Unforgettable Keynotes

Chris delivers inspiring and actionable keynotes that transform innovation within organizations. He is an expert and master of disruptive thinking to drive game-changing innovation. His keynotes are rich in fascinating first-hand stories drawn from the front line of innovation at Shazam, Google, and Dropbox. Shazam has been downloaded over 2 billion times around the world.

Chris is the founder and first CEO of Shazam, three-time startup founder, pioneer of mobile ecosystems at Google and Dropbox, advisor to startup companies, inventor of 12 patents including one found within the Google search algorithm, and a former strategy consultant serving many industries.

Keynote clients have highlighted Chris’s “powerful content” that “generated talkability across the organization” and that “will stick for years to come.”

Boldly Challenging Thinking

The truth is that anyone can create game-changing innovations and these can redefine any part of an organization – from products to business models to processes.

We can learn from the unorthodox thinking found at disruptive startups. Immersive conviction and unexpected perspectives are common at these maverick companies. This thinking has roots in defiance and leads to incredible hidden opportunities.

Start from Zero: Five Unexpected Methods of Disruptive Thinking

Chris has identified five ways of thinking that are the foundation of game-changing innovation. He calls them “Start from Zero”. They are fundamentally different than the way our brains are wired to think and each has a clear methodology. The first one is thinking from “basic truths”, known by scientists as “first principles thinking”. Aristotle called these “the first basis from which a thing is known.” Building on these fundamental truths is how Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Leonardo Da Vinci came up with their breakthrough ideas.

Why doesn’t everyone do this? Elon Musk says “It’s mentally easier to reason by analogy rather than from first principles.” By default, people approach problems from the basis of established processes. Our brains are wired this way. As a result, new ideas often generate only slight improvements.

Thinking from basic truths can be employed anytime creative thought is used. The result can be dramatic breakthroughs in products, business models, and business processes.

This is just one of the five unique ways of thinking that drive breakout innovation. This is the thinking that led to Shazam.

Unleash the game-changing possibilities at your organization. Disrupt your thinking. Supercharge innovation.