Best John Bessant Podcasts (2025)

1
Paralysed by possibilities? How to get to grips with AI 19:30

14d ago19:30

19:30

We grow through what we know. Put simply that’s at the heart of the innovation equation. Innovation is creating value from ideas, a journey which starts with an input of knowledge But when it comes to using external knowledge to help us grow we run into some challenges - as this podcast explores. We need 'absorptive capacity'. You can find a transc…

1
Inspiration for innovation 15:58

27d ago15:58

15:58

Fifty years ago and Keith Jarrett created a legendary performance which was captured on record and became the best selling solo piano album of all time. That experience offers some powerful and inspiring lessons for today's innovation managers, as this podcast highlights. You can find a transcript and more resources at my website here…

1
Beating the bougainvillea blues 16:06

2M ago16:06

16:06

Managing innovation isn’t a matter of abstract systems or process flow charts; it's much closer to the challenge of planting and tending an orchard. A rich harvest of innovation fruit comes from strong branches on trees which have matured thanks to careful cultivation. Maintaining what's already established and allowing for new shoots, sprouting in…

1
Dear Santa... 3:38

2M ago3:38

3:38

It’s the time of year when letters are getting hastily scribbled and sent to the old gentleman in Lapland expressing preferences for possible presents. This is a sample from a somewhat frustrated but ever hopeful innovation manager…. You can find the lyrics and a rich assortment of other innovation resources - songs, cases, videos, podcasts, tools,…

1
AI through the rear-view mirror 21:21

3M ago21:21

21:21

What we can learn from the past to help navigate the AI storm This podcast looks back at the experience of earlier technological revolutions to find some clues about how we might deal with this one You can find a transcript of this podcast here And check out my website here for more blogs, interviews, cases, videos and many other innovation-linked …

1
Flying the flag for innovation 20:35

3M ago20:35

20:35

How having an innovation management standard can help — and why it might get in the way (you can find a transcript for this podcast at the 'Managing innovation' website, together with many other useful resources - please check it out) A standard is an old word for a flag. Back in the days of sailing ships you could see a forest of them fluttering a…

1
Bridging different worlds - unlocking the power of recombinant innovation 13:41

4M ago13:41

13:41

You can find a transcript together with many other innovation-related resources at my website hereBy John Bessant

1
Continuing continuous improvement 20:46

5M ago20:46

20:46

⁠You can find a transcript together with many other innovation-related resources at my website here⁠By John Bessant

1
Irresponsible innovation anyone? 21:06

5M ago21:06

21:06

Why innovation isn't always a good thing - and what we can do to manage that. You can find a transcript, together with many other resources - video, audio, cases, tools, activities, etc - to help explore innovation management at my website here.By John Bessant

1
Hitching a ride to higher productivity 26:02

6M ago26:02

26:02

You can find a transcript, together with many other resources - video, audio, cases, tools, activities, etc - to help explore innovation management at ⁠my website here.⁠By John Bessant

1
Cartography matters! - the importance of maps in navigating the uncertain journey of innovation 22:41

7M ago22:41

22:41

You can find a transcript on my website here together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovationBy John Bessant

1
Impact intrepreneurship - leveraging the power of organizations for social innovation 28:40

8M ago28:40

28:40

⁠You can find a transcript on my website here⁠ together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovationBy john

1
In the (innovation) soup.... 16:27

8M ago16:27

16:27

⁠You can find a transcript on my website here⁠ together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovationBy john

1
AI is a no-brainer... 18:19

9M ago18:19

18:19

⁠You can find a transcript on my website here⁠ together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovationBy john

1
Irrelevant innovation 18:20

10M ago18:20

18:20

⁠You can find a transcript on my website here⁠ together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovationBy john

1
It's not (only) what you know... 15:42

11M ago15:42

15:42

⁠You can find a transcript on my website here⁠ together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovation

1
Beating the scaling innovation blues 4:33

12M ago4:33

4:33

⁠You can find a transcript on my website here⁠ together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovationBy john

1
Changing the world, one innovation at a time 18:32

1y ago18:32

18:32

⁠You can find a transcript on my website here⁠ together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovationBy john

1
Innovation lessons - from a skateboard! 17:15

1y ago17:15

17:15

⁠You can find a transcript on my website here⁠ together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovationBy john

1
Innovation is rubbish! 17:27

1y ago17:27

17:27

⁠You can find a transcript on my website here⁠ together with many other resources - blogs, videos, cases, tools, interviews - to help you explore the world of managing innovationBy john

1
A Christmas innovation fairytale 7:43

1y ago7:43

7:43

Some seasonal thoughts to accompany all good wishes....! You can find a transcript of this, together with many other resources - video, audio, cases, tools, even some innovation songs - at my website here.By john

1
Start-up success - an interview with Faisal Abid, Co-founder and CTO of Eirene Cremations 35:05

1y ago35:05

35:05

Faisal Abid shares some fascinating insights into the do's - and don't's of trying to launch and grow a new venture, drawing on his experience in founding and growing a number of businesses. You can find a transcript of this, together with many other resources - video, audio, cases, tools, even some innovation songs - ⁠at my website here.⁠…

1
Pathways to scale 19:03

1y ago19:03

19:03

Taking an innovation from a small-sized success story to something which delivers value at scale is not an easy one. You can find a transcript of this, together with many other resources - video, audio, cases, tools, even some innovation songs - ⁠at my website here.⁠By john

1
Growing up fast 30:00

1+ y ago30:00

30:00

This podcast features Zach Rattner, founder of Yembo and author of ‘Grow up fast!’, a great book which captures some powerful learning about innovation and entrepreneurship You can find a transcript here, together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, cases, tools, even some songs!…

1
Tell 'em a story - another innovation song 4:39

1+ y ago4:39

4:39

Innovation is all about trying to convince others — people to help develop your idea, sponsors to back you, markets to buy in to your great new thing. So it makes sense to spend time and effort crafting a tale which will draw them in, intrigue them, capture their attention. ⁠ You can find a transcript here,⁠ together with many other innovation reso…

1
Prove it to me! 19:04

1+ y ago19:04

19:04

Why evidence is so important for scaling innovation A good idea will sell itself, right? Unfortunately not – Emerson was spectacularly wrong when he suggested that all you needed to do was build that better mousetrap to have the world beating a path to your door. This podcast explores the crucial role which evidence plays in getting innovations ado…

1
The entrepreneur's journey - another song 4:52

1+ y ago4:52

4:52

I'm running a course on entrepreneurship and was looking for a way to help students remember some key milestones on the journey - value proposition, minimum viable product, prototyping, business model development, etc. So trying it out in the form of a song. ⁠⁠ You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources includin…

1
Unlocking creativity 20:45

1+ y ago20:45

20:45

This podcast explores some of the key lessons we've learned from research into creativity. ⁠⁠ You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, cases, tools, even some songs!By john

1
The power of position innovation 16:32

1+ y ago16:32

16:32

How creating experiences for underserved markets can be a key innovation strategy ⁠⁠ You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, cases, tools, even some songs!By john

1
Crystallising the spirit of innovation 21:10

1+ y ago21:10

21:10

An interview with Hannes Erler, Strategic Director for Innovation Ecosystems, Swarovski. This wide-ranging interview looks back at how a major European company grew over a hundred-plus years from a small engineering start-up to become a global player in the fashion, jewellery and accessories business through constant innovation. ⁠⁠ You can find a t…

1
Why value networks matter in scaling innovation 20:23

1+ y ago20:23

20:23

Innovation needs ‘complementary assets’ – the ‘who else?’ and ‘what else?’ pieces of your innovation jigsaw puzzle. This podcast explores the different roles involved in constructing value networks - ecosystems which can deliver shared value at scale. ⁠⁠ You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video…

1
Cracking the innovation code - an interview with Robyn Bolton 25:54

1+ y ago25:54

25:54

This episode offers an enlightening conversation with Robyn Bolton, founder and ‘Chief Navigator’ of Milezero, a consultancy specialising in helping organizations think through their innovation challenges. ⁠⁠ You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, cases, tools, even some songs!…

1
Time for innovation 17:51

1+ y ago17:51

17:51

This podcast explores the complex links between time and innovation. ⁠⁠ You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, cases, tools, even some songs!By john

1
Cooking up some innovation magic 20:27

2y ago20:27

20:27

This podcast offers a case study of Instituto Caldeira, a successful innovation hub which has helped transform the city of Porto Alegre in Brazil through innovation-led growth. ⁠⁠ You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, cases, tools, even some songs!…

1
Underground innovation - how giving people space can amplify innovation efforts 20:38

2y ago20:38

20:38

By their nature people are innovators, full of ideas which can often lead to significant value-creating innovations. This podcast explores the ways in which such innovation happens and how we might tap into this rich well of possibilities. ⁠⁠You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, case…

1
IMPACT - Building values-based innovation cultures for sustainable business impact – an interview with Prof. Dr. Henning Breuer 26:07

2y ago26:07

26:07

Sustainability matters - of course. You'd have to be living in a bubble not to be aware of the wide-ranging conversation on this theme. But how to translate the rhetoric - whether it be the UN or EU's sustainable development goals or the aspirational strategies of businesses - into something practical? This podcast interview explores the topic in a…

1
A flop is not a failure... 11:17

2y ago11:17

11:17

Changing our mental models about what we do and how we do it can be an important trigger for new directions - innovation. This podcast explores the idea of reframing as a powerful source of innovation. ⁠⁠⁠You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, cases, tools, even some songs!…

1
Innovation - we've got it taped! 20:43

2y ago20:43

20:43

This podcast looks at the history of data storage, from the early days of recording sound to today's huge data management tools. In its patterns of radical innovation followed by long periods of incremental improvement it highlights some surprising lessons about innovation which have relevance today. ⁠⁠⁠You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠⁠ together w…

1
Innovating innovation 13:39

2y ago13:39

13:39

Machine learning (AI) has its roots back in experiments with ‘artificial intelligence’ in the 1970s but has come to represent a powerful technological trajectory as the idea of mimicking human neural networks and their learning capabilities has been explored. And now we have generative AI, which does what it says on the tin — generates something ne…

1
If at first you don't succeed... 12:26

2y ago12:26

12:26

What do Mickey Mouse, vacuum cleaners, air travel and light-bulbs have in common? More than you’d think, especially if you look to the originators of those widely different things. All of their innovators spent a great deal of time being knocked back, living through failures and generally struggling to take their ideas forward. This podcast explore…

1
Delivering innovation 18:29

2y ago18:29

18:29

2022 was a record year for home delivery of parcels and packages. After the Covid-19 lockdowns the idea of remote shopping became an even bigger reality and changed the behaviour patterns of millions. This podcast looks at the innovation history of mail order and draws out some lessons for how we think about and manage innovation. ⁠⁠⁠You can find a…

1
A letter to (Innovation) Santa.... 12:51

2y ago12:51

12:51

Christmas, as my 6 year old never tires of reminding me, is coming. Never mind that technically it’s a month away and forget the efforts I make, Scrooge-like, not to allow any trace of the season to cross our threshold until at least 1st December. So this podcast represents an attempt to bring a little Yuletide background to the innovation challeng…

1
Playing the innovation game 16:00

2+ y ago16:00

16:00

Birds do it. Bees do it. Even educated fleas do it….. Well, I’m not sure about the last one but someone somewhere has probably done some research on the topic. We humans certainly do it, especially when we’re young. I’m not talking about falling in love but about extending Cole Porter’s observations to a different world, something up there in terms…

1
Ice cream dreams 23:03

2+ y ago23:03

23:03

Ice cream and innovation may seem unlikely bedfellows but as this podcast tries to show there's a lot of useful lessons to be found in exploring the innovation history of ice cream. ⁠⁠⁠You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, cases, tools, even some songs!…

1
Don't kick the copier! 14:28

2+ y ago14:28

14:28

Innovation isn't a solo act - it depends on sharing and shaping ideas. And one underestimated place where this happens is within what is called a 'community of practice'. It's where different knowledge, often tacit, can be shared and used - and one of the places where this was first seen was in the strange world of photocopier repair engineers! Thi…

1
Open innovation - another innovation song 5:25

2+ y ago5:25

5:25

This one was written in part as a contribution to the retirement celebrations of the Father of Open Innovation, Henry Chesbrough ...... ⁠⁠⁠⁠You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠⁠⁠ together with many other innovation resources including video, audio, cases, tools, even some songs!By john

1
Two timing innovation 17:19

2+ y ago17:19

17:19

Multiple independent invention is surprisingly common — there have been many research studies highlighting the pattern. Examples include the blast furnace (invented independently in China, Europe and Africa) and the crossbow (invented independently in China, Greece, Africa, northern Canada, and the Baltic countries). And they reveal an important ho…

1
Scaling innovation 19:05

2+ y ago19:05

19:05

Innovation isn't just a matter of fighting through the challenges of the start-up. That's only halfway along the journey to real impact - and the challenge of scaling innovation remains one of the big mountains we still have to learn to climb. This podcast explores some of the issues involved ⁠⁠⁠⁠You can find a transcript here,⁠⁠⁠⁠ together with ma…

1
Digital is different? 19:14

2+ y ago19:14

19:14

There’s no shortage of scary headlines reminding us of the looming challenge of digital transformation. The message is clear. On the one hand if we don’t climb aboard the digital bandwagon we’ll be left behind in a kind of late Stone Age. On the other we’re facing some really big questions — about employment, skills, structures, business models, et…

1
Why creative conflict matters in innovation 12:31

3y ago12:31

12:31

Is your innovation team full of 'nodders'? That's the wonderful name P.G.Wodehouse gave to the 'yes-man' characters in his books about the early days of Hollywood. But it is a real problem in teams trying to be creative - because the best ideas often come from people who argue. This podcast explores the importance of creative conflict in innovation…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

John Bessant Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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