How New Things Get Done. The 1%ers

Every week real business cases are dissected by Shana and Darrell, showing how some people consistently get impossible things done... often through counter intuitive moves.

98% of innovation initiatives fail. The this isn't random—it correlates with missing capabilities.

AI now handles convergent thinking (finding optimal answers, following procedures) better than humans. What remains distinctly human is navigating ambiguity and resolving contradictions.

The 2% that succeed share three elements: clear direction that people on the ground can actually articulate, understanding of how systems and humans really behave, and treating apparent trade-offs as design problems rather than accepting compromise.

The podcast series is based on a framework—NEPTUNE—for developing these capabilities systematically. The implication: organisations that build this capacity position themselves for what comes next. Those that don't are competing with AI on its terms.

Listen on:

Episodes

Friday Feb 13, 2026

Episode 4: The Managed Decline Trap: Why AI Cost-Cutting Won't Save Your Business

Friday Feb 13, 2026

The Clawbot craze exposes a critical question: Is your AI strategy innovating or just managing decline? Discover how to identify true step-change opportunities and find the 1%ers hiding in your organization before it's too late.
From Clawdbot to Moltbook: Inside tech's new AI obsessions

Tuesday Feb 03, 2026

Episode 3: Next Steps in the Age of AI

Tuesday Feb 03, 2026

Calling all lonely leaders: What do you do when it's impossible to know what is going to happen next in the age of AI?
In this POD, Darrell gets practical with "next steps" and how to get some direction in these turbulent times. This week's case is for all companies of all types!

Tuesday Jan 20, 2026

Episode 1: The Art of Doing Less - How One Company Cut Its Way Back to Explosive Growth

Tuesday Jan 20, 2026

Disruption in the market often kills legendary companies.In today's case study we see how experts urged a compelling and logical path. Instead, the company made the counter intuitive move against all recommendations and thrived.
It shows how progress often comes not from trend-following, but from confronting the reality that each business is unique in where it is at, what it is facing and what it needs to do in order for a "new thing to get done."

1%ers: HOW NEW THINGS GET DONE

#NEPTUNE, #AI, #Business

Tuesday Jan 20, 2026

Episode 2: Trapped in the Ice - What Shackleton's Survival Story Reveals About Winning in AI Disruption

Tuesday Jan 20, 2026

In 1915, Ernest Shackleton's ship was crushed by Antarctic ice. Nine months of impossible odds. Every crew member survived.
Right now, you might be feeling a crushing imperative with AI disruption. Your team's morale is waning, and you're trying initiative after initiative without clear ROI. There is genuine uncertainty about what can and cannot be done and what comes next.
This conversation gives you a different playbook.
We break down what actually separated Shackleton's success from failure. The strategic approach: emotional risk management, the counterintuitive decision to bring the weakest crew member on the rescue boat, and why knowing your next move beats having a perfect long term plan.
We also unpack why boards keep selecting the wrong CEO profile for the game that's actually being played.
If you've already read the 1%ers: HOW NEW THINGS GET DONE book, this episode is about Empaths and Umbrellas.