Soon Yu - Starting a Company and Dealing with Failure

Soon Yu - Starting a Company and Dealing with Failure

Author: Smart People Industries March 13, 2018 Duration: 46:23
"Don’t just chase the new – Innovate the old." - Soon Yu Modern business gurus all cry for the need to innovate, to disrupt, and to act like a startup. It’s hard to argue with that kind of thinking. It’s sexy and exciting. But it’s wrong. Too many businesses become enamored by shiny new objects and end up overlooking the value locked away in their existing products. Maybe your business is one of them. Or maybe you only have an idea, but can't even figure out how to turn it into a business, let alone an Iconic Brand. This week we talk with innovation expert Soon Yu on how to take a different approach that allows you to leverage what you already have or know to create a business that lasts. It generates disproportionate levels of profit and protects you against market fluctuations. Many of the world’s most successful brands have been using it for years. Now, you can benefit from reaching iconic status, whether you’re a Fortune 500, local pizza parlor, or an aspiring Unicorn startup. Soon Yu is an international speaker and author on innovation and design. He is the author of the brand new book, Iconic Advantage®: Don’t Chase the New, Innovate the Old. He most recently served as the Global VP of Innovation and Officer at VF Corporation, parent organization to over thirty global apparel companies, including The North Face, Vans, Timberland, Nautica, and Wrangler. He has been a founder and CEO for numerous venture-backed startups and was recognized as a Northern California finalist for the prestigious Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year” award. Prior to this he worked at Bain and Company, The Clorox Company, and Chiquita Brands, where he won company-wide awards for best advertising, best promotion, and best new product, and gained industry recognition from the Webby Award, Favorite Website Award and Dope Award. He frequently guest lectures at Stanford University, where he received his MBA, and is an adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every other week, Chris Stemp and Jon Rojas sit down with a guest who has fundamentally shaped their field, driven not by a rigid agenda but by genuine curiosity. The Smart People Podcast from Smart People Industries is built on the idea that the most compelling insights emerge from relaxed, authentic dialogue. You’ll hear authors, innovators, and cultural leaders-each with significant recognition in areas like business, education, or society-speak in a way that often feels more like a fascinating dinner conversation than a formal interview. Chris’s thoughtful questioning, paired with Jon’s producer perspective, gently guides discussions into unexpected territories, revealing the personal journeys and nuanced ideas behind public achievements. This podcast thrives in the space between expertise and accessibility, making complex topics relatable without sacrificing depth. It’s for anyone who believes that learning is a continuous, engaging process, and that the best lessons come from listening to people who think differently. Tune in biweekly for conversations that are as intellectually substantial as they are genuinely enjoyable, reminding us that smart discourse can be both enlightening and warmly human.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 500

Smart People Podcast
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