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Phil McKinney

Phil McKinney is an innovator, podcaster, author, and speaker. He is the retired CTO of HP. Phil's book, Beyond The Obvious, shares his expertise and lessons learned on innovation and creativity.

The Innovation Crisis: How We're Stifling Our Children's Creative Potential—And How to Set It Free

A 12-year-old entrepreneur highlights the gap between education and innovation. What happens when we value answers over inquiry, and how might we unlock our children's natural creative abilities?

The Innovation Crisis: How We're Stifling Our Children's Creative Potential—And How to Set It Free

How to Improve Your Strategic Thinking Skills

While most people scramble to adapt when the unexpected happens, a select few are already three steps ahead. They saw the change coming, prepared for it, and positioned themselves to benefit. Their secret weapon? Strategic thinking. By the end of this episode, you'll master 6 powerful strategic thinking

How to Improve Strategic Thinking Skills

5 Critical Thinking Skills for Digital Literacy: Spotting Misinformation & Manipulation

Your phone pings. A bold headline lights up your screen. A friend shares a "must-see" video. But how do you know what's real? In today's hyperconnected world, critical thinking skills are no longer optional. They're essential tools for digital literacy—your

5 Critical Thinking Skills for Digital Literacy - Spotting Misinformation and Manipulation

The 36-Hour Lesson: When Reliability Made My Innovation Career

The flashiest ideas don't change the world—follow-through does. While we worship creative geniuses, reliable warriors who execute transform industries.

While we worship creative geniuses, reliable warriors who execute transform industries.

Intellectual Generosity: Why Sharing Ideas Creates More Value Than Protecting Them

Giving away your best thinking generates unexpected returns. Your best ideas create more value when shared freely rather than guarded jealously.

Sharing your ideas returns in greater value than holding on to them.

7 Physical Thinking Tools That Will Improve Your Creativity More Than AI

In a world obsessed with digital tools and AI-generated solutions, it's easy to forget the original engines of creative transformation—our hands, our senses, and the objects we manipulate. Sure, artificial intelligence can analyze patterns faster than we can blink. But if you're searching for

7 Physical Thinking Tools That Will Improve Your Creativity More Than AI

Think Like Bill Gates: The 6-Step System That Built Microsoft and is Changing the World

What made Microsoft possible? Binary code, four kilobytes of memory, and 10,000 hours of deliberate practice. But what truly set Bill Gates apart was a distinct system for solving problems—a mental algorithm that turned complexity into clarity and chaos into systems. The real genius of Bill Gates isn&

Think Like Bill Gates - The 6-Step System That Built Microsoft and is Changing the World

Dangerous Ideas: Why We Fear Innovation (And Why We Shouldn't)

The psychology behind innovation resistance runs deep. History reveals bizarre examples of once "dangerous" technologies we now take for granted. Our fear-first reaction might be our most human trait — for better and worse.

Dangerous Ideas: Why We Fear Innovation (And Why We Shouldn't)

Think Like Steve Jobs: 6 Strategies Behind Billion Dollar Ideas

When you think of game-changing innovation, one name stands above the rest—Steve Jobs. His ability to reimagine entire industries didn’t come from technical know-how alone; his way of thinking truly set him apart. Steve Jobs approached problem-solving and creativity in a way that merged art

Think Like Steve Jobs - 6 Strategies Behind Billion Dollar Ideas

Moving to Substack: A New Chapter

Innovation veteran Phil McKinney launches "Studio Notes" on Substack—revealing untold stories from 30 years of innovation leadership. What really happens in Fortune 100 boardrooms? Discover raw wisdom from failures and successes. Experience innovation's human journey as lived, not taught.

Moving to Substack: A New Chapter