The Most Important Question

Best of: How To Innovate


Listen Later

How does innovation actually work?

That's today's big question, and my guest is Christopher Mims. Chris is a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, and I had him on the show in 2021 to understand how he asks big questions.

Chris is constantly asking questions about the most pressing technological and societal issues we face from robot trains to the future of batteries, brain implants, and whatever happens to land in between. And his thesis is this: every little bit counts. And innovation is more predictable than you think - or is it?

In this conversation, Chris and I explore the team dynamics of innovation, the "great man" question, the invisible force behind Moore's Law, and more.

The bad news: Nobody gets to save the world.

The good news: Everyone gets to save the world a little bit.

-----------

Have feedback or questions? Tweet us, or send a message to [email protected]

New here? Get started with our fan favorite episodes at importantnotimportant.com/podcast.

-----------

INI Book Club:

  • Life as We Made It by Beth Shapiro
  • Arriving Today by Christopher Mims
  • Find all of our guest recommendations at the INI Book Club: https://bookshop.org/lists/important-not-important-book-club

Links:

  • mims.club
  • Twitter: @mims

Follow us:

  • Subscribe to our newsletter at importantnotimportant.com
  • Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/ImportantNotImp
  • Subscribe to our YouTube channel
  • Follow Quinn: twitter.com/quinnemmett
  • Edited by Anthony Luciani
  • Produced by Willow Beck
  • Intro/outro by Tim Blane: timblane.com

Find our more about our guests here: https://www.importantnotimportant.com/guest-stats

Advertise with us: https://www.importantnotimportant.com/sponsors

Mentioned in this episode:

Become An Important Member

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Most Important QuestionBy Important, Not Important

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

118 ratings


More shows like The Most Important Question

View all
The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,953 Listeners

On the Media by WNYC Studios

On the Media

9,206 Listeners

The Gray Area with Sean Illing by Vox

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

10,724 Listeners

Reveal by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Reveal

8,467 Listeners

Living on Earth by World Media Foundation

Living on Earth

465 Listeners

Pivot by New York Magazine

Pivot

9,741 Listeners

This Week in Virology by Vincent Racaniello

This Week in Virology

2,056 Listeners

Pod Save America by Pod Save America

Pod Save America

87,949 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

113,323 Listeners

Lovett or Leave It by Lovett or Leave It

Lovett or Leave It

25,137 Listeners

Today, Explained by Vox

Today, Explained

10,341 Listeners

Consider This from NPR by NPR

Consider This from NPR

6,447 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,490 Listeners

On with Kara Swisher by Vox Media

On with Kara Swisher

3,541 Listeners

Better Offline by Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts

Better Offline

595 Listeners

Not Right Now by Important, Not Important

Not Right Now

51 Listeners