About Matt Leta: 

Matt Leta is an entrepreneur, digital product innovator, and #1 bestselling author with 20+ years of experience. He founded his first startup at 19 and went on to build and exit Dropr (an artist platform) and TABLE (a future-of-work platform). He later established HOO KOO E KOO, a remote company that helped 150+ startups, mid-size, and Fortune 500 companies—including Apple, Google, and JLL—with digital innovation and transformation. In 2020, he founded Future Horizon, a nonprofit uniting leaders and innovators to solve future challenges. Through his #HustleGPT challenge, he pioneered AI-driven business creation, leading to Future Works, which is driving next-gen digital transformation.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Matt Leta discuss:

• Building a structured and repeatable innovation process
• Managing innovation fatigue and resistance to change
• The role of leadership in fostering innovation
• The difference between innovation, invention, and transformation
• Integrating AI and digital transformation effectively

Key Takeaways:

• Many innovation initiatives fail because organizations lack a structured process to turn ideas into tangible results.
• Employees at all levels hold valuable insights, and creating an inclusive process for idea generation increases engagement and buy-in.
• Innovation efforts should be consistent but not overwhelming, with structured participation, such as dedicating one hour per week, to maintain momentum without causing burnout.
• Successful innovation depends not just on generating ideas but also on securing leadership support, prioritizing the right initiatives, and effectively integrating changes into existing operations.

"Saying ‘I’m too tired to innovate’ is like saying, ‘I’m too tired to go to the gym.’ Many people would be—but as a leader building a team—or a Team of Teams—do you… want your teams to have this fitness? You want them fit—to outcompete others. It’s important today.” — Matt Leta

Connect with Matt Leta:  

Website: https://leta.bio/

Email: [email protected]

Book: https://leap.guide

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matleta/

Matt also shares free insights on innovation, AI, and digital transformation in his fast-growing newsletter (30K+ subscribers in a year). Subscribe here: https://insights.future.works/

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Show notes by Podcastologist: Hanz Jimuel Alvarez

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.