System Thinking and Why it Matters

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, Justin Sirotin, Founder & CEO of OCTO and Lynn Rakowsky, Director of Strategy, discuss how product connects to your strategic narrative and brand activations. You'll walk away with a clear line of sight to understand how you can better connect these core elements for your organization to accelerate your growth.

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, Justin Sirotin, Founder & CEO of OCTO, and Lynn Rakowsky, Director of Strategy, discuss getting out of your own way through thoughtful examination and connection of three core elements to your success - your strategic narrative, product, and activations.

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, Justin Sirotin, Founder & CEO of OCTO and Lynn Rakowsky, Director of Strategy, discuss the idea of loose vs. tight organizations.  You'll  walk away with an understanding of the difference between loose vs. tight organizations, how you can identify what you and your organization are, and what that means for you.

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, Justin Sirotin, Founder & CEO of OCTO and Lynn Rakowsky, Director of Strategy, discuss the nuances of how to tell a compelling story for complex technologies. They discuss when and how to build and invest in the right team, why you should treat storytelling like a product, and why you should view storytelling as a long-term capability. You'll walk away with a clear vision of how to approach and think about your complex technology storytelling needs. 

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, Justin Sirotin and Lynn Rakowsky continue the conversation on storytelling by digging into what storytelling actually is and why it matters in business. They explore how to shape your message to resonate with each of your company's key personas, and where to share your story so it reaches the right people, whether that's customers, partners, or your broader community. Storytelling becomes a powerful tool when it's intentional, focused, and delivered in the right place.

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, Justin Sirotin and Lynn Rakowsky dive into storytelling and how it plays a critical role in raising capital, pitching ideas, and attracting customers. They break down how to craft a compelling narrative around your idea, what investors are really looking for, and how to shape your pitch deck to match. They shift into discussing how storytelling can connect you with your audience and build rapport with customers. Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen your message, this episode offers clear, actionable ways to use storytelling more effectively in your business.

In this, Justin Sirotin and Lynn Rakowsky dive into the world of systems thinking. They talk through examples of both successful and broken systems, how systems thinking is used today at OCTO Product Development, and why it matters when building anything complex. They also break down practical ways to apply it in your own work or company, with tools and techniques that help you see the bigger picture and make smarter decisions.

We're back for Season 3! In this kickoff episode, Justin Sirotin and Lynn Rakowsky discuss what innovation truly means, how it manifests in unexpected places, and the four key ingredients for building a culture of innovation.  Innovation is not just about big ideas, but also involves taking action, staying curious, and finding new ways to solve problems.

In this episode, we chat with Mike Zani, CEO of The Predictive Index about an often overlooked area of innovation, talent strategy. Given that talent is the foundation for any business, it makes sense to think about how to build teams, how to motivate teams and what are some strategies from other industries that we can learn from. Dig in with us to learn more.Mike Zani is CEO of The Predictive Index, an award-winning talent optimization platform that aligns business strategy with people strategy for optimal business results. Sixty years of proven science, software, and a robust curriculum of insightful management workshops make PI the solution for any company looking to design great teams and culture, make objective hiring decisions, and inspire greatness in their people anywhere in the world. Prior to The Predictive Index, Mike was CEO of ShapeUp, a social SaaS wellness platform that was sold to Virgin Pulse in 2014. An avid sailor, Mike began his career in marketing and sales with Vanguard Sailboats and was a coach for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. He holds a B.S from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard.

In this episode of Beyond Innovation, I speak with Vic Nunes, Founder and CEO of QMed Innovations about how innovation can take unexpected forms, why deep experience in a category can unlock new ideas and how age can be an advantage when it comes to new ventures.Vic has spent over 30 years in the orthopedic industry as an executive responsible for two global operations and supply chain organizations, among them Depuy Synthes, a Johnson and Johnson company.Vic heads the technical and marketing efforts at QMed as well as the launch of Quest. He also oversees investor relations and fundraising.