?Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Marty Cagan, product thought leader and founder of the Silicon Valley Product Group.Before founding the Silicon Valley Product Group (SVPG) to focus on helping others build successful products through writing, speaking, advising, and coaching, Marty Cagan served as a product executive at some of the world’s most successful technology companies, including HP Labs, Netscape Communications, and eBay. Through his work with SVPG, Marty is a sought-after speaker at major conferences and leading companies around the world. He is also the author of three influential books: Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products, and Transformed: Moving to the Product Operating Model.Marty sits down with Geoff Nielson to discuss how generative AI is reshaping product management and why organizations need to rethink how they build and lead product teams. He outlines three key models of product management and explains how AI is disrupting each one differently. This conversation dives deep into modern product thinking, as Marty highlights what sets companies like Amazon, Apple, Tesla, and Netflix apart — emphasizing the importance of visionary leadership and product-centric thinking. Marty also gives a look into his latest book Transformed, which explains how even the most traditional organizations can adopt modern product practices.In this episode:00:00 Intro00:30 How generative ai is shifting product roles 01:20 The 3 models of product management explained 03:00 Why product owner roles are most at risk 05:00 Upskilling in the world of AI 06:25 What execution roles must to learn 07:30 The Feature Team Model and its vulnerabilities 09:00 Top product companies getting it right 10:40 What great product leadership looks like 13:00 Bill Campbell’s coaching culture 15:10 Empowered engineers17:00 The Steve Jobs myth 20:00 Product discovery at Apple explained 21:30 Executive resistance 23:00 Real-world case studies25:35 The importance of pilot teams29:00 From surviving to thriving with gen ai 30:30 The 3 Meta questions 33:00 Why transformation takes time 36:00 How to use pilot teams 39:00 The anti-patterns42:30 Why coaching works better than consulting 45:00 Emerging tech 47:00 Crypto vs. Gen AI48:00 Enterprise products work 51:00 Can the product model work in government? Connect with Marty:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/Website: SVPG: Learn the Product Operating Model : Silicon Valley Product GroupVisit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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  56:06
• AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Work: Futurist Ian Beacraft Explains Why Jobs are Dead

  Today on Digital Disruption, we’re joined by Ian Beacraft, Chief Futurist and Founder of Signal and Cipher.He is one of the leading voices in AI and the future of work. As Chief Futurist and Founder of Signal and Cipher, Ian helps organizations become AI-ready through strategic workforce transformation, training, and innovation. Ian has advised top global brands including Samsung, Google, Microsoft, and Nike. A former agency executive, he now pioneers immersive presentations that bring AI and extended reality to life. Ian is also the co-owner of a production studio designing virtual worlds and the first person ever to host a news segment as a synthetic human, streaming to over 100 million devices around the world. A classically trained musician and passionate educator, he champions the responsible, creative use of emerging technologies—and remains an optimist about the future of humanity in a tech-driven world. Ian sits down with Geoff Nielson to unpack the real impact of artificial intelligence on the workplace. They discuss why outdated leadership mindsets are more harmful than AI itself, how organizations must evolve beyond rigid roles and job descriptions, and why the future of work is less about replacing people and more about reshaping how we define value, productivity, and collaboration. Ian explains that it’s not about eliminating jobs, but about eliminating the artificial boundaries that confine people to specific roles within an organization. In this episode:0:00 Intro0:45 The real threat is not AI, but outdated leadership2:15 The era of unending exponential growth4:30 AI is changing the definition of work8:15 Where leaders should begin with AI12:35 Using AI tools to align leadership team15:30 What AI really needs to succeed 17:00 The loss of job descriptions19:02 The shift in career thinking21:50 Who’s at more risk – junior roles or long-time workers?25:30 The future of work in practice31:00 Digital Twins in the workplace36:00 Build AI ready teams41:00 Rethinking education46:01 What role does Signal and Cipher play to help accelerate traditional enterprises52:35 What’s next58:00 Tracking innovation and adaptability 1:04:00 Building a future-ready organization Connect with Ian:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianbeacraft/X: https://x.com/IanbcraftWebsite: https://signalandcipher.com/Visit our website: https://www.infotech.com/Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InfoTechRG

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  1:07:08

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