Sep 18, 2019
Safi Bahcall is
a second-generation physicist and biotech entrepreneur. He
graduated summa cum
laude from Harvard, and
has a PhD in physics from Stanford. Safi also co-founded a biotech
company developing new drugs for cancer, and served as CEO for 13
years. He joins the show to talk about how leaders can implement
the ideas in his book Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That
Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries
(a book Bill Gates
recently highlighted). He discusses why we must investigate failure,
and the differences between structure and culture.
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Key Takeaways
[3:39] Safi was hungry to learn
about something other than culture as a leader and manager. He
would see companies with so called great cultures not have
sustainable success, and wanted to get to the root of what actually
made a big difference. While working with President Obama’s Council
of Science and Technology, he found that small changes in structure
rather than culture, created an environment for radical
breakthrough.
[9:12] Great leaders make time
to study the history and historical references that can help them
leverage ideas and concepts. For example, Vennevar Bush had one of
the greatest impacts on the growth of science and technology from
the World War II era, but he is not a large part of commonly talked
about history.
[15:24] Great leaders help
bridge the gap between people in a group, and balance the delicate
line between radical innovation and execution.
[2010} Structure is made up of
many small things and attributes that drive behavior, which in turn
shapes the culture. Laying the foundation for a strong structure
takes a while, and is not something that should be rushed
into.
[30:29] You want to nurture
the Loonshots, or “crazy ideas” inside the company, because
competitors may instead give it a try and find it works
successfully for them.
[32:08] Two pieces of advice
Safi has for leaders:
- Be a gardener, not
Moses.
- Focus on the balance within the
structure, and help when there are
blockages.
[38:11] The term “LSE” means we
should listen to the suck with curiosity. Every innovation
sucks at first, and the great innovators are the ones who can take
off their rejection hats, and investigate failure with
curiosity.
[42:42] Safi’s challenge: Think
about what it you are doing today that experts are telling you
could never work. Realize there are no experts of the
future.
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Quotable Quotes
- “History doesn’t repeat. People
repeat.”
- Every innovation will look ugly at first.”
- “There are no experts of the future.”
- “Listen to the suck with curiosity.”
Website | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn
Loonshots
The Treatment
Vannevar Bush
Dunbar’s Number
Gore
Microsoft
Arpanet
Peter Thiel
Friendster
Judah Folkman