Innovation and the Digital Enterprise

Sometimes a simple desire to give back can lead to unexpected places. That’s what happened when Jay Rudman decided to help other entrepreneurs in the Chicagoland community after selling his last business. What started as a semi-formal coaching relationship with the founder of Topstep, eventually led to Jay stepping in as Chief Growth Officer and eventually CEO, a role he held until recently.

In this episode, Jay talks about his entrepreneurial journey prior to Topstep, one that started all the way back in high school running lawn care services. He also walks Patrick and Shelli through the specifics of the Topstep community and how retail traders can practice their skills in a safe environment before trading with real capital.

At TransUnion, creating innovative products, building talent, and delivering excellent customer experiences start with an environment where trust is possible. Swati Shah, U.S. Markets CIO, talks with Patrick and Shelli this week about what cultivating that trust looks like for the organization.

She also describes the various programs in place to support continuous learning for cross-functional teams and the importance of helping engineers understand the ‘why’ in addition to the ‘what’ for the solutions they are building.

Experiencing a sudden revenue drop is a formidable challenge for any business. When SpotHero found themselves there at the start of the pandemic, the team took it as an opportunity to pause and rethink their business.

In this episode, Matt DiBari, Chief Product Officer at SpotHero, talks with Patrick and Shelli about how creative thinking and a strong team foundation allowed SpotHero to weather the sudden downturn. He also discusses how a culture of looking around corners and reacting with wonder fuels innovation both today and for the company’s ‘horizon 3’ plans.

Innovation starts when all stakeholders are working as a cohesive unit and have identified a common mission. Matt Kelly, a partner and Business Designer at Do Tank, is our guest this week. Matt believes that to be successful, a company needs to spend time doing business modeling that allows them to increase efficiency and ensure they are targeting the right customer demographics.

For a new company, success can seem so difficult to attain. But there is a pattern to success that can help you navigate the growing pains of a fledgling business. Les McKeown is the bestselling author of Predictable Success: Getting Your Organization on the Growth Track - and Keeping It There, and has started more than 40 businesses in his own right.