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Striking a Chord (ft. Chris Barton)

Released Tuesday, 5th September 2023

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Striking a Chord (ft. Chris Barton)

Tuesday, 5th September 2023

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Striking a Chord (ft. Chris Barton)

Listen-in with the founder of the world’s most innovative listening app

OPENING QUOTE:

“There's so many unique ways of doing things, and the key thing is to question the assumptions. Don't assume that what holds true for one other speaker, holds true for you.”

-Chris Barton

GUEST BIO:

If you’ve ever heard music playing and wondered, “Hey, what song is this?” You have Chris Barton to thank for the answer. Chris is the founder and former CEO of Shazam, the music identification app that went from “impossible” according to MIT professors, to “ahead of its time,” in a world with no apps or app stores, to becoming the 6th largest acquisition by Apple in the history of the company in 2018.

Chris is also a founding member of Google’s Android Partnerships team, holds 12 patents, and founded Guard, a system that uses AI to prevent drowning in swimming pools. Of course, Chris is also an incredible (and incredibly successful) keynote speaker on how to rethink obstacles and take inspired action.

Links:

CORE TOPICS + DETAILS:

[5:50] - Being Ahead of Your Time Means Lots of Waiting

How innovation can feel frustrating

You probably first heard of the song-identifying app Shazam some time in the last several years. It seems like sometime around the mid-2010s, Shazam was everywhere, leading up to its being acquired by Apple in one of the company’s biggest acquisitions of all time.

But Shazam was actually launched in 2002, spent six years barely escaping bankruptcy, and only survived thanks to Apple’s App Store finally launching in 2008. Shazam was ahead of its time. And while that concept conjures images of billionaire innovators beating the market and blowing minds, the truth is that it often means a lot of waiting for the world to catch up. If you’re ahead of the curve in your arena, it may feel a lot like you’ve missed the train. In reality, the train just has to catch up to you.

[20:35] - Start with First Principles

Make a habit of ignoring what’s expected

Chris often turns to the scientific and philosophical concept of first principles: beginning any train of thought with no assumptions. It’s a matter of breaking down everything into the most basic truths, which then leads you to question the things that are assumed to be truths but may not be.

For example, there was an assumption that you have to recognize what’s playing on the radio in order to tell people what song they’re hearing. That was an assumption which Shazam turned on its head.

Where can you challenge assumptions in your own life and career? What do people currently “know” that just ain’t so?

[22:17] - Innovate Everything

From your story to your conversations

Chris shares a compelling story about how he landed a great apartment in an “impossible” market. By determining that landlords were always the first people to know when an apartment was becoming available, he bypassed the gatekeepers and found out about new opportunities first.

Chris advocates for applying this principle across your life and career. He builds on his “first principles” idea to show that every aspect of what you do is an opportunity to innovate. Every process, every convention, was at one point a crazy new idea. How might a crazy new idea change your life?

[27:55] - You’re a Product, and That’s Okay

Being objective can transform your career for the better

As keynote speakers, we tend not to like thinking of ourselves as products. It feels like an oversimplification, a cold and calculated idea. But Chris argues that when you think of yourself and your message as your product, you free yourself from the self-consciousness that comes with self-assessment. You can take on feedback, criticism, and opportunities for improvement without personal feelings getting in the way. You can make your product — your keynote and the way you deliver it — the best possible product it can be.

RESOURCES:

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ABOUT MIC DROP:

Hear from the world’s top thought leaders and experts, sharing tipping point moments, strategies, and approaches that led to their speaking career success. Throughout each episode, host Josh Linkner, #1 Innovation keynote speaker in the world, deconstructs guests’ Mic Drop moments and provides tactical tools and takeaways that can be applied to any speaking business, no matter it’s starting point. You'll enjoy hearing from some of the top keynote speakers in the industry including: Ryan Estis, Alison Levine, Peter Sheahan, Seth Mattison, Cassandra Worthy, and many more. Mic Drop is sponsored by ImpactEleven.

Learn more at: MicDropPodcast.com

ABOUT THE HOST:

Josh Linkner is a Creative Troublemaker. He believes passionately that all human beings have incredible creative capacity, and he’s on a mission to unlock inventive thinking and creative problem solving to help leaders, individuals, and communities soar.

Josh has been the founder and CEO of five tech companies, which sold for a combined value of over $200 million and is the author of four books including the New York Times Bestsellers, Disciplined Dreaming and The Road to Reinvention. He has invested in and/or mentored over 100 startups and is the Founding Partner of Detroit Venture Partners.

Today, Josh serves as Chairman and Co-founder of Platypus Labs, an innovation research, training, and consulting firm. He has twice been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year and is the recipient of the United States Presidential Champion of Change Award.

Josh is also a passionate Detroiter, the father of four, is a professional-level jazz guitarist, and has a slightly odd obsession with greasy pizza.

Learn more about Josh: JoshLinkner.com