In this episode of the SuperCreativity Podcast, James Taylor speaks with Anne-Laure Le Cunff — neuroscientist, entrepreneur, founder of Ness Labs, and author of Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World.

Anne-Laure shares her personal journey from Google’s hustle culture to a health crisis that sparked a radical rethinking of success. Instead of chasing fixed goals and rigid outcomes, she advocates for a mindset of tiny experiments—low-risk, curiosity-driven trials that build resilience, creativity, and self-knowledge.

We explore her insights on neuroscience, neurodiversity, and how curiosity paired with ambition leads to growth. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, leader, or recovering goal-setter, this conversation will help you embrace uncertainty, cultivate creativity, and design a life built on exploration rather than obsession.

• Goals can trap us — shifting to tiny experiments fosters learning, joy, and freedom.

• Curiosity + ambition = experimental mindset — a healthier alternative to perfectionism or cynicism.

• Neurodiversity as strength — ADHD and nonlinear thinking can be powerful in the right environments.

• Failure ≠ failure — experiments reframe outcomes as data and opportunities to learn.

• Practical tools — “Plus, Minus, Next” weekly review and stop-doing lists can spark creativity and focus.

“Success is not reaching a goal. Success is learning something new.” – Anne-Laure Le Cunff

“A tiny experiment has no fixed outcome. Your only goal is to show up and explore.” – Anne-Laure Le Cunff

“Curiosity without ambition is escapism. Ambition without curiosity is perfectionism. An experimental mindset is both.” – Anne-Laure Le Cunff

“We don’t need to fix brains. We need to design environments that fit different brains.” – Anne-Laure Le Cunff

• 00:00 – Introduction to Anne-Laure Le Cunff and Tiny Experiments

• 01:18 – A health crisis at Google that changed everything

• 04:08 – Hustle culture, identity, and immigrant family expectations

• 05:57 – Leaving Google and family reactions

• 07:34 – Startup life: why uncertainty felt scarier than overwork

• 09:27 – When startup failure became freedom

• 10:50 – Returning to study neuroscience out of curiosity

• 12:40 – Curiosity, ADHD, and neurodiversity as superpowers

• 14:57 – The first “tiny experiment” and the generation effect

• 17:42 – Recall, connections, and building a personal knowledge network

• 21:27 – Systems vs. goals and how tiny experiments bridge the gap

• 26:09 – Redefining success: not binary, but data and learning

• 28:53 – OKRs, KPIs, and where experiments fit in business

• 30:53 – Non-attachment, curiosity, and Buddhist parallels

• 31:57 – Curiosity + ambition: the experimental mindset matrix

• 35:32 – The dangers of “one true purpose”

• 39:54 – How to start your first tiny experiment today

• 40:47 – The “Plus, Minus, Next” weekly review ritual

• 42:03 – Recommended book: How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan

• 43:21 – Where to find Anne-Laure’s work and newsletter

• Book: Tiny Experiments (Penguin)

• Website & Newsletter: Ness Labs

• Recommended Read: How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan

In this episode of the SuperCreativity Podcast, James Taylor speaks with Dr. Leidy Klotz, engineer, designer, behavioral scientist, and author of Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less. Klotz reveals why our brains are biased toward adding complexity—and why the smartest solution is often to remove, reduce, or simplify.

From Lego bridges and Jenga-inspired problem solving to organizational strategy and sustainability, Klotz shows how subtraction can fuel innovation, improve decision-making, and create more meaningful lives. Learn why leaders struggle to showcase competence by doing less, how subtraction improves team morale, and why sustainability, education, and design sectors are embracing the power of removal.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too many meetings, endless features, or bloated systems, this conversation will inspire you to see less as progress, not sacrifice.

• Our brains default to adding, not subtracting — but subtractive thinking can create elegant and effective solutions.

• Visible subtraction matters — leaders must model it for teams to feel empowered to simplify.

• Sustainability thrives on subtraction — less packaging, less waste, less complexity equals more progress.

• Subtraction boosts morale — removing tasks or meetings frees up mental energy and creativity.

• Simple rituals help — swap to-do lists for stop-doing lists, or remove one recurring meeting to reclaim focus.

• 00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Leidy Klotz and Subtract

• 01:49 – Why addition isn’t always the answer

• 04:08 – The Lego bridge story: A child’s insight into subtraction

• 07:00 – Why subtraction feels harder than addition

• 09:54 – The visibility problem: How leaders can model subtraction

• 13:39 – Subtraction in leadership: examples from Steve Jobs and Capital One

• 16:14 – Maya Lin’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial as a powerful subtractive design

• 19:56 – Marie Kondo, “omit needless words,” and joyful subtractions

• 21:47 – Innovation vs. exnovation: why patents rarely focus on subtraction

• 23:30 – Sustainability as subtraction: packaging, waste, and planetary limits

• 26:30 – Rituals: stop-doing lists, subtractive AI prompts, and meeting-free time

• 28:15 – How subtraction improves morale and team performance

• 31:59 – From marginal gains to subtractive culture in organizations

• 34:20 – Airlines, hotels, and small subtractions that save costs and resources

• 36:22 – Quotes, notebooks, and tools for creativity

• 38:22 – Book recommendations: Soccer in Sun and Shadow & The Extended Mind

• 39:45 – Where to learn more about Leidy Klotz and his upcoming work

• Book: Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less

• Website: Leidy Klotz

• Recommended Reads:

  • Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo Galeano

  • The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul

In this episode of the SuperCreativity Podcast, James Taylor interviews Dr. Joseph Jebelli, neuroscientist and author of The Brain at Rest and In Pursuit of Memory. Together, they explore how rest isn’t laziness but a neural necessity that unlocks creativity, productivity, and mental clarity.

Discover the neuroscience behind the brain’s default mode network (DMN), why overwork accelerates aging and burnout, and practical strategies for harnessing rest to spark creative insights. Dr. Jebelli also shares actionable tips on micro-rest practices, the surprising cognitive power of nature, and why doing “nothing” could be the most productive thing you do today.

Perfect for entrepreneurs, creatives, leaders, and anyone looking to work smarter—not harder.

• Rest is a productivity tool: Rest activates the brain’s default mode network, boosting intelligence, memory, and creativity.

• Burnout rewires the brain: Chronic overwork shrinks the hippocampus, enlarges the amygdala, and accelerates cognitive aging.

• Micro-rest techniques work: Short breaks, naps, and even just staring into space can enhance problem-solving and creative thinking.

• Nature fuels creativity: Spending as little as 20 minutes in green or blue spaces significantly improves creativity, memory, and immune health.

• Cultural mindset shift needed: From hustle culture to embracing rest as a key driver of performance and well-being.

“People often succeed in life not despite their inactivity but because of it.” – Dr. Joseph Jebelli

“Rest isn’t powering down; it’s your brain switching states and forming new connections.” – Dr. Joseph Jebelli

“Nature is full of what psychologists call soft fascinations—things that hold your attention effortlessly and calm the brain.” – Dr. Joseph Jebelli

“The more you rest, the sharper and more creative your brain becomes.” – Dr. Joseph Jebelli

• 00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Joseph Jebelli and his work

• 01:32 – Personal story: How overwork led to insights about rest

• 05:07 – The statistics behind burnout and its neurological effects

• 08:29 – The cultural roots of overwork and the Protestant work ethic

• 13:36 – The brain’s default mode network explained

• 17:31 – Why naps grow your brain (literally)

• 20:27 – Creativity, the shower effect, and hypnopompic states

• 24:26 – The importance of green and blue spaces for brain health

• 28:49 – Micro-rest practices for everyday life

• 33:22 – The connection between place, nature, and creativity

• 41:24 – Favorite quotes and reflections on solitude

• 44:09 – Why boredom sparks creativity

• 45:46 – Rituals vs. apps for better rest and productivity

• 47:27 – Book recommendation: The Expectation Effect by David Robson

• 49:00 – How to connect with Dr. Jebelli

• Dr. Joseph Jebelli’s Website: drjosephjebelli.com

• Book: The Brain at Rest

• Book: In Pursuit of Memory

• Recommended Read: The Expectation Effect by David Robson

In this solo episode, James Taylor shares his favorite listening game—Only Questions—and shows how strategic curiosity can unlock trust, insight, and innovation. You’ll learn the science of the curiosity gap (why a good question makes the brain restless until it gets an answer), the three reasons leaders suppress curiosity (ego, speed, fear), and a practical playbook for asking better follow-ups, spotting surprises, and building a personal “question bank.” Includes a Zurich-to-Dubai story where one question turned into a keynote-worthy insight.

• Play “Only Questions.” Make it your mission to learn as much as possible about the other person—without talking about yourself. It sharpens listening and builds trust fast.

• Use the Curiosity Gap. As behavioral economist George Loewenstein described, the gap between what we know and what we want to know pulls attention like gravity—great communicators open that gap on purpose.

• Why curiosity gets suppressed: Ego (signal expertise), speed (rush to ship), and fear (looking uninformed). Naming these helps you counter them.

• Questions change rooms. “What problem are we actually trying to solve?” and “What if we flipped the approach?” surface constraints and reveal blind spots.

• Follow-up is where the gold is. Ask “Why is that important to you?” or “What’s been the biggest challenge so far?” to go deeper.

• Train your curiosity muscle. Listen for surprises, keep a running list of great questions, and practice in low-stakes settings (planes, breaks, 1:1s).

• Pro travel tip: Bring chocolates for cabin crew—they often know the stories behind the seats.

• “Only Questions is a deliberate exercise in curiosity.”

• “In leadership, innovation, and creativity, curiosity is a superpower—and it’s massively underused.”

• “Some of the biggest breakthroughs didn’t come from the right answers; they came from better questions.”

• “The most valuable insight you hear this month might come at 35,000 feet—starting with two words: What’s interesting?”

• 00:09 — The game: How Only Questions works and why James plays it on long-haul flights.

• 01:xx — Outcomes: Building trust, mapping context, and collecting insight—while revealing almost nothing about yourself.

• 03:xx — The Curiosity Gap: Why questions hook attention and keep people engaged.

• 04:xx — The blockers: Ego, speed, and fear—how they shut down inquiry in business.

• 05:xx — Questions that shift strategy: “What problem are we actually solving?” and “What if we flipped it?”

• 06:xx — Zurich→Dubai story: A finance conversation that became a keynote-level case study.

• 07:xx — The practice plan: Follow-ups, listening for surprises, and keeping a question bank.

• 08:xx — Travel tip: Chocolates for crew = social intel.

• 09:xx — Closing prompt: Open a curiosity gap—start with, “What’s interesting?”

If this episode sparked better questions, like, follow, and subscribe to the SuperCreativity Podcast—and share it with a teammate who leads innovation.
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Creativity at work isn’t random—it’s designed. In this SuperCreativity Podcast episode, Dr. Amy Climer (author of Deliberate Creative Teams and creator of Climer Cards) joins James to break down her Purpose–Dynamics–Process model for team creativity. We dig into psychological safety and “creative abrasion,” reframing the right problem before ideating, meeting redesigns that unlock innovation, and practical tools like ethnographic interviews and image prompts. Plus: exnovation (what to stop doing) and how leaders can turn conflict into better ideas, faster.

• Be deliberate to be creative: rituals + structure make innovation repeatable.

• The Deliberate Creative Team model = Purpose, Dynamics, Process—alignment matters.

• Clarify before you ideate or you’ll solve the wrong problem.

• Encourage task conflict (“creative abrasion”), avoid relationship conflict—psychological safety is the guardrail.

• Redesign meetings: less reporting, more collaborating through clear stages (clarify → ideate → develop → test).

• Make time by stopping things: exnovate outdated tasks and meetings.

• Practical tools: Creative Problem Solving, ethnographic interviews, and image-based prompts (Climer Cards).

• “Be deliberate to be creative.”

• “Creativity is novelty that is valuable.”

• “Teams think they have a process—until you ask them to describe it.”

• “If you didn’t spend time clarifying, you’d solve the wrong problem.”

• “Creative abrasion means disagreeing about the work—respectfully.”

• 00:08 — Intro to Dr. Amy Climer and her work with innovative teams and organizations.

• 01:16 — Amy’s path: from The Artist’s Way to a PhD and a consulting practice.

• 03:23 — Creating the Deliberate Creative Team Scale: measuring behaviors, not just traits.

• 04:36 — The model: Purpose, Dynamics, Process (and why all three matter).

• 06:17 — Applying the model to an engineering team: purpose, process, and meeting design.

• 10:53 — Clarifying the problem: how five minutes can change the brief.

• 12:25 — Ethnographic interviews: talk to the people who actually have the problem.

• 14:55 — Dynamics & “creative abrasion”: productive task conflict vs. harmful relationship conflict.

• 18:05 — Safety, hierarchy, and speaking up (airline cockpit lesson).

• 22:58 — The biggest blocker is “time”—and how exnovation frees it.

• 29:47 — Letting go to innovate: pausing projects to serve emerging client needs.

• 30:30 — A teacher’s influence and early psychological safety.

• 33:59 — Leaders’ misconception: “I don’t want creativity, I want innovation.” Defining terms.

• 36:56 — More people now self-identify as creative; culture and generational shifts.

• 38:41 — The 1950 APA moment and the boom in creativity research.

• 39:37 — If you do one thing: fix your team meetings to unlock brainpower.

• 41:03 — Tools: Climer Cards and image prompts to deepen conversation and ideation.

• 43:42 — Book pick: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

• 45:12 — Connect with Amy: Climer Consulting and LinkedIn.

• 45:58 — Close.

• Deliberate Creative Teams — Dr. Amy Climer

• Climer Cards (image-based facilitation/ideation decks)

• The Artist’s Way — Julia Cameron

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow and rate the show—and share it with a colleague who cares about building innovative teams.
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In this solo episode, James Taylor breaks down how to hook and hold attention when audiences are more distracted than ever. Drawing on research (Microsoft’s “8 seconds” headline, Gloria Mark’s screen-focus studies, and a King’s College London survey) and years of stagecraft, James shares a practical framework: script the first eight seconds, chunk content into 3–5 minute segments, and use intentional attention resets (story shifts, movement, voice changes, stats, and questions) to keep people with you—online or onstage. You’ll learn specific openings, reset ideas, and a 4-step structure you can apply to keynotes, team meetings, classes, or one-to-ones.

• You have ~8 seconds to earn the next 8. Treat the opening like a runway: nail it, and you buy more attention in repeating cycles.

• Attention is under siege. Average screen focus dropped from ~2.5 minutes to ~47 seconds; many people feel eight seconds is the norm. Structure to match reality.

• Hooks that “break autopilot.” Start with a human story, a surprising question, or a stat that snaps people out of scroll-mode.

• Use attention resets every few minutes. Change story type, visuals, stage position, or vocal tone; pose a question or drop a surprising number to re-engage the room.

• Think in short, high-impact chunks. For a 30-minute talk, build in 3–5 minute segments with deliberate transitions.

• Deliver value quickly. Give people an immediate reason to invest their attention—then keep paying it off.

• Respect attention as a gift. You’re competing with the most addictive feeds ever built; intentional design beats improvisation.

• “Eight seconds is your runway. If you use it well, you earn the next eight seconds—and the next.”

• “Whatever the hook, the goal is the same: break autopilot.”

• “These resets are intentional—they pull people back from the brink of distraction.”

• “Attention isn’t guaranteed; it’s a gift. If you respect it, people will give you more of it than you think.”

• 00:08 — The 8-second challenge: Goldfish myth vs. reality; why attention is our scarcest resource.

• 01:10 — The data picture: Gloria Mark’s findings (47-second screen focus) and a 2023 King’s College London survey.

• 02:30 — Onstage diagnostics: Reading phones, posture, and eye contact to know you’ve passed the first test.

• 03:20 — Opening hooks that land: Manila power-cut story; “What do jazz musicians and AI engineers have in common?”; striking image/metric.

• 04:30 — The Attention Reset toolkit: Shift story → image, center stage → edge, full voice → whisper, stat drops, and reflective questions.

• 06:00 — Competing with attention machines: Designing like an engineer, communicating like a storyteller.

• 07:00 — The 4-step framework: 1) Script the first 8 seconds, 2) Chunk into 3–5 min segments, 3) Build resets, 4) Deliver value fast.

• 08:20 — Closing thought: Treat attention as a gift—and keep earning the next eight seconds.

If this helped you sharpen your talks, like, follow, and subscribe to the SuperCreativity Podcast—and share it with a colleague who presents often.
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