The Innovation Engine Podcast

3Pillar’s Financial Services Industry Lead, Rob Murray, joins us on the latest Innovation Engine to share some of the latest insights he’s gleaned from serving 3Pillar clients across the Financial Services space. Rob and Scott Varho dive deep into what it takes to successfully drive innovation in a tightly regulated industry like Financial Services, where many organizations feel handcuffed by the legacy software and systems that power their customer experiences. In this episode, we explore the myriad of opportunities and challenges that the rapidly evolving banking, insurance and broader Financial Services sector presents, and how institutions are navigating this ever-changing landscape.Throughout the conversation, Rob sheds light on the pivotal role of innovation in shaping the future of banking. From the adoption of groundbreaking technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence to strategic partnerships between traditional banks and FinTech startups, Rob provides a comprehensive overview of the forces driving change in the industry. He emphasizes the significance of customer-centricity and how banks are leveraging data, analytics, and technology to enhance user experience and meet the rising expectations of consumers in the digital age.In addition to his work at 3Pillar, Rob has extensive experience in leading digital transformation for renowned banks such as Wells Fargo and Bank of America, and he recently co-hosted our episode on Innovation by Design, which featured a conversation with JPMorgan Chase’s Chief Design Officer, Sam Yen. Tune in to this episode for a deep dive into the state of innovation in Financial Services, where Rob offers valuable insights, discusses future trends, and shares his vision for a more connected and customer-focused banking experience.Episode Highlights:Rob delves into the significance of innovation in the financial sector, discussing how it shapes competitiveness and meets the ever-evolving expectations of customers in the digital age.The potential and challenges of blockchain technology, highlighting their impact on trust distribution and the financial industry’s future.The shift towards a customer-centric approach in banking.The hurdles of digital transformation, including regulatory compliance, cybersecurity threats, and the integration of emerging technologies into legacy systems.Future trends and developments in banking, focusing on the integration of new technologies and the emergence of customer-focused business models.Resources:Connect with Rob Murray on LinkedInRead: "The Product Mindset" by David H. DeWolf and Jessica S. HallRead: "Amp It Up" by Frank SlootmanProduced by NOVA Media

In today's transformative digital landscape, what truly defines a tech company? Matt Brandon, the Industry Leader for the 3Pillar Technology Vertical, joins us for a deep dive into the multifaceted world of technology. From the evolution of technology sectors to the omnipresence of data, Matt shares insights on navigating opportunities and threats in this high-paced arena.Matt's rich background showcases a blend of partnerships with leading tech entities, his impactful journeys at Colego and Gartner, and a pivotal role in Gartner's acquisition of CEB. At Three Pillars, the term "tech company" goes beyond the traditional. Whether it's cybersecurity or even a home relocation firm, if there's a significant digital or electronics-based product or service, you're in the tech space.This episode provides a holistic view of the opportunities driven by data and AI, the challenges of security, and the ever-present need to innovate. Dive into Matt's perspective on the importance of talent, the essence of agility, and the dual power of quantitative and qualitative data. Matt also highlights the intriguing world of water technology and shares book recommendations that have influenced his career.Tune in to understand the nuances of today's tech world, where the lines are blurred, the stakes are high, and innovation is at the heart of success.Resources:Connect with Matt on LinkedInProduced by NOVA Media

David Rogers, Columbia Business School faculty and author on digital transformation, shares practical frameworks and real-world stories. He breaks down why legacy firms struggle, outlines a five-step roadmap for continuous digital change, and explains iterative validation, governance for scaling innovation, and how culture, talent, and tech must evolve together.

Bernie Doone joins us on this episode of The Innovation Engine to delve deep into the intricate world of Information Services. Bernie is no stranger to our listeners, having previously co-hosted episodes featuring insightful dialogues with experts like Marianne Johnson of Cox Automotive and Josh Eastright from Bloomberg Industry Group. At its core, Information Services revolves around B2B companies whose assets lie predominantly in insights and value-added services. These entities play the crucial role of transforming data into insights and content, combining proprietary, third-party, and publicly available data. Companies like Bloomberg Industry Group and Cox Automotive are stellar examples of Information Services companies that have evolved into digital powerhouses, now offering tools and insights right when their customers need them most. Throughout the conversation, we uncover key developments and trends in the Information Services sector. From building a common data platform to leveraging metadata for intuitive search, and from creating exceptional user experiences to the importance of research insights — we touch on a number of facets that are reshaping the industry. Bernie brings a fresh perspective to product development that is sure to broaden your own understanding of what it means to innovate. Join us for this in-depth exploration and garner insights into the ever-evolving world of Information Services, the fascinating intersections with technology and AI, and why this industry can serve as an inspiration for sectors far and wide.   Resources: Connect with Bernie on LinkedIn Read The Product Mindset by David H. DeWolf and Jessica S. Hall Read The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek Read Enduring Ideas: The three horizons of growth from McKinsey & Company   Produced by NOVA Media  

Productizing a services business is no small feat, but the benefits of doing so are vast: improved margins, increased productivity, higher company valuations, and less reliance on increasingly in-demand tech talent. Eisha Armstrong joins us on this episode of The Innovation Engine to share more about how to turn a services company into a productized business. Eisha has established herself as an authoritative voice in this space, having authored two compelling books: Fearless: How to Transform a Services Culture and Successfully Productize and Productize: The Ultimate Guide to Turning Professional Services into Scalable Products. With her deep understanding of the challenges faced by B2B services companies competing against digital-first companies and scaling efficiently, Eisha offers some insightful strategies and tips. In this conversation, Eisha highlights the importance of setting clear goals to inform your productization approach, treating productization as a portfolio, and overcoming the fear of productization. Listen in as Eisha and host Scott Varho unpack the essentials of a product-friendly culture, highlighting five levers: vision, organizational structure, governance, talent, and people-related practices. Finally, Eisha introduces us to the 'four horsemen of productization': Knowing, Perfectionism, Scarcity thinking, and Individual heroics. She breaks down this daunting task into something surmountable that anyone in a services organization can’t afford to miss. Resources Learn more about Vecteris at vecteris.com Connect with Eisha on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/eishaarmstrong Read Eisha's books: "Fearless: How to Transform a Services Culture and Successfully Productize" and  "Productize: The Ultimate Guide to Turning Professional Services into Scalable Products" Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com Produced by Nova Media  

Sam Yen, the Chief Innovation Officer for Commercial Banking at JPMorgan Chase, joins us for this episode of The Innovation Engine to discuss Innovation by Design and Scaling Innovation. Sam is responsible for JPMorgan Chase’s digital products, platforms, innovation, and product strategy, so there is a massive amount of responsibility that falls under his purview. We kick off the episode by diving into Sam's guiding principles for leading teams and prioritizing work in a financial institution of JPMorgan Chase's scale. He stresses the importance of being customer or client-centered, maintaining effective communication, ensuring a deep understanding of end-to-end experiences in product delivery, and keeping the bigger picture in mind while fostering a culture of quick learning and iteration. Sam shares his insights on the power of design in crafting user experiences that are intuitive, delightful, and even "forgettable" in terms of ease of use. We discuss the challenges and constraints of fostering innovation in a large financial institution and how the constraints by which financial services companies are bound can, perhaps counterintuitively, lead to more focused solutions. We also cover Sam's previous work at SAP and the four phases of scaling innovation in large organizations he uncovered with Janaki Kumar and Baba Shiv. The four phases Sam details on the innovation journey run from the "lonely soldier phase" all the way through to a fully scaled culture of innovation. Episode Highlights Why the role of design includes but also extends well beyond delivering a delightful and intuitive user experience The concept of thinking of risk as a line of boxes that gets increasingly larger over time, and the process of de-risking ideas incrementally as they scale Why innovation requires excelling at both creativity AND execution; you don’t get to pick just one Sam shares why the emphasis that’s often placed on creative problem solving would be even more productive if it were instead placed on creative problem finding The value of diverse teams in delivering innovative solutions and the difference between constructive tension and destructive tension About Sam Yen Sam Yen is an acclaimed design leader who has had an exceptional career trajectory. Prior to his role as Chief Innovation Officer for Commercial Banking at JPMorgan Chase, he served as Managing Director for SAP Silicon Valley and was SAP's first Chief Design Officer. At SAP, Sam led their Design Thinking practice both internally and for customers. Sam offers a valuable perspective on integrating design principles at the highest levels of corporate decision-making and scaling innovation throughout large organizations. Resources Connect with Sam Yen on LinkedIn Read one of Sam’s recent interviews for more on the 4 phases of innovation Learn more about how JPMorgan Chase Commercial Bank is banking the innovation economy Read volume 1 of “Payments Unbound,” a partnership between JPMorgan and Wired on the future of digital cash and more Read volume 2 of “Payments Unbound,” which focuses on the future of commerce   Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com Produced by Nova Media  

Ready to be inspired by a transformation story that propelled a bank to new heights? In this discussion with Paul Cobban, we dig deep into the remarkable business transformation of DBS Bank under his leadership.  DBS' incredible journey saw the company go from having the reputation of being known as "D#mn Bloody Slow," as Paul tells it, to becoming a digital powerhouse that regularly earns accolades for its digital experience and transformation. DBS was named "World's Best Bank” by Global Finance 5 times, and it was hailed as one of Harvard Business Review's top 10 business transformations of the last decade, alongside innovation stalwarts Netflix, Amazon, and Adobe.  Paul also shares insights from the book he co-authored with Scott Anthony, Eat, Sleep, Innovate which serves as a roadmap for companies and leaders looking to excel with the right mindset, tools, and habits. Join us for this engaging conversation as we uncover the magic behind DBS' transformation journey and gain valuable insights from Paul Cobban's wealth of knowledge and experience. Resources: Learn more about Paul and his work at PaulCobban.com Connect with Paul on LinkedIn Read:  Eat, Sleep, Innovate by Scott Anthony, Paul Cobban, Natalie Painchaud, and Andy Parker View the full webinar here: 3pillarglobal.com/insights/learn-from-paul-cobban Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com Produced by Nova Media  

Kevin Philpott, Director of Product Design at Pie Insurance, who scales product design and research across startups and enterprises. He discusses focusing on outcomes over outputs. He explains think big, start small, learn fast. He covers using research early, building trust with documented experiments, and structures companies use to enable innovation.

On this episode of The Innovation Engine, we explore the fascinating world of applied innovation and the critical process of testing the commercial viability of ideas. Join us as we speak with Michael Rabjohns, Global Head of User Experience Research and Design at 3Pillar, and Steven Cooper, a Lead UX Designer in Michael's group. Both bring extensive experience in the digital product space. Between them, they have worked with household names like Marriott, Calvin Klein, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Google. Alongside host Scott Varho, they share their unique insights and valuable advice on navigating the complex landscape of innovation and product development. Listen to the full conversation to hear about the importance of understanding users and their needs, the role of execution and the necessity of pivoting or persevering based on user feedback, and various tools and techniques for user research and testing. We also discuss the challenges of communicating with stakeholders, creating safe spaces for unbiased research, and the benefits of using low-fidelity prototypes in the early stages of development. Don't miss this engaging discussion packed with practical knowledge and valuable insights for product developers at any stage of their innovation journey. Resources: View the webinar slides and resources: On-Demand Webinar Key takeaways from the webinar: How to Test the Commercial Viability of an Idea Connect with Michael Rabjohns on LinkedIn Connect with Steven Cooper on LinkedIn Connect with Scott Varho on LinkedIn Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com Produced by Nova Media

Do you know the difference between focusing on outcomes versus outputs in product development — and why the difference can make or break a product? In this episode, we explore how shifting the focus from churning out features to driving business outcomes can help product teams deliver far greater value to users and organizations. Our guest, Josh Seiden, is a designer, strategy consultant, and author of the book Outcomes Over Output: Why customer behavior is the key metric for business success. He spent two years working on a stock trading app that never shipped, which taught him the importance of putting products in users’ hands  “unreasonably early.”  Josh presents three “magic questions” to help product teams focus on outcomes and introduces a new behavioral model that suggests teams should focus on changes in user behavior that create business value. He explains the importance of telling a specific story about the user journey, highlighting key moments that make a difference, and building a shared perspective and understanding to make collaborative prioritization decisions. Finally, Josh discusses the benefits of outcomes-based roadmaps, providing context for why the team is doing something and outlining traditional roadmap content, questions, and risks. Resources: Learn more at JoshuaSeiden.com Connect with Josh on LinkedIn Follow Josh on Twitter: @jseiden Read: Outcomes Over Output by Joshua Seiden Read Josh’s recommended business book: Good Strategy, Bad Strategy by Richard Rumelt Read Josh’s recommended book on writing, which he cites as an inherently creative process akin to product development: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg Learn more and get the full show notes at: 3PillarGlobal.com Produced by Nova Media