Our Inspiration

It is critical to scan the landscape for the big ideas that transform learning. Research and new ideas are at the core of what we do.

The secret menu shouldn’t work. But it does.

September 25, 2026

It should be straightforward, especially for fast food: custom orders cost more. Why not pad out the bottom line when you have the opportunity? In-N-Out goes the opposite way, letting ...

The Checklist Paradox

September 18, 2026

Doubling checking the right things.

Embracing “Yes, and…”

September 8, 2026

Tech's hottest new obsession is a decades-old improv book.

Focus on the Fundamentals

August 28, 2026

A bookstore with zero marketing dollars is outperforming the competition because it focused on the fundamentals.

On Being Purposefully Slow

August 14, 2026

This interactive, digital room that asks you to do nothing but look and think.

This Summer’s Blockbuster Director On What Not To Ask Of AI

August 5, 2026

How a visionary blockbuster director uses AI, and how he doesn't

The benefits of changing pace

July 24, 2026

These are the stories we couldn't stop talking about this week, but with a twist reflecting the summer months.

Thinking, accountability, productivity tricks, and front porch culture

July 11, 2026

Don't outsource thinking, accountability is as process, the productivity habit The Bear made famous, and why culture lives on the porch, not the org chart.

Celebrating independence

July 5, 2026

As the country celebrates the Fourth of July this weekend, we are doing something slightly different and sharing a compelling feature in Forbes that quietly reframes what independence can look ...

Keeping products focused, leaning on experience, and soaring with a classic brand

June 26, 2026

Saying no to clients, humanity's competitive advantage, and a nostalgic brand returns to the skies.

Embrace Humility, Making Space for Work, Structuring for Strategy

June 19, 2026

Embracing humility, making space, and creating a structure that aligns with strategy.

Lego Solutions, Big Decisions, and World Cup Grass

June 13, 2026

Solution diversity, anticipating change, and the science of World Cup grass.

Freeing team members, surprising origins, the reasons we love to game

May 29, 2026

Growing beyond job descriptions, the surprising stories of everyday objects, and the mechanics of gamified learning.

Going beyond instruction to build leaders, lessons in burger franchising, and efficient resilience

May 15, 2026

Teaching judgement, lessons in burger franchising, and efficient resilience

Hard Conversations, Smarter Infrastructure, and A Fight Over the Future of Software

May 8, 2026

Having hard conversations, scarcity mindsets, and a fight over the future of software. These are a few of the stories we're talking about this week.

An AI obsessed with goblins, a browser that thinks like a book, and a startup commune in the Texas flatlands

May 3, 2026

Goblins in the model. Flipbooks in the browser. Scorpions in the ranch house. These are a few of the stories we're talking about this week.

Collaboration, Competition, and Critical Thinking Still Matter Most

April 24, 2026

Learning from great filmmakers about competition and collaboration, balancing AI in education, and the renewed importance of strategic thinking.

Disrupt or Be Disrupted, Rewire Your Mind, and Ditch the Sneakers

April 17, 2026

Thinking long to innovate now, forming a positive outlook, and a curious pivot in the shoe industry.

Redundancy Is a Feature, Not a Bug

April 10, 2026

The power of triple redundancies, robots that save industries not destroy jobs, and smarter competition. These are a few of the stories we're talking about this week. Whether it be in ...

Moonshots & Mindsets

April 3, 2026

Going back to the moon, Reverse Game theory for cooperation, concrete that builds itself, and how to make food from thin air. These are a few of the stories we're ...

What we’re talking about on March 27

March 27, 2026

Build something people love, interpersonal warmth, and finding beauty and symmetry from unexpected locations. These are a few of the stories we're talking about this week. Whether it be in the ...

What we’re talking about on March 22

March 22, 2026

We’re talking a lot about basketball this week…and since we have several Dukies on our team, we thought it only fitting to remind everyone of the broader lessons of tenting ...

What we’re talking about on March 15

March 15, 2026

"Frittering" away the hours, common sense innovation, and a simple way to get solid customer feedback. Whether it be in the office or on the airplane headed to our next program, ...

What we’re talking about on March 6

March 6, 2026

Going beyond productivity to imagine possibility, historical AI avatars, and the power of human consciousness. Whether it be in the office or on the airplane headed to our next program, we’re ...

What we’re talking about on February 27

February 27, 2026

An AI curriculum, the history of board games in America, and how an idea during a bike ride improved semi-truck aerodynamics. Whether it be in the office or on the airplane headed to ...

Tim Tim (VD fr), CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

What we’re talking about on February 20

February 20, 2026

Redefining the value of timekeeping, becoming "supermanagers," and slime mold intelligence. Whether it be in the office or on the airplane headed to our next program, we’re always talking about ...

What we’re talking about on February 13th

February 13, 2026

Creating an intentional "AI Practice," knowing your client, and real stories of grit building business success. Here are a few stories we're thinking about this week.

What we’re talking about on February 6th

February 6, 2026

AI spreadsheets, innovative partnerships in higher ed, and a renewed focus on work life balance. Whether it be in the office or on the airplane headed to our next program, ...

What we’re talking about on January 30th

January 30, 2026

HR managers as strategic planners, immersive AI worlds, no phones allowed, and honoring the cofounder of Apple. These are just a few of the things we're thinking about this week. ...

What we’re talking about on January 16th

January 16, 2026

Whether it be in the office or on the airplane headed to our next program, we’re always talking about the issues and trends that are shaping the way we learn ...

What we’re talking about on January 9th

January 9, 2026

https://images.nasa.gov/details/6864722

What we’re talking about

December 29, 2025

Whether it be in the office or on the airplane headed to our next program, we’re always talking about the issues and trends that are shaping the way we learn ...

2025 Team Hack

January 2, 2025

As we go into 2025, I decided to try one new thing with my team as a way to build community and collaboration. Here’s the message I sent to them ...

The Four Corners of Experiential Learning

April 10, 2024

Over the past twenty-five years, it’s been such a fulfilling experience to watch how experiential learning has made its way into every facet of education. From the application of ideas ...

Don’t run away from AI. Leverage it.

January 26, 2024

The party is about to get bigger and louder. Through all of the conversations around ChatGPT over the last few months, we’ve heard the doomsday prophets describe its devastating impact ...

It’s time to rethink the 3Rs. Let’s add a 4th… Readiness.

October 26, 2023

The concept of the 3Rs of education appears to have originated in the 19th century although it’s fascinating to think that the notion that reading, writing, and arithmetic should serve ...

Linger.

May 17, 2023

For a long time, I’ve been obsessed with helping companies create different kinds of development experiences that are hyperactive. Our orthodoxies have been laser-like focused on creating return on the ...

Redefining spaces for learning

August 21, 2021

Here we go again. As the new school year beckons, we are hearing the familiar refrains from August 2020 about a series of binary choices. Virtual versus live instruction. Masks or ...

One year later…

March 12, 2021

The one-year anniversary of the world shutting down due to COVID-19 has summoned a flood of perspectives and insights about the unthinkable change that has occurred in such a short ...

Mapping the K-12 Distance Learning Journey

May 27, 2020

This Spring, the K12 landscape was upended. As we chronicled the response from one school, valuable lessons emerged to transform the classroom of the 21st century. March 16, 2020 We ...

Mapping the K12 Distance Learning Journey – Phase 3

May 27, 2020

Last week, the principal of our elementary school announced to our ten‐inch by seven‐inch digital classroom that “school is officially closed” for the summer. Normally, that big moment is preceded ...

Mapping the K12 Distance Learning Journey – Phase 2

May 27, 2020

One month ago, my children finished Spring Break. Instead of returning to the physical classrooms, athletics fields, and hallway meet‐ups that defined their school year, they navigated their ways to ...

Mapping the K12 Distance Learning Journey – Phase 1

March 16, 2020

We received the official notice this afternoon that our “home school” would be in session beginning immediately as the nation prepares for its largest experiment in distance learning. Pre‐kindergarteners through ...

Perspectives on Peloton

September 26, 2019

Today, Peloton goes public. Since its founding, I’ve thought a lot about the company’s model and its ability to keep people motivated and engaged to stay active and healthy. In ...

What’s your biggest idea?

July 23, 2019

All weekend, I’ve been engrossed by the coverage of the 50th anniversary of the landing of Apollo 11. It’s just amazing to think about the vision and the courage not ...

The Internet of Things Is the Real Person of the Year

January 10, 2016

Llewellyn King is executive producer and host of “White House Chronicle” on PBS, and he is a columnist with InsideSources. Many publications, following the lead of Time, name a “Person ...

Our Inspiration

It is critical to scan the landscape for the big ideas that transform learning. Research and new ideas are at the core of what we do.

The secret menu shouldn’t work. But it does.

The Checklist Paradox

Embracing “Yes, and…”

Focus on the Fundamentals

On Being Purposefully Slow

This Summer’s Blockbuster Director On What Not To Ask Of AI

The benefits of changing pace

Thinking, accountability, productivity tricks, and front porch culture

Celebrating independence

Keeping products focused, leaning on experience, and soaring with a classic brand

Embrace Humility, Making Space for Work, Structuring for Strategy

Lego Solutions, Big Decisions, and World Cup Grass

Freeing team members, surprising origins, the reasons we love to game

Going beyond instruction to build leaders, lessons in burger franchising, and efficient resilience

Hard Conversations, Smarter Infrastructure, and A Fight Over the Future of Software

An AI obsessed with goblins, a browser that thinks like a book, and a startup commune in the Texas flatlands

Collaboration, Competition, and Critical Thinking Still Matter Most

Disrupt or Be Disrupted, Rewire Your Mind, and Ditch the Sneakers

Redundancy Is a Feature, Not a Bug

Moonshots & Mindsets

What we’re talking about on March 27

What we’re talking about on March 22

What we’re talking about on March 15

What we’re talking about on March 6

What we’re talking about on February 27

What we’re talking about on February 20

What we’re talking about on February 13th

What we’re talking about on February 6th

What we’re talking about on January 30th

What we’re talking about on January 16th

What we’re talking about on January 9th

What we’re talking about

2025 Team Hack

The Four Corners of Experiential Learning

Don’t run away from AI. Leverage it.

It’s time to rethink the 3Rs. Let’s add a 4th… Readiness.

Linger.

Redefining spaces for learning

One year later…

Mapping the K-12 Distance Learning Journey

Mapping the K12 Distance Learning Journey – Phase 3

Mapping the K12 Distance Learning Journey – Phase 2

Mapping the K12 Distance Learning Journey – Phase 1

Perspectives on Peloton

What’s your biggest idea?

The Internet of Things Is the Real Person of the Year

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