Best Brian Luttrell Podcasts (2024)

1
285 - What Do You Mean? - Celeste Kidd (rebroadcast) 48:50

4d ago48:50

48:50

Is a hotdog a sandwich? Well, that depends on your definition of a sandwich (and a hotdog), and according to the most recent research in cognitive science, the odds that your concept of a sandwich is the same as another person's concept are shockingly low. In this episode we explore how understanding why that question became a world-spanning argume…

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284 - Awe - Dacher Keltner (rebroadcast) 54:18

19d ago54:18

54:18

In this episode we sit down with psychologist Dacher Keltner, one of the world’s leading experts on the science of emotion, the man Pixar hired to help them write Inside Out. In his new book – Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life – he outlines his years of work in this field, the health benefits of awe, the evo…

1
Voyage in Carving Out a Learning and Skill Development Category w/ Hywel Carver 57:11

1M ago57:11

57:11

In this podcast episode, Hywel Carver, CEO of Skiller Whale, shares his company's category design journey after attending a workshop by Category Design Advisors, sponsored by Concept Ventures. He discusses the challenges they faced in defining their offering and how the workshop, along with the book "Play Bigger," helped them create a new category …

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283 - Cultures of Growth - Mary C. Murphy 1:05:07

1M ago1:05:07

1:05:07

In this episode we welcome psychologist Mary C. Murphy, author of Cultures of Growth, who tells us how to create institutions, businesses, and other groups of humans that can better support collaboration, innovation, performance, and wellbeing. We also learn how, even if you know all about the growth mindset, the latest research suggests you not ma…

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Designing a Category In an Old School Industry w/ Frederik Hendriksen 48:28

1M ago48:28

48:28

Commercial real estate isn’t usually a place that is associated with technological innovation, neither is the HVAC industry, but that makes it ripe for category design. Meet Frederik Hendriksen, the founder of Rensair. Explore their groundbreaking smart ventilation system, seamlessly integrating hardware and software to optimize energy efficiency a…

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282 - They Thought We Were Ridiculous - Andy Luttrell 1:09:15

2M ago1:09:15

1:09:15

In 1974, two psychologists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, as the New Yorker once put it, "changed the way we think about the way we think." The prevailing wisdom, before their landmark research went viral (in the way things went viral in the 1970s), was that human beings were, for the most part, rational optimizers always making the kinds of ju…

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How to Right-Size the Problem You’re Solving w/ Lauren Pufpaf 44:30

2M ago44:30

44:30

In this episode, John Rougeux interviews Lauren Pufpaf, the President, COO, and co-founder of Feed Media Group. Lauren’s company was founded on the insight that apps need the right music experience to fully engage users. But as the company grew, they learned that they weren’t going after a big enough problem. Listen in to learn how Lauren and her t…

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Keeping Your Point Of View Unique In A Wave Of Competition w/ Brian Schiff 54:38

2M ago54:38

54:38

A.I. has created a massive shift in context, and with that comes massive opportunities for category designers, but it also means a flood of competitors into the same space. Brian Schiff had capitalized on this shift, focusing on leveraging A.I. to take customer support from a cost center to a profit center, and is now using category design to avoid…

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281 - More Chat, Less Bot - Jeremy Utley, Kian Gohar, Henrik Werdelin 1:10:52

2M ago1:10:52

1:10:52

Jeremy Utley, Kian Gohar, and Henrik Werdelin sit down to discuss the surprising results of a new study into what happens when groups of people work together to brainstorm solutions to problems with the help of ChatGPT. Based on their research, Utley and Gohar created a new paradigm for getting the most out of AI-assisted ideation which they call F…

1
Al Ramadan of Play Bigger – Category Design Beyond Tech Startups – Changing the World 1:03:35

2M ago1:03:35

1:03:35

Al Ramadan is the CEO of Play Bigger, LLC and one of the co-authors of “Play Bigger,” and a dedicated board member of Save The Waves Coalition. In this replay of our live AMA event, we’ll dive deep into the art of category design. Discover how shifts in context—ranging from environmental changes to global events like pandemics, wars, or financial c…

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How Category Design Reveals Buyer Problems w/ Rebecca Kirstein Resch 51:41

2M ago51:41

51:41

In this episode, we interview Rebecca Kirstein Resch, the founder and CEO at inqli. Rebecca’s company is dedicated to helping workplace teams tap into the power of ‘tacit knowledge.’ She’s been using category design as a framework for uncovering new problems and now has a clear story about why a new type of solution called ‘social knowledge sharing…

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280 - Supercommunicators - Charles Duhigg 1:14:43

3M ago1:14:43

1:14:43

Our guest in this episode is Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and writer for the New Yorker Magazine who is also the New York Times Bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better. His new book is Supercommunicators, a practical and approachable guide to what makes great conversations work. In the episode we di…

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Why Vertical SaaS is Fertile Ground for Category Design w/ Nick Tippmann 47:09

3M ago47:09

47:09

In this episode, Nick Tippmann, former CMO of medtech company Greenlight Guru, joins Pablo, Damp, and John to break down his journey as a marketer turned investor. Nick shares why vertical SaaS companies should think like category designers and how he evaluates the category potential of early-stage startups. We discuss: How Greenlight Guru tipped f…

1
How a Gartner Analyst Looks at Categories 51:27

3M ago51:27

51:27

In this episode, we’re joined by Dan Gottlieb, a Senior Director Analyst at Gartner. Dan shares his take on how analysts like him define categories and when to establish a new one. He also unpacks how startups can stand out in crowded categories by defining their “critical capabilities” and shares how and when startups should educate analysts like …

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YANSS 279 - Pluralistic Ignorance (rebroadcast) 1:25:48

3M ago1:25:48

1:25:48

There are several ways to define pluralistic ignorance, and that’s because it’s kind of a brain twister when you try to put it into words. On certain issues, most people people believe that most people believe what, in truth, few people believe. Or put another way, it is the erroneous belief that the majority is acting in a way that matches its int…

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Sangram Vajre’s Events and Community Playbook 1:03:24

3M ago1:03:24

1:03:24

Sangram Vajre is one of the best-known category designers in B2B SaaS, with community and events being critical parts of his playbook. Not only did Sangram bring the account-based marketing category to life during his time at Terminus, but he's also used the same playbook to launch a successful paid community (Peak), and now a service business (GTM…

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Do You Need Category Design (Or Is It A Choice)? w/ Brad Luttrell 54:33

3M ago54:33

54:33

In this episode, Brad Luttrell joins us to talk through how he discovered category design a year and a half ago, why it was the strategy Holler Commerce needed to adopt, and what he has done to design social commerce as a service category ever since. He speaks with our co-founder, John Rougeux and Damp, about: Whether category design is a choice or…

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278 - An Admirable Point - Florence Hazrat 1:00:07

3M ago1:00:07

1:00:07

On this episode we learn about the history of the exclamation point, the question mark, and the semicolon (among many other aspects of language) with Florence Hazrat, a scholar of punctuation, who, to my great surprise, informed me that while a lot of language is the result of a slow evolution, a gradual ever-changing process, punctuation in the En…

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How Category Memetics Can Help A New Category Stick w/ Ken Rutsky 53:18

4M ago53:18

53:18

In this episode, Ken Rutsky joins us to explore a concept he calls ‘category memetics.’ It’s the idea that new categories can act like memes – they can enter the mind, replicate, and rapidly spread to others. Ken shares his insights on how to create a successful category meme and unpacks some of the research he uncovered that led to these insights.…

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3 Tools for Category Concepts w/ Josh Lowman 1:04:40

4M ago1:04:40

1:04:40

It takes a lot of time and commitment to write a great strategic narrative, but if you can use battle tested frameworks, they will save you time, money and even heartbreak. Strategy and brand design expert Josh Lowman walks us through the three tools he uses to quickly pitch and vet new category ideas, and engages with our community in our monthly …

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277 - Visual Thinking - Temple Grandin (rebroadcast) 47:58

4M ago47:58

47:58

Temple Grandin didn’t develop speech until much later than most children, and she might have led a much different life if it hadn’t been for people who worked very hard to open up a space for her to thrive. In this episode we discuss all that as well as her latest book, Visual Thinking, about three distinct ways that human brains create human minds…

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Getting Analysts To Buy Into Your Category Design w/ Scott Albro 53:23

4M ago53:23

53:23

Scott Albro, co-founder and CEO of Goldie shares his insights on why analyst buy-in is crucial for category success, strategies for effectively communicating your category vision, and real-world examples from his time at TOPO. For those unfamiliar, TOPO, Inc. was a research and advisory firm that provided insights and consulting services to high-gr…

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276 - How to Stand up to a Bully - Andrea Chalupa 54:09

4M ago54:09

54:09

In this episode David McRaney is interviewed by Andrea Chalupa about the psychological research covered in How Minds Change that could help if you expect to spend time with a family member this holiday who can't wait to pull you into an argument about politics, a wedge issue, or something else buzzing in the zeitgeist over which they'd love to star…

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How to Condition The Market w/ David West, CEO of Proscia 51:21

4M ago51:21

51:21

Innovative companies must convince buyers and analysts why their solutions differ from the status quo, and why that difference matters. But sometimes, developing the right narrative can be a challenge. This is where a well-crafted point of view (POV) can help. In this episode, we’re joined by David West, co-founder and CEO of Proscia. After attendi…

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275 - Blight - Emily Monosson 47:18

4M ago47:18

47:18

How likely is the fungal infection in The Last of Us? The one that takes over human brains and brings humanity to the brink of extinction, could something like that really happen? In this episode we sit down with Emily Monosson, an expert on deadly fungal infections, and discuss the handful of fungi (we know of) that are today, right now, causing c…

1
"When Should You Design a Category?" w/ Jonathan Gandolf 44:54

5M ago44:54

44:54

Category design principles can be applied in different ways, for different outcomes. And while sometimes it’s clear that your business needs to act like a category designer, other times the answer is less straightforward. In this episode, we’re joined by Jonathan Gandolf, founder and CEO of The Juice. Jonathan was introduced to category design earl…

1
How Community & Category Design Go Hand in Hand w/ Jared Robin, Founder of RevGenius 55:16

5M ago55:16

55:16

In this episode, Jared Robin, founder of RevGenius, shares his take on how category design and community can mutually reinforce each other. In 2020, Jared took a small LinkedIn group and turned it into a community that now has over 40,000 members. In our conversation, you’ll hear all about Jared’s journey and how he plans to build community going f…

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274 - Cascades - Greg Satell 1:10:40

5M ago1:10:40

1:10:40

In this episode we sit down with Greg Satell, a communication expert whose book, Cascades, details how rapid, widespread change can sweep across groups of people big and small, and how understanding the psychological mechanisms at play in such moments can help anyone looking to create change in a family, institution, or even nation, prepare for the…

1
Minimal Viable Category Design w/ Pietro Bezza 46:13

5M ago46:13

46:13

In this episode, we’re joined by Pietro Bezza, co-founder and managing partner at Connect Ventures. Pietro shares a framework he calls “minimal viable category design,” which focuses on helping early stage startups have the right conversations about the problem they’re solving and their plans for evangelizing it. Listen now to find out: The challen…

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After 7 Years, Why Did Category Design Advisors Rewrite Their Own Point of View? 52:28

5M ago52:28

52:28

After Kevin Maney co-authored the book Play Bigger in 2016, he and Mike Damphousse founded Category Design Advisors to guide CEOs in implementing category design. That was seven years ago. Now, after over 40 client engagements and joined by John Rougeux, the team decided it was time to rework its own category Point of View. In this recording of a l…

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273 - The Conspiracy Test - Jesse Richardson 58:52

5M ago58:52

58:52

In this episode Jesse Richardson tells us all about ConspiracyTest.org, a new project designed to be a weird, fun, and cleverly educational way to explore just how skeptical you are (and could be) about a variety of conspiracy theories. The whole thing is designed to be very sharable and very viral, and it's launching right before Thanksgiving 2023…

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Designing A Category As A Bootstrapped Service Agency w/ James Carbary 38:39

6M ago38:39

38:39

In this podcast episode, James Carbary, founder of Sweet Fish Media, discusses how he went from running a blog writing agency to becoming the category king of B2B podcasting, thanks to category design. He debunks the myth that category design is only for VC-backed companies or those with large budgets and shares his pivot into designing a new categ…

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Taking Advantage of a Context Shift Through Category Design w/ Doug Camplejohn 41:20

6M ago41:20

41:20

In 2020, Doug Camplejohn was working at Salesforce when a global pandemic suddenly changed the world. He soon realized that there might be an opportunity to address the new ways in which people found themselves working. That’s when he decided to start Airspeed, a family of apps that helps employees feel connected and celebrated. Through the lens of…

1
272 - Quit! - Annie Duke (rebroadcast) 59:24

6M ago59:24

59:24

I recently sat down for a live event and Q&A with the great Annie Duke to discuss her new book, Quit: The power of knowing when to walk away. This episode is the audio from that event. Quit is all about how to develop a very particular skill: how to train your brain to make it easier to know which goals and plans are worth sticking to and which are…

1
Founder Clarity Through Category Design for Fundraising, Product, and Culture w/ Lauren Dunford, CEO of Guidewheel 43:20

6M ago43:20

43:20

In this episode, Lauren discusses the importance of category design for startups. We delve into startup challenges that are addressed by category design. Lauren shares how they've used Guidewheel’s FactoryOps category point of view to attract the right people, investors and customers. We talk about the evolution of sustainability as a priority, the…

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Nearbound and the Early Stages of Category Design w/ Jared Fuller and Isaac Morehouse 50:54

6M ago50:54

50:54

Jared Fuller and Isaac Morehouse were the dynamic duo behind our recent conversation about nearbound – a radically different approach to GTM that’s reshaping the partnership landscape. These two have always been staunch advocates of category design, and they’ve harnessed this discipline to create one of the fastest-growing B2B media brands of all t…

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271 - Survival of the Richest - Douglas Rushkoff (rebroadcast) 1:01:24

6M ago1:01:24

1:01:24

In this episode we sit down with Douglas Rushkoff, a media scholar, journalist, and professor of digital economics who has a new fire in his belly when it comes to the world of billionaire preppers, which comes across in his new book Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires – inspired by his invitation to consult a group o…

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Getting Sales’ Buy In For Category Design w/ Dan Tyre 52:35

7M ago52:35

52:35

This week’s show is with Dan Tyre, a legendary executive at HubSpot. Hired as employee number six, Dan talks about the backstory of the inbound category, how to get sales to support your category design strategy, and the importance of company culture when designing a category. This episode was moderated by Pablo Gonzalez and Mike Damphousse. This e…

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Category Design for Early-Stage Startups: AMA w/ Rachel Josepho and Waleed Cope 59:53

7M ago59:53

59:53

Fresh off a category design workshop in NYC, Rachel Josepho, Founder & CEO of Mindfull, and Waleed Cope, CEO of The Soap Box, joined us to share their journey as category designers leading early-stage startups. Listen in to unpack… How early stage startups can use category design chart their strategy Why category designers need to start with a high…

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270 - Defining Genius 1:12:25

7M ago1:12:25

1:12:25

In this show you'll hear the first episode of a documentary series I made for Himalaya, an audio service devoted to inspirational and educational content that asked me if I had any ideas for a book that I had yet to pursue, and sure enough, I did. The series is all about the difficulty of defining the word "genius," and out of that launching point …

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Is Your Startup Caught In Category Jail? 9:42

7M ago9:42

9:42

In this Category Short, John Rougeux explains why a concept called “category jail” needs to be on the radar of every startup. Category jail occurs when your novel solution is mentally miscategorized by buyers, causing your company to get unfairly written off as another “me-too” product. Listen now to learn: Why category jail can keep radically diff…

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How to Validate Your Startup Idea Using Category Design w/ Rio Hodges 42:34

7M ago42:34

42:34

In this episode, we chat with Rio Hodges, Principal at Antler. Rio encounters hundreds of startups each year through his firm's accelerator programs, so his perspective is invaluable if you’re in the early chapters of this journey. We cover: The one crucial slide that many startups leave out of their pitch decks Why startups should obsess about the…

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269 - Deconstructing How Minds Change - Michael Taft 1:04:42

7M ago1:04:42

1:04:42

In celebration of How Minds Change, my new book, turning one-year-old, in this episode Michael Taft interviews David McRaney about how minds do and do not change, the process behind writing a book about that, and what he has learned since writing and promoting it. Michael is a meditation teacher, bestselling author, and a mindfulness coach – and he…

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Done Properly, Category Design Creates Demand w/ Craig Rosenberg 46:32

8M ago46:32

46:32

Scale Venture Partners’ Craig Rosenberg joins us on the show to talk about how category design drives demand, how he mentors founders, and a handful of stories from the startup and VC trenches. Craig is the Chief Platform Officer at Scale and long-time friend and collaborator of our co-host, Damp. In this episode, we'll discuss: Category design sto…

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AI Is Creating 3 Layers Of Category Design Opportunities w/ Manny Bernabe 52:41

8M ago52:41

52:41

Very rarely do we see such an explosion of innovation as we are seeing right now. The rise of AI reminds us very much of the early internet... just like the early dot-com era, AI will spawn a new generation of categories and subcategories. In this episode of Category Thinkers, we invited AI and machine learning expert Manny Bernabe to help us cover…

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268 - The Status Game - Will Storr (rebroadcast) 1:16:23

8M ago1:16:23

1:16:23

In this episode we welcome back author Will Storr whose new book, The Status Game, feels like required reading for anyone confused, curious, or worried about how politics, cults, conspiracy theories communities, social media, religious fundamentalism, polarization, and extremism are affecting us - everywhere, on and offline, across cultures, and ac…

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"Superconsumers" Book Club & AMA w/ Eddie Yoon 55:29

8M ago55:29

55:29

You spoke and we heard you — this community needs a book club! We kicked off the first ever Category Thinkers Book Club with Eddie Yoon's classic, Superconsumers. Listen to Eddie, the co-founders of Category Thinkers (Mike Damphousse, John Rougeux, Pablo Gonzalez), and members of the community discuss: Where Eddie came up with the insights that led…

1
What's Next For The Inbound Category w/ Kipp Bodnar, CMO of HubSpot 42:49

8M ago42:49

42:49

By Kipp Bodnar, Pablo Gonzalez, John Rougeux, Mike Damphousse

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267 - Do Your Own Research - Sedona Chinn 41:53

8M ago41:53

41:53

Sedona Chinn, who studies how people make sense of competing scientific, environmental, and health-related claims, joins us to discuss her latest research into doing your own research. In her latest paper she found that the more a person values the concept of doing your own research, the less likely that person is to actually do their own research.…

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Reinventing a 25-Year-Old Company Through Category Design w/ Carl Daikeler, CEO of Beachbody 59:14

8M ago59:14

59:14

There's plenty of examples of founders, obsessed with a problem, applying category design to build their business and dominate their market. But realistically, most people that first encounter category design are not in the founding stages of their company. That's why talking to the CEO of a publicly traded company that decided to apply category de…

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