Unlearn

Marcos Fernandez is a visionary in the fintech sector, characterized by his profound understanding of its evolving dynamics and the importance of strategic collaborations across industries. His vast network, ranging from prominent banks to venture capital, underlines his dedication to fostering strategic partnerships and ensuring financial inclusivity. He champions the creation of innovative ways to finance the future startups of tomorrow.  In this episode of Unlearn, Marcos joins Barry O’Reilly to discuss the evolving dynamics of venture capital, funding startups and how to differentiate from traditional venture investing.

Fiat Ventures

Marcos joined Fiat Ventures with the goal of helping founders and brands make a big difference in the financial services industry. After recognizing his talents lay more in finding visionaries rather than bringing their visions to life, he realized that he didn't have to wait to transition into the venture capital world. He contrasts his previous roles as an “operator” with his current position as an investor, highlighting the differences between the two roles: “In startup mode, you break things, see what works and what doesn't, and then move on. But as an investor, you can't go around breaking things.” This shift required Marcos to develop more robust processes and ensure due diligence in his investment practices, noting the importance of building sustainable investment models.

A New Approach

Unlike traditional venture capitals, Barry states, Fiat Ventures doesn’t jump straight into investment; their approach prioritizes working alongside startups, understanding their market, considering the idea of investment, and only then taking the plunge. Being an amalgamation of venture capital, incubator, and accelerator, they employ a structured five-stage process in developing startups. This process starts with ideation, where the primary focus is on understanding the team dynamics rather than the idea itself. Marcos mentions the value of prolonged collaboration, saying, “It's a long time to be on these journeys together and you need to derisk that somehow.” Barry agrees, noting the importance of having the right team and advisers, stating, “It's the founders who try to keep everything close to their chest and not bring on advisors... they would rather have a smaller slice of a much bigger pie.”

Being Involved Participants

Marcos emphasizes the hands-on, engaged approach that his firm takes when sponsoring deals or taking board positions. He mentions their efforts to systematize the process, making insights and networks more accessible through a repository. Barry acknowledges the value of such a method, noting that businesses now look beyond just capital—they are keen on the full package offered by partners. He cites growth marketing expertise as a pivotal point for assessment and collaboration. Fiat Ventures is committed to supporting startups by providing them with funding and using their connections to help them build relationships in the fintech community and with corporate partners. Marcos elaborates on their extensive networks in the fintech space, which are instrumental in forging partnerships with a wide range of organizations, from large banks to regional credit unions. These relationships, he explains, have become a valuable flywheel for their operations, further boosting their brand's stature. Marcos has a unique perspective on the evolution of fintech. He emphasizes that while the initial wave of fintech involved disrupting financial services, the next phase will be more low-key, operating behind the scenes to offer seamless financial solutions across various industries.

Looking Ahead

Marcos invites founders who are looking to be the next fintech or consumer-focused B2B business to consider partnering with Fiat Ventures.

Read full show notes at BarryO'Reilly.com

Resources

Marcos Fernandez on LinkedIn

Fiat Growth | Ventures

Casey Ebro is a veteran editor who has significantly contributed to the publishing world. She formerly served as an Executive Editor with the Business Group at McGraw Hill Professional. In this role, she was responsible for acquiring, editing, and publishing business books in various subjects such as leadership, workplace culture, entrepreneurship, and innovation. She has been responsible for bestsellers and notable titles, including “Madoff Talks” by Jim Campbell, which inspired a Netflix documentary series, and the Wall Street Journal bestsellers “Connect First” by Melanie Katzman and “Zero to IPO” by Frederic Kerrest. Casey played a pivotal role at McGraw Hill in establishing the healthcare category into a robust multi-million dollar program, which featured prominent titles like the New York Times Science bestseller “The Digital Doctor” and “The Cleveland Clinic Way”.

Starting Up and Striking Out

Casey’s journey into the world of editing began in her formative years as a passionate bookworm. In high school, she took a significant step toward her publishing dreams by becoming the English editor for her school’s literary publication called “Facets”. She reveled in the collaborative process with other editors and took pleasure in discovering the literary talents of her peers. Her passion further intensified in university, where she joined the literary publication named “Heights”, participating in deeper, more advanced discussions about submitted works. These university experiences exposed her to diverse opinions and debates, making the editing environment incredibly stimulating and enriching for her.

A Book is a Business

“Writing a book is like starting a business,” according to Casey. Authors are entrepreneurs introducing a unique product to the market. In essence, the book is a reflection of the author’s ideas and beliefs, and its promotion doesn’t end post-publication. Some successful books keep selling years or even decades after their release, and this continued success comes from the author’s dedication to the ideas and ensuring they reach as many readers as possible. Publishing a book is a long-term commitment that requires careful execution, planning, and motivation. “A lot of people think about it in terms of the first three months or the first six months or first year or first three years after a book is published. I think that’s really short sighted because if the ideas are good, they’re good from now till kingdom come,” Casey shares. A book, like a product, needs to find its audience, establish product-market fit, and receive investment for growth, Barry agrees. “It never ends.”

Investing in Ideas

Barry and Casey discuss the challenges of book publishing. Barry remarks that the journey isn’t just about having a great idea; it’s about putting in the necessary work to present the idea, penning an entire chapter about it, and then devising a plan on how to maximize its potential. Likening this to the startup experience, Barry notes, “It’s almost like I had to have a pitch deck. What’s the problem I’m solving? Who’s the target customer? What’s my go-to-market plan? How am I going to generate sales and then also write a chapter to exemplify the idea?” Casey comments that selecting a manuscript is similar to venture capitalists choosing a startup to invest in.

Looking Ahead

Casey wants authors to confidently claim their space, believing they are uniquely positioned to address a topic due to their specific experiences, inventions, or groundbreaking insights. This individuality becomes crucial when competing against established names in the industry, given that readers will be investing both money and time in their book.

Read full show notes at BarryOReilly.com

Resources

Casey Ebro on LinkedIn

Kyle Hermans is the CEO and co-founder of Be Courageous, a globally recognized business consultancy that helps ambitious leaders and brands grow and transform. They do this through improving company culture, strategy, innovation, technology, research, and ESG/SDG. Kyle has led transformation initiatives for hundreds of Fortune 1000 companies and startups throughout his distinguished career. He is a faculty member at Singularity University and a guest lecturer at several prestigious institutions such as Berkeley, USC, and UCLA. Kyle joins Barry O’Reilly to explore the concept of courage, the necessity of unlearning and relearning, and how these ideas have shaped his personal and professional life.

A Long Way From Home

Kyle's father bought him a one-way ticket from his native South Africa to the Netherlands, where he experienced a big culture shock. This was his first encounter with the idea of courage and unlearning. In the Netherlands, everything was different and he had to forget his old ideas about the world. He said, "Everything I ever thought about my reality [was] just gone.” After adjusting to his new life, Kyle got different jobs in business, including consulting and being an executive at design agencies. But he found out that his energetic personality and quick ambition didn't match the usual corporate way of working. This led to his decision to make his own way to fully reach his potential, which he calls his “Schiphol Moment”. This decision led him to his current job at Be Courageous. There, he explores courage, creativity, and transformative leadership in professional situations.

Courage is Creativity

Kyle’s connection to the notion of courage began while working at an innovation agency called Synectics, which heavily influenced the origins of design thinking. He used the quote, “Another word for creativity is courage” in hundreds of workshops around the world. This quote resonated with Kyle, encouraging him to seek out his 'Schiphol moments'—intentionally placing himself in unfamiliar environments to shock the system and trigger growth. “The pursuit of courage is staying humble,” he shares, “I'm not going to get too trapped by the things I've done or be too defined by where I've been.” Kyle believes that everyone harbors an unexpressed idea or dream within them, the pursuit of which demands a great deal of courage, particularly in hostile, difficult, and vulnerable conditions. Showing up to transformative experiences and attempting to effect change within successful organizations is an act of courage in itself, according to Barry, given the immense pressure to conform to pre-existing systems. “Creation is actual courageousness,” he remarks.

Courage Is Not the Absence of Fear

Kyle believes that courage is a quality that everyone can choose to have, not just a mental trait. He says, "Where there is fear, there is courage, and where there is courage, there is fear." He emphasizes that fear and courage are linked, and people often forget that courage can be found when facing fear and self-doubt. He asks, "What's the courage needed in this moment?" Recognizing the courage needed to beat fear is often the start of becoming brave. Kyle talks about being intentional, having a purpose, being curious and open, taking risks, and being selfless. He emphasizes that these qualities come out when people decide to confront their fears and tackle challenges directly. These traits enable people to take responsibility, direct their actions, and embrace the unknown. Most notably, he mentions, "The fastest way to bring courage into your world is to accept what is."

Looking Ahead

Kyle reminds listeners of the bridge between courage and unlearning. “We must unlearn that fear is the only way to design our lives,” and choose to see life through a lens of courage instead, he shares.

Resources

Kyle Hermans on the Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

Kyle Byrd is a seasoned product strategy and uncertainty leader with a background in industrial design. He was the former Head of Product at Atlassian, where he led the product strategy for Jira Align, a leading enterprise agile planning software. He is also the founder of the Uncertainty Project, a community initiative aimed at exploring decision-making models to manage uncertainty. In this episode of the Unlearn Podcast, Kyle joins Barry O’Reilly to share his unique perspective on embracing uncertainty and problem-solving, drawing from his experiences in transitioning from hardware to software products. He discusses the importance of deep domain expertise and the value of diverse perspectives in decision-making processes.

An Unconventional Foundation

Kyle shares his journey from industrial design to software product management "I'm forever thankful that I got an art degree in college, which was industrial design. It really forces you to unlearn that there is a right answer in a very uncomfortable way," he says. Kyle's unique perspective on problem-solving has shaped his career, leading him to view the world from a "problem to problem perspective" rather than an "answer to answer perspective." This mindset has been instrumental in his work, particularly in his transition from hardware to software, where he found the flexibility to match solutions to problems. His passion for customer engagement and problem-solving was evident during his time at Agile Craft, a startup that was later acquired by Atlassian and transformed into Jira Align, Atlassian's fastest-selling product. "Product management is one of those worlds where it is all about finding problems, finding fixes, unlocking the next problem,” Barry adds, “and it’s an endless iteration of that.”

The Art of Business, Choices, and War

Being deeply invested in a problem is crucial to find its solution, Kyle shares. During his transition from a hardware-focused role to a software-focused one, Kyle found himself becoming "hyper obsessed" with understanding why organizations work the way they do. This obsession led him to spend his weekends reading and learning about organizational structures and decision-making processes. Growing up in a military town and being fascinated by the structure of large organizations like the military, he found that many models and techniques used in business have their roots in military strategies. Concepts like wargaming, scenario planning, and Commander’s Intent have found their way into business strategy and decision-making, particularly in large, complex organizations.

Looking Ahead

Kyle shares his excitement about the future of The Uncertainty Project, particularly in translating the theoretical aspects of decision-making under uncertainty into practical applications that can impact the way people work and make decisions. He encourages listeners to engage with the content on The Uncertainty Project's website and to think about how the concepts discussed can be applied within their own organizations.

Read full show notes at BarryO'Reilly.com

Resources

Kyle Byrd on the Web | LinkedIn

Wendy Steele is a changemaker and has the honor of being recognized on Forbes’ 50 over 50. She is the founder and CEO of Impact100, a global network of chapters that each raise $100,000 to fund grants for local nonprofits. In the past 20 years, Impact100 has awarded more than $123 million in grants, making it one of the largest women-led philanthropic organizations in the world. In this episode of the Unlearn Podcast, Wendy joins Barry O’Reilly to share her story of how she founded Impact100 and the impact the organization has had on communities around the world. She also discusses the importance of women's leadership and the power of collective action.

The Power of Empathy

The power of empathy and problem-solving is often the driving force behind meaningful innovation. “When you're bothered by a problem and you can't really get it out of your head, I believe that's because you've got some part in solving it,” she tells Barry. Wendy started Impact100 from a place of empathy and a strong urge to address a problem she noticed in her community. As a banker she noticed that many women felt they didn't have enough resources to make a difference in their communities. After documenting these barriers, she started brainstorming solutions, leading to the birth of Impact100, a global nonprofit organization that empowers women to create transformative impacts in their communities. Barry resonates with Wendy's approach, drawing parallels with his own entrepreneurial journey and emphasizing the importance of customer discovery and understanding obstacles to unlock unmet needs.

The Impact100 Model

The innovative, democratic model of Impact100 brings together 100 women from various backgrounds to make significant contributions to their communities. This democratizes the philanthropic experience, Wendy explains. By setting a standard donation amount, each woman, regardless of her economic standing, contributes equally, empowering her with a sense of agency in the decision-making process. Chapters of Impact100 exist across different regions, and although the model is primarily women-centric, some chapters are gender-neutral, further underlining its inclusive nature. Barry remarks on how negative assumptions about individuals and situations can prevent us from exploring new possibilities; Wendy's model offers a refreshing departure from this mindset. The “power of the crowd” is the same approach they are taking to build Nobody Studios, he tells Wendy.

Looking Ahead

Wendy wants to grow and sustain the Impact100 movement. She aims to provide better support to existing Impact100 chapters so they can reach their highest potential, and to facilitate the launch of new chapters in underrepresented communities. She tells Barry, “Impact has always been built on diversity. Diversity of skill set, experience in every demographic definition... But if we rely on people to raise their hands, we're automatically leaving communities out. And so the best thing we can do for Impact100 to really reach its full potential is to have the ability to evangelize, to go into communities, tell the story, and then help women bring this important movement into their own backyards and watch it grow.”

For full show notes, please visit BarryO'Reilly.com

Resources

Wendy Steele on Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook

Impact100 Global

Daniel Stillman, an executive coach, and facilitator, is an authority in the field of conversational leadership. With a wealth of experience as a conversation designer and an author, Daniel has dedicated his career to enhancing the way we communicate. His book, Good Talk: How to Design Conversations That Matter, is recognized for its impactful insights into communication dynamics and strategies. In this episode of the Unlearn Podcast, Daniel joins Barry O’Reilly to explore the importance of collaboration and how to create an environment conducive to productive dialogue, particularly in the context of leadership.

Conversational Leadership

Conversational leadership, as defined by Daniel, refers to an approach to leadership that emphasizes the importance of effective communication and dialogue. It relies on the power of conversation to inspire, motivate, and engage individuals or teams in a meaningful and productive manner.

“You cannot have a divergent, emergent and convergent conversation truly all in one go,” Daniel quotes from Chris Ertel’s book, Moments of Impact. “Everybody wants to be in the conversation, and it's not effective if everyone's in the conversation, because everyone can't talk all the time and there's only so much time we can have together.” He explores the mechanics of designing productive meetings, especially in a remote work landscape. He explains that strategic collaboration, hinged on appropriate tools and methods, is integral to making meaningful progress. Barry comments, “This idea of opening, exploring, and closing - it gives people a framework [to have conversations with].”

The Nine P Model

Daniel introduces his holistic Nine P Model of Conversation Design. This includes:

• Purpose (the reason or aim of the conversation), 
• Principles (the agreed norms and values to be adhered to), 
• Process (the methods or steps to be followed), 
• Place (the physical or virtual space where the conversation occurs), 
• Pitfalls (potential risks or problems), 
• Progress markers (indicators of progress), 
• Product or outcome desired (the tangible or intangible results expected from the conversation), and
• People involved (the participants in the conversation), and Potential outcomes (the possible consequences of the conversation).

Link to learn more about the Model is here.

Looking Ahead

Daniel is looking forward to the way collaboration, conversation and AI will intersect to foster more effective communication and goal achievement. He emphasizes the significance of adapting our thought processes, referencing the "Ask/Tell" two by two matrix (more on that here) and 'triple loop learning' (more on that here) as valuable tools for changing how we approach problem-solving and action. Daniel views AI as an assistive component that can enhance our conversations and relationships.

Resources

Daniel Stillman on the Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

Read full show notes at BarryO'Reilly.com

Diana Kander is a keynote speaker, bestselling author, and a vanguard when it comes to memorable pitches. She is the author of Go Big or Go Home, a book that teaches readers the art and science of making impactful pitches for film, sports, business, and philanthropy. Her pioneering research reveals the direct correlation between emotion and memory, offering insights into enhancing audience engagement and recall. In this episode of the Unlearn Podcast, Diana joins Barry O’Reilly in a thought-provoking conversation about making presentations more engaging and memorable. They unpack the concept of co-creation in presentations and provide real-world examples of successful pitches that involve audience participation. 

Go Big or Go Home

Diana shares the genesis of her book Go Big or Go Home, shedding light on her journey into the world of memorable pitches. "I was approached by the CEO of a company who was struggling to keep his audience engaged during presentations. This triggered my exploration," she recalls. The CEO's predicament posed a compelling challenge for Diana, propelling her investigative journey into what makes pitches memorable. This challenge was a catalyst for her bestselling book. She researched the real-life struggles of professionals to create an impact with their pitches. The result was a book that unveiled the secrets behind delivering pitches that are not just heard, but remembered.

Creating Emotional Resonance

"Connecting emotionally helps the audience remember your message long after the presentation is over," Diana tells Barry. Her research unveiled five tools needed to create emotional resonance in presentations: 

• The element of surprise keeps the audience engaged and alert. 
• Analysis helps the audience to understand and connect with the data or information being presented. 
• The pitch order, or how the information is arranged, can evoke different emotional responses. 
• Using 3D objects during presentations provides a tangible element that can make the pitch more memorable. 
• Co-creation involves the audience in the presentation or problem-solving process, creating a sense of ownership and engagement among them. 

By using these tools, Diana believes presenters can create a deep emotional resonance with their audience that outlasts the presentation itself.

Co-creation: Including the Audience

Co-creation is a strategic tool in presentations where the presenter involves the audience in the process of problem-solving or idea generation. Rather than being passive recipients of information, the audience actively participates in the creation process. Diana views co-creation as a pivotal tool in the success of a presentation. She states, "Co-creation is not just about soliciting input from the audience; it's about immersing them in the process. This participatory approach creates a sense of ownership among the audience, enhancing their connection with the material and, ultimately, the presenter." Co-creation transforms the conventional presentation dynamic into a shared journey. "Involving the audience in problem-solving can create a mutual sense of accomplishment. This shared ownership is an essential part of engagement and retention," Barry remarks.

Looking Ahead

Diana also announces a free digital copy of her book to anyone who reaches out via email.

Read full show notes at BarryO'Reilly.com

Resources

Diana Kander on the Web | LinkedIn | Twitter

Go Big or Go Home

Have you ever wondered why so many people fail to land their dream job after attending a boot camp or taking an online course? In this episode of Unlearn Podcast, Barry O'Reilly chats with Sarah Doody, a UX researcher and designer, and the founder and CEO of the Career Strategy Lab, a program that helps UX and product professionals at all career stages navigate the job search and articulate their skills and experience to help them grow. Sarah talks about her journey of designing her career and helping others do the same. She and Barry discuss the need for ongoing career development, the importance of setting boundaries, and why systems and design thinking is important in building a successful business and career.