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Mike Maddock

Mike Maddock is a serial entrepreneur, author and a keynote speaker. He has founded 5 successful businesses, including Maddock Douglas, an internationally recognized innovation agency that has helped over 25% of the Fortune 100 invent and launch new products, services, and business models and create cultures that know how to innovate. He co-chairs the Gathering of Titans entrepreneurial conclave at MIT, is past president of Entrepreneurs’ Organization and current chairman of Young Presidents’ Organization. Mike currently writes for Forbes and is the author of three books about innovation: Free the Idea Monkey to Focus on What Matters Most. Brand New, Solving the Innovation Paradox and Flirting with the Uninterested, Innovating in a "Sold, not bought," Category.

Latest

Lessons from a Middle-Aged Entrepreneur

| Mike Maddock

What is your biggest regret in life? When you ask our seniors this question, you often get a surprising answer. Karl Pillemer, Ph.D., is the keeper of The Legacy Project at Cornell University. When Dr. Pillemer asked…

The Art of Being Strategically Selfish

| Mike Maddock

I was having lunch with a friend of mine, and he casually told me he’s played 56 rounds of golf this year. I nearly choked on my Cobb salad. Seriously? In the past, this type…

Surviving a Bad Work Marriage

| Mike Maddock

Sometimes Love Just Isn’t Enough “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” —Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina Sometimes—maybe often—they deliver great work. But almost always it comes with a price….

The Entrepreneur’s Midlife Crisis

| Mike Maddock

Seven Signs You May Be Having One “Have you considered the idea that you might be having a middle-aged crisis?” I had just finished delivering a 10-minute monologue about how the universe was not cooperating…

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Will My Job Be Completely Different Very, Very Soon?

| Mike Maddock
You may have noticed that Napster Moments are happening more and more often. You also may have noticed that many executives don’t see them coming until it is too late.

3 Common Words That Make Entrepreneurs Crazy

| Mike Maddock
Spend enough time around entrepreneurs like Marc and you’ll notice they are more offended by different words than most business people. Often, what seems like everyday conversation to others is actually salty language to them.

Office Design Lessons from Innovationland

| Mike Maddock
Our company has been recognized as having one of the “Coolest Offices” in Chicago on a number of occasions—most recently by Crain’s Chicago Business.

Could Uber Put FedEx Out of Business?

| Mike Maddock
Spoiler Alert: The answer is yes, and that is a very important lesson for you, as well.

Why Just About Every Single Head of Innovation (Including Me) Should Be Fired

| Mike Maddock
Most innovation officers are brought in to shake things up, and just about all of them are not aggressive enough. Your job is to run in the face of convention.

Has “Sale” Become a Four-Letter Word?

| Mike Maddock
There is a growing awareness in retail that a once surefire way to save the day is gone forever. When all else failed, retailers could always compete on price. Those days, in the words of the old song, are dwindling down to a precious few.