What's Next! with Tiffani Bova

Hosted by Tiffani Bova

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371

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast. I've met so many brilliant people as I traveled the globe and have had some fascinating conversations that I've wished had been recorded so I could share them with you - this podcast was a way for me to recreate those moments and let you in on some fantastic insights. My current conversations center around one objective: what's next for companies and individuals as they look to innovate and grow. I hope these conversations inspire you as much as they have inspired me. Whether I am preparing for a keynote speech or writing for publications such as Harvard Business Review and Huffington Post, these are my go-to people. My goal with the What's Next! podcast is to keep you thinking and to challenge you to think about What's Next!

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60 recent

August 13, 202629 min

How to Build a Market, Not Just a Product with Bruce Cleveland

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm excited to welcome Bruce Cleveland to the show. He's a venture investor, former senior executive at Oracle. Siebel, Apple, and C3 AI, founder of Traction Gap Partners and author of the book, Market Engineering. Over the course of his career, he's helped build and invest in companies that have grown into billion dollar businesses. And his latest work argues that markets don't simply emerge, they are intentionally built. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…founders, CEOs, marketers, product leaders, and entrepreneurs who want to understand how to intentionally create demand, shape markets, and become a category leader. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…building a great product is no longer enough to guarantee success. The companies that become market leaders today don't simply engineer products, they engineer markets by intentionally shaping how customers think about a problem and its solution. Bruce explains that through category design, positioning, messaging, storytelling, and thought leadership, organizations can create demand before they ever scale demand generation. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Great product engineering is table stakes. Lasting market leadership comes from intentionally engineering demand. Creating or redefining a category helps companies compete on their own terms instead of someone else's. CEOs, not marketers, must own market engineering because they control the resources needed to build awareness and shape perception. As AI makes product development faster and more accessible, differentiation will increasingly come from positioning, storytelling, and creating a market customers recognize and value. WHAT I LOVE MOST…Bruce challenges one of the most common assumptions in business: that the best product wins. He makes a compelling case that the real winners are the companies that teach the market how to think before anyone else does. Running Time: 29:29 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Bruce Online: LinkedIn Website Bruce's Book: Market Engineering: Because Markets Don't Build Themselves

August 6, 202629 min

Beyond Network Effects: Building Brands People Belong To with Roger Martin

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm thrilled to welcome you back to a series I did with my dear friend, Roger Martin. He's the author of the amazing book, Playing to Win. In this episode, Roger and I dive into Beyond Network Economics. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…business leaders, marketers, founders, and anyone looking to build deeper customer loyalty by creating experiences people want to be part of. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…for years, businesses have focused on network effects: adding more customers to create more value. Roger argues that's no longer enough. Instead, the companies pulling ahead are creating "worlds" that customers genuinely want to belong to, where the relationships between customers become just as valuable as the product itself. Through examples like TikTok, Hermès, Nike, Starbucks, and Ford, Roger explains why building community may be the next evolution of strategy. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Network effects helped build today's biggest technology companies but they aren't an unbeatable competitive advantage. The strongest brands create communities where customers want to interact with one another. Companies that disrupt or ignore their customer communities risk damaging long-term loyalty. Strategy should focus on creating experiences and relationships, not simply acquiring more users. Brands that successfully shape a world around their customers create advantages that competitors struggle to replicate. WHAT I LOVE MOST…Roger challenges the idea that customers are simply individuals to acquire. Instead, he reminds us that the strongest businesses create communities people genuinely want to belong to. That's a much more durable competitive advantage. Running Time: 29:10 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Roger Online: LinkedIn Website

July 30, 202625 min

Seeing Opportunity Before Everyone Else with Garrett Sutton

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. My guest this week is Garrett Sutton who is an entrepreneur and author. He is the co-author of Sports Heaven, The Birth of ESPN. While ESPN is now one of the most influential media brands in the world, its beginning was anything but certain. It had an idea that many people doubted a business model that had never been proven and a future that very few people could actually see. What makes this story so relevant today isn't sports. It's what it teaches us about entrepreneurship, innovation, conviction, and recognizing opportunities before the rest of the market catches up. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders looking to recognize opportunities, navigate uncertainty, and build conviction before everyone else sees the vision. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…many of today's biggest success stories seem obvious in hindsight, but they rarely feel that way in the moment. Garrett shares the entrepreneurial lessons behind ESPN's unlikely rise, from spotting an unmet need to making bold decisions when few others believed the idea would work. Through the story of founder Bill Rasmussen, he explores how vision, timing, partnerships, and persistence come together to turn an unconventional idea into an industry-defining business. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Great opportunities often look impossible before they look inevitable. Timing can be just as important as having the right idea. Strong partnerships can accelerate growth beyond what entrepreneurs can accomplish alone. Vision requires the confidence to move forward despite skepticism. WHAT I LOVE MOST…this story isn't really about ESPN. It's about having the courage to believe in an opportunity before anyone else can see it. That's a lesson every entrepreneur can apply. Running Time: 25:54 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Garrett Online: LinkedIn Garrett's Book: Sports Heaven: The Birth of ESPN

July 23, 202631 min

The Next Evolution of AI with David Bach

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. My guest today is Dr. David Bach, founder and CEO of Optios. David is a physician, neuroscientist, serial entrepreneur, and someone who spent years studying how elite performers from military pilots and financial traders to professional athletes make decisions under pressure. His work draws on more than $350 million of DARPA-backed neuroscience research to explore how AI and humans can work together more effectively in real time. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders, technologists, and innovators who want to better understand how AI can enhance, not replace, human performance. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…we've spent years asking how AI can become smarter, but David argues we're asking the wrong question. The next breakthrough won't come from AI knowing more. It will come from AI understanding the people it's working with. Drawing on neuroscience research and work with elite performers, David explains how context, physiology, and cognitive awareness can help AI become a more effective partner in learning, decision-making, and performance. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Context is essential for AI to become truly useful. Human-machine teaming outperforms either one alone. Physiological awareness can dramatically improve learning and decision-making. AI should augment human judgment, not replace it. The future of AI depends on understanding people, not just processing information. WHAT I LOVE MOST…David's Iron Man analogy perfectly captures where AI is headed. The greatest opportunity isn't replacing people with technology. It's creating a seamless partnership where each makes the other better. Running Time: 31:36 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find David Online: LinkedIn

July 16, 202636 min

Why Great Companies Lose Their Way with Eric Ries

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. My guest is Eric Ries, someone who has changed the way founders and companies think about innovation, experimentation, and growth through The Lean Startup. After spending decades helping companies scale, Eric has started asking a very different question: why do so many successful companies slowly become the thing they once set out to disrupt? His new book, Incorruptible, explores this. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…founders, executives, and business leaders who want to build organizations that stay true to their mission as they grow. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…most companies don't lose their values overnight, they drift away from them one decision, one incentive, and one compromise at a time. Eric argues that this kind of organizational corruption isn't caused by bad people, but by systems that reward short-term thinking over long-term purpose. He explains why mission, governance, and incentives must work together if companies want to grow without losing what made them successful in the first place. Most importantly, he reminds us that building a great company isn't just about scaling but about creating an organization that can stay true to its purpose over time. KEY TAKEAWAYS: • Organizational drift happens gradually, not all at once. • A mission should guide decisions long after a company begins to scale. • Long-term value is created by serving customers and employees first. • Great companies are intentionally built to resist corruption. WHAT I LOVE MOST…Eric's bridge analogy perfectly captures the challenge leaders face. Corruption isn't inevitable, it happens when organizations are built with the wrong materials. Eric reminds us that leaders have the opportunity to design them differently from the start. Running Time: 36:18 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Eric Online: LinkedIn Website How Is Incorruptible Going? Eric's Book: Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad... and How Great Companies Stay Great

July 9, 202634 min

Building a Smarter Growth Strategy with Roger Martin

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm thrilled to welcome you back to a series I did with my dear friend, Roger Martin. He's the author of the amazing book, Playing to Win. In our tenth episode, Roger Martin interviews me about my book, Growth IQ. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders looking to accelerate growth, make better strategic choices, and connect strategy with execution. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…many organizations approach growth as if there's a single initiative that will unlock results. Roger and Tiffani challenge that idea, arguing that sustainable growth comes from understanding all of the options available and making deliberate choices about which ones to pursue. They discuss the ten growth pathways Growth IQ was built around, how leaders can combine those pathways for greater impact, and why context and sequencing matter just as much as the choices themselves. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Growth is rarely driven by a single initiative. Strong strategies come from making deliberate choices. Combining growth pathways creates greater impact than pursuing one in isolation. Existing customers are often the biggest growth opportunity. Sales execution and strategy must be developed together. WHAT I LOVE MOST…Roger's reminder that you can't make decisions about categories you don't know exist. The more complete your view of the options available, the better your strategic choices become. Running Time: 34:09 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Roger Online: LinkedIn Website

July 2, 202629 min

The Future Belongs to Learn-It-Alls with Caroline Stokes

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. My guest this week is Caroline Stokes, a leading strategist, executive coach, Thinkers 50 Radar honoree, and author of AfterShock to 2030. Her work focuses on helping leaders navigate reinvention in a world where the old playbooks may no longer apply. While we spend a lot of time talking about AI, disruption and transformation, Caroline argues that the real challenge may be something deeper: how leaders adapt themselves before they try to transform everyone else. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders navigating the changes of our world who want to stay relevant, help their teams adapt, and build confidence in an increasingly uncertain future. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…many leaders are focused on transforming their organizations, but Caroline argues that the real challenge is transforming themselves first. As AI, economic uncertainty, and societal shifts accelerate simultaneously, old leadership playbooks are becoming less effective. Caroline explains why curiosity, continuous learning, and self-reinvention are now essential leadership skills. She also explores how leaders can use AI thoughtfully without losing the human connection that drives trust, collaboration, and meaningful change. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Curiosity is one of the most important skills leaders can develop. AI should enhance human collaboration, not replace it. Transformation starts with personal reinvention. Fear slows adaptation while experimentation accelerates learning. Leaders must help people navigate change, not just announce it. WHAT I LOVE MOST…Caroline's reminder that it's never too late to become a "learn-it-all" instead of a "know-it-all." In a world changing this quickly, curiosity may be the most valuable leadership advantage we have. Running Time: 29:40 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Caroline Online: LinkedIn Website Caroline's Book: AfterShock to 2030: A CEO's Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate, and Societal Collapse

June 25, 202629 min

Becoming More Adaptable with Phil Le-Brun and Jana Werner

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week we're talking about something almost every leader is wrestling with right now: why transformation is so hard even when they know they need to change. My guests are Phil Lebrun and Jana Werner, co-authors of The Octopus Organization, a book that challenges the traditional way companies are structured and led. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…leaders navigating transformation and growth who want to build organizations that can meet the level of change. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…most organizations approach change as a transformation project with a clear beginning and end. Jana and Phil challenge that idea, arguing that the current environment requires organizations to continuously adapt, learn, and respond rather than rely on top-down change initiatives. In this conversation, they explain why so many transformation efforts fail, how bureaucracy and rigid structures slow organizations down, and why behavior change matters more than new technology or organizational charts. KEY TAKEAWAYS… Transformation is often overused when continuous adaptation is what organizations really need. Behavior change matters more than organizational charts or new technology. Bureaucracy grows when organizations prioritize control over learning. Curiosity and psychological safety fuel innovation and adaptability. Leaders create lasting change by empowering the people closest to the work. WHAT I LOVE MOST… Phil and Jana challenge the idea that transformation is something you complete. The organizations that thrive are the ones that treat learning and adaptation as part of everyday work. Running Time: 29:13 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Phil Online: LinkedIn Find Jana Online: LinkedIn Phil and Jana's Substack: The Octopus Organization Phil and Jana's Book: The Octopus Organization: A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation

June 18, 202631 min

How To Learn Strategic Thinking with Roger Martin

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. I'm thrilled to welcome you back to a series I did with my dear friend, Roger Martin. He's the author of the amazing book, Playing to Win. In this episode, we're talking about the four key characteristics of strategic thinking. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR… anyone who wants to strengthen their strategic thinking and make better decisions in complex, uncertain environments. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE… many people think strategy is about making plans, setting goals, or controlling outcomes. Roger argues that strategic thinking starts by accepting the opposite: the most important variables are often the ones you don't control. Customers, competitors, and markets will ultimately do what they want to do. The strategist's job is to influence those outcomes by thoughtfully configuring everything within their control. In this conversation, Roger breaks down the four key characteristics of strategic thinkers. Together, he and Tiffani explore how these skills can be developed and why strategic thinking is less about innate talent and more about deliberate practice. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Strategic thinkers focus on influencing outcomes they cannot directly control. The best decisions come from combining quantitative and qualitative information. Strong strategies emerge when multiple variables are considered simultaneously. Strategic thinking is a learnable skill that improves through practice and training. WHAT I LOVE MOST… Roger's reminder that strategic thinking is not something you're born with. Too often, people assume strategy is reserved for a select few with a natural gift for seeing around corners. Instead, Roger reframes strategic thinking as a set of skills that anyone can develop. Running Time: 31:02 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Roger Online: LinkedIn Website Show Summary on Substack

June 11, 202635 min

The Discipline Behind Hypergrowth with Denise Persson

Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova. This week, I'm delighted to speak with Denise Persson. She is the Chief Marketing Officer at Snowflake and co-author of Make It Snow: From Zero to Billions. Over the last 25 years, Denise has helped build and scale some of the most recognizable enterprise technology companies, including Snowflake, Apigee, and Genesis, guiding organizations through hyper-growth, IPOs, acquisitions, and major market shifts. What I really love about Denise's perspective is that she understands growth isn't just about demand generation or pipeline, it's about building the operational alignment, customer trust, and internal culture that allow companies to scale sustainably. So today we're going to dive right into these topics. THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR…marketing leaders and growth-focused executives helping teams stay aligned while navigating rapid change and ambitious growth goals. TODAY'S MAIN MESSAGE…many companies believe growth comes from moving faster, launching more campaigns, or constantly evolving their message. Denise argues the opposite. Drawing from her experience helping scale Snowflake into one of the most successful technology companies in the world, Denise explains why some of the biggest growth opportunities come from creating clarity and not complexity. Denise and Tiffani discuss what happens when organizations grow faster than their processes, why customer advocacy is more powerful than any marketing campaign, and how leaders can balance innovation with consistency. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Category creation succeeds when customers immediately understand the value. Consistency creates trust for customers, employees, and partners. Hypergrowth often exposes gaps in leadership, hiring, and alignment. Strong data foundations are essential for personalization and AI success. WHAT I LOVE MOST…Denise's perspective that growth isn't always about doing more. It's often about creating more clarity. In a business environment that constantly encourages organizations to move faster, add more, and chase the next opportunity, her reminder that consistency builds trust feels especially important. Running Time: 35:00 Subscribe on iTunes Find Tiffani Online: LinkedIn Facebook X Find Denise Online: LinkedIn