Studio Notes
Weekly essays on the decisions behind innovation—the patterns that repeat, the mistakes that are predictable, and what actually works.
Shell Had Six Years to Prepare. I Had Four Months.
Outstanding leaders under pressure aren't making great decisions. They're executing decisions they already made. The difference is preparation. And most leaders skip it.
An Open Letter to HP's Board, and Every Board Governing an Innovation-Dependent Organization
What innovation-dependent organizations need from their boards, and four places to start.
HP Has Fired, Forced Out, or Lost 6 CEOs in 25 Years. Here We Go Again.
Two CEO successions hit on the same day. Disney chose a 28-year insider. HP's board is starting from scratch — again.
How I Bankrupted Two Companies
It wasn't bad decisions. It was no decisions. I had technology that could beat Intel and HP. My team waited for direction. I gave them meetings.
How I Mindjacked Boards for a Living
A Confession from Inside the Consulting Industrial Complex
The Million-Dollar Decision I Got Wrong (And Why I'm Grateful)
I built 3COM's largest network. Then I turned down the job offer.
The Military Ignored His Brain Injury. So He Built What Could Have Saved His Brothers.
A Navy SEAL's fight against the invisible wounds killing America's elite warriors.
They Accused Me of Fraud. It Made $20 Billion.
What happens when numbers stop making sense and the government needs a scapegoat?
What I'm Actually Thankful For (After My Body Failed Three Times This Year)
Five cardiac surgeries taught me the difference between Thanksgiving platitudes and what you're grateful for when the clock is screaming.
From Teligent Disaster to HP Success: A Second-Order Thinking Story
Kevin Allodi thought three moves ahead when I wasn't thinking past the first. His decision saved my family—and taught me the framework I use for billion-dollar calls.
