Cody Hofmockel

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Somewhere around 2010, Silicon Valley started building playgrounds. Slides between floors. Ping-pong tables in the center of open floor plans. Nap pods, cereal bars stocked like a kid’s birthday party, and murals on every wall. The photos circulated widely, the business press covered them with visible admiration, and the message was unmistakable: this is what … Read more

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We tend to imagine success happening quickly. A great idea piques the attention of investors, and next thing you know, you have a billion-dollar valuation. We romanticize the lightning strike—the eureka moment in the shower, the genius idea scribbled on a napkin, the overnight sensation. And because we believe innovation arrives in a flash, we … Read more

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The tighter you grip, the less you control. We’ve been conditioned to believe that forcing outcomes is the path to success. Clench your jaw. White-knuckle it. Will the result into existence through sheer intensity. And the minute something falters, spike the anxiety, double down on the pressure, and grip even harder. This is the approach … Read more

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I recently discovered one of the best examples of innovation culture I’ve ever seen, and the company’s headquarters is nowhere near Silicon Valley. Tata Group is a 158-year-old Indian conglomerate with $180 billion in annual revenue that most Americans have never heard of. They operate in over 100 countries, employ more than one million people, and … Read more

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For many of us, this phrase summarizes our upbringing. Listen to the authority figure, keep your head down, never question, and do what you’re told. It worked great in a different era, but today it’s a losing strategy. AI can do what it’s told better than most of us (perhaps all of us), so compliance and … Read more

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What’s your plan for when you fall down? Not if—when. We all have big goals. New Year’s resolutions, annual growth plans, personal commitments to be more patient or present. Great intentions and willpower get us started, but then the inevitable happens. One late night throws off our new morning routine. A stressful week derails our … Read more

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One of the best role models for creativity and innovation today isn’t an AI company or a Silicon Valley darling. It’s a Brooklyn art collective called MSCHF. You may have encountered their work without knowing the name. They injected holy water into Nike Air Max sneakers so wearers could literally “walk on water”—the Jesus Shoes. … Read more

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Here’s a question that should keep every leader up at night: What is generative AI actually doing to our ability to think critically? Not “could do” or “might do” in some distant future. What is it doing right now, today, to the 70% of professionals who use these tools weekly? I’ll confess upfront: I’m one … Read more

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Traditional brainstorming simply doesn’t work. Decades of research—from the 1950s through the 1980s, 1990s, and beyond—consistently show that traditional brainstorming sessions underperform. The culprits are specific psychological traps: self-censorship triggered by fear of judgment, “production blocking” as people wait their turn to speak, and anchoring on the first few ideas while bolder thinking gets suppressed. So how do you get teams to innovate and solve problems … Read more

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Last week, I was in Portugal delivering a keynote for the most senior execs of a multi-billion-dollar global company. As impressive as they and the company were, I was taken most by the driver who picked me up from the airport. Jose was warm and inviting, and I could instantly tell he was genuinely excited … Read more