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Think Like an Innovator

Paul Sloane 42 Episodes Feb 5, 2026

Inspiring lessons from the world's greatest thinkers and innovators. Based on the book, Think Like an Innovator, by Paul Sloane, published by Pearson. The podcasts are given by the author.

Episodes

Three Accidental Inventors Feb 5, 2026 00:11:36 The stories of three great inventions that started by accident. Willis Carrier set out to solve one problem and in the process he invented air-conditioning. Edouard Benedictus had an accident which led to safety glass. Wilson Greatbatch made a mistake and went on to invent the pacemaker. Stories taken from the book, The Art of Unexpected Solutions , by Paul Sloane.

Three Women Pioneers and Innovators Oct 19, 2025 00:09:33 We review the remarkable achievements of three women innovators. Ada Lovelace (1815 - 1852) is recognised as the world's first computer programmer. Stephanie Kwolek (1923 - 2014) was the inventor of Kevlar. Stephanie (Steve) Shirley (1933 - 2025) was an IT pioneer, entrepreneur and philanthropist. All challenged conventions.

Two Great Chinese Innovators - Zhao Kuangyin and Zhang Ruimin Jul 31, 2025 00:09:41 Zhao Kuangyin (927 - 976) was a shrewd reformer who became Emperor of China and founded the Song dynasty. Zhang Ruimin was born in 1949. He is famous entrepreneur and innovator.

Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso Mar 25, 2025 00:11:21 We review the lives and impacts of two towering iconoclasts and innovators in 20th century art. - Marcel Duchamp (1887 - 1968) and Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973).

Marconi and Land Oct 21, 2024 00:08:56 We review the stories of two great 20th century inventors. Guglielmo Marconi (1874 - 1937) was an Italian radio pioneer. Edwin Land (1909 - 1991) was the American chemist who invented the Polaroid Camera.

William Shakespeare and Jonathan Swift May 29, 2024 00:10:19 William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) is considered the greatest playwright of all time; Jonathan Swift (1667 - 1745), the greatest satirist. What can we mere mortals learn from these literary giants? You might be surprised.

Daniel Peter and Percy Spencer Feb 6, 2024 00:09:03 The stories of two very different inventors. One was forced to innovate and the other stumbled on a great idea by chance. Daniel Peter invented milk chocolate and Percy Spencer created the microwave oven.

Hedy Lamarr and Barnes Wallis Jan 30, 2023 00:12:48 The stories of two contrasting inventors and innovators who made contributions to the allied efforts in World War II.  Both featured in films.  Hedy Lamar (1914 - 2000) was an Austrian actress and Hollywood star who was called the most beautiful woman in the world.  She invented a radio technique still used today in wifi and bluetooth technologies.  Barnes Wallis (1887 - 1979)

Charles Dunstone and Rob Law Sep 8, 2022 00:11:12 What ideas and inspiration can we glean from two English entrepreneurs and innovators?  Sir Charles Dunstone (born 1964) is the founder and former chariman of Carphone Warehouse, at one time the world's largest mobile phone retailer. Rob Law (born 1982) is the inventor of the Trunki, a ride-on suitcase for children which was savaged on Dragon's Den.

Clarence Birdseye and Jorge Odon Jun 16, 2022 00:09:05 Paul Sloane relates the stories of two influential innnovators who each took an idea from one field and applied it with great effect in another.  Clarence Birdseye (1886 - 1956) was an American scientist who created the frozen food industry.  Jorge Odon (born 1952) is an Argentinain car mechanic who invented a device which can help save the lives of mothers and babies.

Thomas Edison and Trevor Baylis Feb 15, 2022 00:10:48 We consider the lives and achievements of two great inventors, who had contrasting experiences of fame and fortune. Thomas Edison (1847 - 1931) was probably the greatest inventor of all time.  Trevor Baylis (1937 - 2018) was the British inventor of the clockwork radio. 

Alexander Graham Bell and Sir Alexander Fleming Oct 21, 2021 00:10:44 Let's celebrate the achievements of two outstanding Scottish innovators.  Both were called Allexander and both had a tremendous impact on our lives. Alexander Graham Bell was the inventor of the telephone. Sir Alexander Fleming was the doctor who discovered penicillin.

Walt Disney, Woody Allen and Steven Spielberg Sep 9, 2021 00:12:23 We gain insights and inspiration from three great American movie makers and innovators.  Walt Disney (1901 - 1966) creator of ground-breaking cartoon films and founder of Disneyland.  The comedian, actor, writer and director, Woody Allen (born 1935).  And Steven Spielberg (born 1946), the most commercially successful film director of modern times. 

Pythagoras and Archimedes Jul 19, 2021 00:09:49 Let's go way back in history and consider the achievements of two geniuses of ancient Greece.  Pythagoras (570 - 495 BC) was a mathematician and philosopher.  Archimedes (287 - 212 BC) was a mathematician, engineer and inventor.  They laid the foundations of our understanding of mathematics and their theorems are taught in schools to this day.

Hannibal and Nelson Jun 13, 2021 00:10:25 The stories of two superb military leaders and innovators.  Hannibal (247 BC - 182 BC) was Rome's greatest enemy and one of the finest military strategists of all time. Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758 - 1805) is Britain's greatest naval commander.

Martin Cooper and Ted Hoff Apr 29, 2021 00:10:59 Let's review the achievements of two great American engineers and inventors.  Martin Cooper (born 1928) is the creator of the mobile phone.  Ted Hoff (born 1937) invented the microprocessor.  Their stories are highly instructive for innovators.

Louis Braille and Gustave Eiffel Apr 12, 2021 00:12:54 This episode concerns two towering French innovators of the 19th century.  Each had a profound impact and can teach us lessons today.  Louis Braille (1809-1852) was the boy who enabled the blind to read.  Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) was the engineer who designed the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty.  He was known as the 'magician of iron'.

Steve Jobs and Phil Romano Mar 15, 2021 00:11:31 We will see what lessons we can learn from two American entrepreneurs who were remarkable mavericks.  Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011) was the brilliant but irascible founder who led Apple Corporation to incredible sucess.  Phil Romano (born 1940) is a controversial restaurateur who has founded a series of successful restaurant chains.

Galileo and Charles Darwin Feb 17, 2021 00:13:22 We review the towering contributions of two great scientific thinkers and innovators.  The Italian mathematician, experimenter and polymath, Galileo (1564-1642) is considered to be the father of modern science.  Charles Darwin (1809-1882) is the English naturalist who expounded the theory of evolution, one of the most influential and brilliant ideas ever conceived.

Mozart and Beethoven Jan 21, 2021 00:11:29 We consider the works and impacts of two of the greatest composers.  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was a child prodigy and a creator of brilliant works.  Ludwig van Beethoven (1779-1827) revolutionized classical music when he initiated the romantic movement.  What can we mere mortals learn?

Anne Mulcahy and Tony Hsieh Dec 31, 2020 00:13:54 The stories of two great business leaders and innovators.  Anne Mulcahy was the chairperson and CEO who turned around and saved the giant Xerox corporation.  Tony Hsieh was the young entrepreneur who created a remarkable corporate culture at Zappos.

Paul MacCready and Eric Migicovsky Dec 6, 2020 00:12:33 Let's review the achievements of two great modern innovators.  Paul MacCready (1925 – 2007) was an American aeronautical engineer and inventor of the first human-powered aircraft.  Eric Migicovsky (born 1986) is the Canadian enrepreneur who invented the Pebble Watch and founded Pebble Inc.

Ricardo Semler and Rob McEwen Nov 16, 2020 00:10:51 We review the achievements of two leading industrialists, innovators and lateral thinkers.  Ricardo Semler (born 1959) is a Brazilian businessman who has revolutionized management thinking with the practices at his companies.  Rob McEwen (born 1950) is a Canadian mine owner who ran one the first and most successful corowdsourcing competitions on the internet. 

Joseph Lister and Govindapa Venkataswamy Oct 21, 2020 00:10:33 In this episode of the podcast series we consider the achievements of two influential medical innovators.  Joseph Lister (1827 - 1912) was the Scottish surgeon who pioneered antiseptic surgery and sterilisation of equipment.  Govinda Vekataswamy (1918 - 2006) was the Indian eye surgeon who took an idea from manufacturing and fast food and used it to transform the treatment of cataracts.&

Pablo Picasso and Roy Lichtenstein Oct 6, 2020 00:10:24 Pablo Picasso (1881 - 1973) is the most famous painter of the modern era.  He is considered by some to be five artists in one.  Roy Lichtenstein (1923 - 1997) responded to his son's challenge to become a leading figure in the Pop Art movement.

Soichiro Honda and Akio Morita Sep 22, 2020 00:11:59 We learn lessons from two great Japanese engineers, industrialists, innovators and marketers.  They created companies which became world leaders.  Soichiro Honda (1906 - 1991) founded the Honda Motor Company.  Akio Morita (1921 - 1999) was the co-founder of Sony Corporation.

Hiram Maxim and John Harrison Sep 7, 2020 00:13:08 We examine the works of two great inventors.  Sir Hiram Maxim (1840 - 1916) was an American who became a British Citizen and patented over 100 inventions and designs.  John Harrison (1693 - 1776) was the English master clockmaker who dedicated his life to winning the first great crowdsourced competition, the Longitude Prize.  

Michelangelo and Salvador Dali Aug 19, 2020 00:13:09 Let me tell you about two towering geniuses, astists who were prolific in different fields and who, unusually for artists, were famous in their lifetimes.  Michelangelo (1475 - 1564) was the Italian renaissance genius of painting, sculpture and architecture.  Salvador Dali (1904 - 1989) was an outrageous Spanish surrealist - a master in many media.

Marie Curie and Dmitri Mendeleev Jul 30, 2020 00:12:03 In this episode we review the lives and achievements of two towering figures in the world of 19th century science.  Marie Curie (1867 - 1934) pioneered work in radioactivity, discovered two new elements and is the only winner of two Nobel prizes in different sciences.  Dmitri Mendeleev (1834 - 1907) is the Russian chemist who proposed the Periodic Law and the Periodic Table of the Elemen

J K Rowling and Hans Christian Andersen Jul 12, 2020 00:10:20 J K Rowling (born 1965) is the British author of the Harry Potter series, the best-selling book series in history.  Hans Christian Andersen (1805 - 1875) is the Danish author of many classic fairy stories.  What inspired these literary geniuses to create works which would entrance children (and adults) all over the world?

Muhammad Yunus and Travis Kalanick Jun 28, 2020 00:13:06 Here we have two dynamic innovators and entrepreneurs.  They created enterprises which changed the world and yet they both fell from grace.  Muhammad Yunus founded the Grameen Bank, pioneered microfinance and won the Nobel Peace Prize.  Travis Kalanick founded Uber, at one stage  the fastest growing start-up in history.

Harry Selfridge and Ingvar Kamprad Jun 10, 2020 00:10:43 We discuss the achievements of two highly influential retail innovators.  Harry Selfridge (1858 - 1947) was an American who created the great department store in Oxford Street, London which carries his name.  Ingvar Kamprad (1926 - 2018) was the Swedish entrepreneur who created IKEA and built it into a huge global brand while retaining its frugal Swedish culture.

Madonna and Miles Davis May 28, 2020 00:10:16 We review the work of two contrasting musical icons.  Madonna (born 1958) is the Queen of pop music.  She has sold over 300 million records and is recognised as the best-selling female recording artist of all time.   Miles Davis (1926 - 1991) is a legendary trumpeter, composer and bandleader.

Levi Strauss and Ray Kroc May 16, 2020 00:09:46 The stories of two great American entrepreneurs whose products and companies are familiar to us today.  Levi Strauss (1829 - 1902) was the creator of the iconic fashion item, the blue jean.  Ray Kroc (1902 - 1984),  born in the year that Strauss died, was the entrepreneur who built McDonalds into the world's most successful fast food chain.

Tim Berners-Lee, Larry Page and Sergey Brin May 7, 2020 00:12:40 We review insights from the brilliant work of some of the giants of the Internet.  Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, is the geek who changed the world.  Larry Page and Sergey Brin were the two graduate students who created Google - almost by accident.

Johannes Gutenberg and George de Mestral Apr 29, 2020 00:09:55 We look at two great inventors.  Johannes Gutenberg (1398 - 1468) was the German craftsman who invented the printing press, which had a truly groundbreaking effect across Europe.  George de Mestral (1907 - 1990) was a Swiss Engineer who invented Velcro.  In this short episode we learn powerful innovation lessons from these inventors.

Oprah Winfrey and Sidney Bernstein Apr 22, 2020 00:10:04 In this short broadcast we tell the stories of two great media moguls.  Oprah Winfrey rose from a disadvantaged background to become one of the most influential people in the world.  Sideny Bernstein founded Granada TV and in doing so displayed a remarkable piece of lateral thinking.

Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk Apr 15, 2020 00:11:08 In this episode we look at the achievements of two great modern day entrepreneurs.  Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon.  Elon Musk is a serial entrepreneur who built Paypal, SpaceX and Tesla Motors.

Edward Jenner and Florence Nightingale Apr 8, 2020 00:11:28 Edward Jenner (1749 - 1823) was an English country doctor who discovered the smallpox vaccine.  Florence Nightingale (1820 - 1910) was the founder of modern nursing.  These two innovators had enormous influence over subsequent medical practice and their actions have saved millions of lives.  We can learn some powerful lessons from their stories.

Anita Roddick and Don Estridge Apr 2, 2020 00:11:55 In today's episode we look at the work of two radical rule-breakers and business innovators.  Anita Roddick was an entrepreneur and activist who founded the Body Shop.  Don Estridge is known as the "father of the IBM PC".  What can we learn from these two revolutionaries?

Gandhi and Kennedy Mar 31, 2020 00:11:22 In this episode we look at the actions of two visonary leaders, Mahatma Gandhi and John F Kennedy.   How did these political giants inspire their countrymen to take on and accomplish difficult challenges?  

David Bowie and Freddie Mercury Mar 30, 2020 00:11:41 In this episode we explore the work of two towering legends of popular music, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury.  What made them so influential?  What lessons can we learn from their ground-breaking creations?

Think Like an Innovator

Episodes

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