Episodes

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, host Vit Lyoshin speaks with Josh Dorfman, climate tech entrepreneur and co-founder of Plantd, a company pioneering carbon-negative building materials made from fast-growing perennial grass. Josh shares the fascinating story of how a chance conversation with a former SpaceX engineer during the pandemic led to the birth of Plantd and its bold mission to revolutionize the construction industry. You’ll hear how Josh and his team are building a vertically integrated company, growing their own raw materials, designing proprietary manufacturing equipment, and working directly with farmers and major builders like D.R. Horton. The episode explores the challenges and breakthroughs of developing new materials, scaling sustainable manufacturing, and replacing wood with faster, carbon-sequestering alternatives. The conversation then expands to Josh’s broader perspective on climate innovation, drawn from his work as the host of Supercool, a p…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, host Vit Lyoshin speaks with Vrijen Attawar and Logan Currie, co-founders of Careerspan — an AI-powered platform redefining how people build, communicate, and grow their careers. Vrijen, a former McKinsey consultant, and Logan, an education and edtech leader, share their journey from one-on-one coaching to launching a scalable, AI-driven career tool that acts like a lifelong career companion. They dive into why resumes are outdated, how their platform captures “career IP” (your skills, stories, and values), and how AI can make the job search more personalized, equitable, and reflective of who you really are. We also explore the challenges of building an AI product rooted in deep self-reflection, the importance of semantic reasoning in hiring, and what the future of job search might look like without traditional resumes. If you're in the job market, exploring your next move, or simply curious about how AI is transforming career…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Phil Neil, a serial entrepreneur and investor who scaled his healthcare startup, Neobex, to $70 million in revenue and over $30 million in EBITDA in just eight months, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Phil shares the dramatic story behind that growth, including how he pivoted the business in the face of collapse, took a personal $450K risk, and navigated internal conflict and supply chain chaos. Beyond the business tactics, Phil dives into the emotional and mental challenges founders face when scaling under pressure. He introduces two of his signature frameworks: *The Shadow of Entrepreneurship™* and *The Courage Compass™*, which help leaders manage fear, uncertainty, impostor syndrome, and decision fatigue. The conversation explores the intersection of intuition, emotional resilience, and strategic execution, offering powerful lessons for anyone building something from scratch. Whether you're a f…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin sits down with Eli Portnoy, a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of BackEngine.ai, to explore how AI is changing the game when it comes to customer feedback and product development. Eli shares his journey building multiple tech companies and the insight that led him to start BackEngine - a platform that transforms scattered customer interactions across emails, video calls, and support tickets into structured, actionable insights. Together, they dive into why traditional feedback loops break as companies scale, how AI can automate the messy parts of product discovery, and how product, customer success, and marketing teams can align around the voice of the customer. You’ll also hear how BackEngine’s AI helps validate feature ideas, surface hidden churn risks, and even generate synthetic customer surveys - all with the goal of helping teams build smarter, faster, and more confidently. Whether you're a founder, product …

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, host Vit Lyoshin sits down with Ali Hafizji, founder and CEO of Wednesday Solutions, an AI-powered product engineering company that helps startups scale beyond MVP. Together, they explore what really happens after you launch your MVP and why so many startups stall before reaching product-market fit. Ali shares hard-earned lessons from working with dozens of early-stage companies and introduces his Vibe Sprints methodology, an AI-enhanced, outcome-driven approach to product development that helps lean teams move faster without burning out. He explains why focusing on vanity metrics, building too many features, or hiring too early can sabotage growth, and what founders should prioritize instead. You’ll learn: * What to focus on in the first 30 days post-MVP * How Vibe Sprints differ from Agile Sprints * Common “silent killers” between MVP and PMF * What lean, high-performing teams really look like today * How to scale without …

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, host Vit Lyoshin sits down with Krish Ramineni, co-founder and CEO of Fireflies.ai, an AI-powered meeting assistant used by over 20 million people. Krish shares the behind-the-scenes story of building Fireflies long before AI was mainstream, scaling the company with a global remote team, and staying true to a product-led, user-centric philosophy. They delve into how Krish disregarded conventional VC advice, resisted top-down enterprise sales, and developed a freemium model that not only worked but thrived. He explains the critical early decisions that gave Fireflies an edge, how they activated viral growth without a sales team, and why efficiency is a core company value. The conversation also explores how AI is reshaping the future of work, the challenges of building trust with users, and what it means to lead a startup in the age of rapid AI transformation. Whether you're a founder, product leader, or curious about the future of…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Ben Tasker, AI educator and Dean of AI at one of the world’s largest online universities, about the growing impact of AI on the job market and how individuals can respond with purpose, resilience, and strategy. As companies restructure and AI displaces traditional roles, Ben shares why this isn’t just another wave of layoffs, it’s a transformative moment. He offers actionable insights on how to shift from panic to pivot, create a personalized learning plan, and navigate the fast-changing world of work. They explore the difference between upskilling and reskilling, the shrinking shelf life of technical skills, and why human skills like communication, empathy, and adaptability will define long-term career success. Ben also discusses how to build a personal brand using platforms like LinkedIn and how AI can support, not replace, lifelong learning. Whether you’ve been directly impacted by layoffs or are proactively…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, host Vit Lyoshin speaks with Julio Martinez-Clark, CEO of Bioaccess, about how MedTech and biopharma startups are transforming the clinical trial landscape by going global. Julio shares insights on why regions like Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Australia are becoming top destinations for first-in-human trials, offering faster approvals, lower costs, and valuable early data. The conversation dives into the challenges startups face in bringing breakthrough medical technologies to market, the importance of equitable access to innovation, and the real-world impact of early clinical trials in emerging markets. Julio also highlights cutting-edge trends in MedTech, including: * Robotic surgery and AI-powered medical devices * Brain-computer interfaces and diagnostic tools for remote care * Radiopharmaceuticals and theranostics as emerging solutions in oncology and neurology Whether you're in the health tech space or just fa…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, host Vit Lyoshin sits down with innovation strategist, keynote speaker, and creativity consultant Melissa Dinwiddie to explore her signature framework: Create the Impossible™. Drawing from her background as a Juilliard-trained dancer, professional artist, jazz singer, and improv performer, Melissa brings a refreshing and practical perspective on how to unlock creativity, even in highly analytical environments. Melissa shares her powerful 3-step process: 1️⃣ Play Hard – Embrace curiosity and play to fuel new ideas 2️⃣ Make Crap – Welcome imperfection as the first step to progress 3️⃣ Learn Fast – Use every experience, especially failures, to grow and iterate They discuss how leaders and teams can build a culture that supports innovation by letting go of perfectionism, encouraging experimentation, and fostering psychological safety. Melissa also shares practical techniques like playful team rituals and improv-based workshops tha…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Christian Ray Flores, an entrepreneur, investor, speaker, performance coach, and former pop star, about what it truly means to master your inner world to create lasting outer impact. Christian’s journey spans six countries and multiple careers, from international fame in the music industry to building mission-driven startups and coaching high-performing leaders. Drawing from his work with Xponential Life and Third Drive, Christian explains how inner mastery, emotional regulation, clarity, and self-awareness are the foundation for sustainable success in both life and business. Throughout the conversation, Christian shares daily practices that help people stay centered, improve decision-making, and develop resilience. He highlights how resistance, both internal and external, can hold people back and offers strategies to identify and overcome these blocks. The discussion also delves into the power of personal br…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, Vit Lyoshin sits down with Mark Reich, former Toyota executive and Senior Coach at the Lean Enterprise Institute, to explore Hoshin Kanri, Toyota’s powerful strategy deployment system that has shaped its global success. Mark shares a clear, practical overview of Hoshin Kanri, explaining how it connects long-term vision with day-to-day execution and how organizations can use it to align leadership direction with frontline action. Drawing on over two decades at Toyota and his recent work as an author of Managing on Purpose, Mark breaks down key components like PDCA cycles, vertical and horizontal alignment, and the importance of developing people through strategic work, not just delivering results. They also dive into lessons from Mark’s time in both Japan and the U.S., how Toyota’s culture sustains innovation across decades, and why budget-driven planning often leads organizations astray. Whether you're in tech, healthcare, manufacturing,…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, AI ethicist and Fusion Collective CEO Yvette Schmitter joins Vit Lyoshin for a candid conversation about the reality behind today’s AI buzz. Together, they explore the true ROI of AI productivity tools and why many organizations fall into the “productivity hype” trap without clear value or measurable outcomes. Yvette challenges listeners to ask the hard questions: Does this tool shorten your sales cycle? Save costs? Generate revenue? If not, it may be just noise. She explains how poor-quality AI-generated code can lead to massive technical debt and why refining existing code, with human judgment, is far more effective than blindly generating it. The conversation dives deep into AI ethics, using real-world examples like Air Canada and Cursor AI to show how bad implementation and lack of oversight can damage brands and erode trust. Yvette warns against deploying autonomous AI agents without accountability and stresses the importance of bak…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin sits down with AI strategist and founder of White Beard Strategies, Jonathan Mast, to explore how professionals can thrive in the age of artificial intelligence. They dive into three essential topics: 🔹 How to choose the right AI tools — including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and others 🔹 How to master prompting — using Jonathan’s simple 4-step framework 🔹 Why learning AI isn’t optional — it's the key to staying relevant, competitive, and innovative in your career or business Jonathan shares practical tips, clear examples, and success stories from his students and clients, including how a copywriting agency reinvented itself by turning human expertise into a custom AI product. We also touch on “vibe coding,” autonomous AI agents, and how AI is redefining the future of work, not by replacing people, but by empowering them. Whether you're just starting with AI or looking to deepen your skills, this episode is packe…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin is joined by Austin Vance, co-founder and CEO of Focused, to explore the real-world impact of AI in software development. From the hype around "vibe coding" to the challenges of integrating AI into complex legacy systems, Austin shares practical insights, hard-earned lessons, and compelling use cases for AI-assisted development. They discuss how AI tools can boost developer productivity, the skills engineers need to work effectively with AI, and why blindly trusting AI-generated code can lead to chaos. Austin explains his approach to AI-driven development, blending test-driven practices, decomposition of features, and thoughtful prompting, to build better software faster. You’ll also hear about: * The limits of vibe coding in production environments * Why tests are essential for AI-assisted refactoring * How to guide AI with context instead of expecting magic * The evolving role of developers as AI becomes a coding…

In this episode of the An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin sits down with Lauren Petrullo, growth strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of Mongoose Media, to unpack what it really takes to launch and grow new software successfully. They dive into attracting early users, building awareness before your product is fully developed, and positioning your software as a must-have solution rather than just another tool. Lauren shares hard-earned insights on selling benefits to non-technical audiences, scrappy marketing tactics that actually work, and how to avoid the all-too-common mistake of launching too early. They also explore why people are more likely to want what others are using, and how to use that psychology to your advantage. Whether you're a startup founder, product leader, or early-stage marketer, you'll walk away with actionable strategies for building demand, creating real user engagement, and standing out in a crowded market. Stay tuned until the end, Lauren breaks dow…

In this episode of the An Hour of Innovation podcast, Vit Lyoshin sits down with Vincent Allen, managing partner at Carstens, Allen & Gourley, LLP, and a leading expert in intellectual property and technology law. Together, they explore how startups and tech innovators can protect their software, AI models, and inventions in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. They dive into critical topics such as the differences between patents and trade secrets, when startups should start thinking about IP protection, and how open-source software impacts your ability to secure innovation. Vincent also sheds light on the legal risks of training AI models with public or copyrighted data, ownership rights over AI-generated content, and the growing concerns around AI hallucinations and misinformation. Additionally, they discuss how startups can navigate global AI regulations, the competitive challenges posed by international players like DeepSeek, and practical steps to legally safeguard your company…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, Vit Lyoshin dives into the hidden mathematical beauty of nature with Nancy Pick and Christophe Golé, co-authors of the book 'Do Plants Know Math?'. Together, they explore how plants like artichokes, sunflowers, and skunk cabbage display fascinating patterns, often tied to the famous Fibonacci sequence. Christophe, a mathematician at Smith College, explains how simple biological rules and growth patterns lead to complex spirals found across the plant kingdom. Nancy, a science writer, shares the creative process of making advanced science engaging and accessible for a general audience. The conversation unpacks centuries of curiosity, from Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches to Alan Turing’s experiments with early computers, and discusses how modern tools, including computer modeling and possibly AI, are helping scientists deepen our understanding of phyllotaxis, the study of leaf and seed arrangement. The guests also share behind-the-scenes stories,…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, Vit Lyoshin sits down with Dr. Joan Palmiter Bajorek, AI expert and bestselling author of Your AI Roadmap, to explore what it really means to future-proof your career and income in the age of AI. Joan shares her powerful personal story of navigating multiple layoffs and how those experiences led her to build a more resilient and diversified career. Drawing from her book, she unpacks practical strategies for staying ahead in a rapidly changing job market, including how to leverage personal branding, build a powerful network, and embrace new AI tools. One of the episode’s highlights is Joan’s breakdown of the 22 income streams she’s created, ranging from passive to active, and how anyone can begin diversifying their income, even without a technical background. She also talks about financial literacy, the taboo around money, and the mindset shift needed to take control of your financial future. Whether you're currently navigating a caree…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, Vit Lyoshin reconnects with Alex Polyakov, founder of Project Simple, to explore how the product has evolved over the past year. The conversation dives into how the startup transitioned from focusing solely on AI forecasting to developing a comprehensive product operating model that supports multi-team environments. Alex outlines how Project Simple enables teams to decompose milestones into assumptions, track epics and features, and leverage AI to provide daily projections based on real-time development data. Their approach moves beyond traditional cycle time metrics and incorporates factors like discovered work, tech debt, support cases, and the strategic-to-maintenance work ratio. Alex's teams devote only 30% of their capacity to new features, prioritizing quality and stability over rapid delivery. The discussion also highlights how many organizations prioritize new features (up to 90% of their time) at the cost of accruing unresolved …

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, Vit Lyoshin sits down with Marcelo Calbucci, a seasoned entrepreneur, technologist, and author, to explore PRFAQ, the innovation framework that helped Amazon launch some of its most successful products. Marcelo shares how this powerful method enables teams to refine ideas, gain stakeholder buy-in, and turn vision into reality. They break down the key components of PRFAQ, common pitfalls to avoid, and how product managers and leaders can adapt it to drive impactful innovation in their own organizations. Beyond PRFAQ, Marcelo shares insights from his 30+ years in the tech industry, including his experiences at Microsoft, Amazon, and as a startup founder who has raised over $40 million. We also discuss the mindset needed for innovation, the importance of storytelling in product development, and lessons from his journey building multiple companies.

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, Jaime Schwarz, founder of Brand Therapy and holder of an NFT patent, joins Vit Lyoshin to discuss how NFTs are evolving beyond collectibles and transforming digital ownership, supply chains, and collaborative creation. Jaime shares the story behind his NFT patent, explaining how blockchain technology can enable true ownership, multi-stage digital products, and interoperability across platforms. They dive into how NFTs can be used in digital supply chains, allowing multiple contributors to add value to a product over time while maintaining provenance, rights management, and monetization. Jaime also explores real-world applications - from art and music to gaming, fashion, and even real estate - showing how NFTs can redefine how we buy, sell, and interact with digital goods. If you’ve ever wondered what’s next for Web3, AI, and blockchain, this episode is packed with insights on the future of digital assets.

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, Vit Lyoshin speaks with Nolan Myers, an executive coach and product management consultant, about the power of North Star metrics. Nolan explains that a North Star metric is a singular focal point that provides direction for a company, aligning teams around a clear objective. Unlike other KPIs, a North Star metric should be valuable, actionable, and investable—meaning it represents real customer value, can be influenced by the team, and attracts investment. Nolan shares examples of strong North Star metrics, such as Uber’s “number of rides completed” and Airbnb’s “number of nights booked,” demonstrating how these metrics capture marketplace success. He advises against using percentages or averages, as they can limit growth, and explains why revenue can be a good starting point but isn’t always ideal. The conversation covers how organizations can define their North Star metric by visualizing the story they want to tell in the future. Nolan…

In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, Vit Lyoshin and Dr. Claudio Gratton, an entomologist and landscape ecologist, discuss the intersection of agriculture, biodiversity, and ecological innovation. Dr. Gratton traces the evolution of agricultural technology, from early irrigation and mechanization to the Green Revolution and modern precision agriculture. While these advancements have significantly increased food production, they have also led to unintended environmental consequences, such as biodiversity loss, pesticide resistance, and water pollution. Dr. Gratton emphasizes the importance of balancing agricultural efficiency with sustainability. He discusses potential solutions, including diversifying crops, integrating natural habitats into farmlands, and using ecological processes - like natural pest control - to reduce reliance on chemical inputs. He also highlights emerging biotech innovations, such as genetically modified crops designed for drought resistance or pest cont…

Why do groundbreaking ideas often start as "dumb" ones? In this episode of An Hour of Innovation, David Carson joins Vit Lyoshin to explore why smart people resist unconventional thinking and how embracing so-called "dumb" ideas can lead to breakthrough innovation. They discuss how history has repeatedly shown that ideas once dismissed as ridiculous - like Airbnb, Crocs, and even handwashing in medicine - have gone on to change industries. David breaks down the key patterns behind these ideas, such as challenging conventional wisdom, evoking emotional reactions, and reframing existing behaviors in unexpected ways. They also dive into practical ways leaders and teams can foster a culture that encourages out-of-the-box thinking. From playing the "opposite game" to leveraging humor and rewarding failure, they cover strategies to unlock creativity and identify which "dumb" ideas might actually be the next big thing. If you’ve ever had a wild idea that seemed too crazy to work,…