Technovation with Peter High (CIO, CTO, CDO, CXO Interviews)

Most career advice gets one thing wrong: it always tells you to follow your passion. In this episode of Technoventure, Bill Gurley, recent Author of Runnin’ Down a Dream, General Partner at Benchmark and investor in companies like Uber and Zillow shares a more actionable framework: follow your fascination. Drawing from decades in venture capital and insights from his new book, Gurley explains how curiosity, not convention, drives long-term success. Key insights include: Why fascination is a stronger signal than passion How over-structured career paths lead to disengagement The role of peer networks in accelerating growth Why non-linear careers produce better outcomes How AI is reshaping opportunity and speculation cycles

What if claims processing could be 10x faster without sacrificing accuracy? In this episode of Technovation, Pravina Ladva, Group Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Swiss Re, shares how one of the world’s leading reinsurers is using AI to transform claims processing, unlock insights, and redefine how work gets done across the enterprise. Key highlights include: How AI is reducing claims processing time from ~40 days to 4–5 days Why data ingestion is the biggest unlock for AI in insurance The importance of building “AI-ready” data foundations How Swiss Re achieved ~60% enterprise AI adoption Why AI transformation is more about people and process than technology

Apple’s greatest successes were built on failure. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with David Pogue, an Emmy-winning journalist, former New York Times technology columnist, CBS News correspondent and author of Apple: The First 50 Years, about how Apple transformed early product missteps into category-defining innovation. Drawing on 150 interviews and decades of coverage, Pogue unpacks the hidden lessons behind Apple’s most famous failures—and how they shaped the company’s future. Key insights include: Why the Apple III and Lisa failed—and what they enabled How constraints in the early Mac informed later breakthroughs The role of leadership in reframing failure as progress Apple’s near-collapse and improbable turnaround What today’s executives can learn from Apple’s innovation model

The modern workplace wasn’t designed for today’s leaders, and it’s starting to break under the pressure. In this episode of Technovation, board director, author and former CIO Lisa Davis joins Peter High to examine why the workplace system, built decades ago, no longer supports the realities of modern careers. Drawing from her leadership experience across government, academia, and the private sector, Davis outlines what must change, and what leaders must do now. Key insights include: Why the current workplace model is structurally outdated How power dynamics shape leadership advancement The hidden cost of talent loss and system misalignment Why AI leadership lacks critical representation What executives must do to redesign work for the future

China is competing on control. In this episode, Ram Charan explains the “90% Model,” a strategy designed to dominate global manufacturing through scale, pricing power, and long-term positioning. Drawing on decades advising CEOs and global leaders, Charan breaks down how this model is reshaping industries—and what it means for business leaders navigating a fragmented, multi-polar world. Key insights include: Why China is willing to lose money to gain global dominance How “asset-light” strategies weakened Western manufacturing What CEOs must do to redesign supply chains for resilience Why AI should be treated as a tool—not a strategy How leadership must evolve in an era of unprecedented scale and speed

What does it really take to scale a company 10X in just a few years? Jon McNeill argues it’s not genius, it’s a system. In this episode of Technoventure, Jon McNeill, former President of Tesla and CEO of DVx Ventures, breaks down “The Algorithm,” a five-step framework that powered Tesla’s rise from $2B to $20B in revenue. He shares how questioning assumptions, eliminating friction, and accelerating execution can unlock exponential growth. Key insights include: Why hypergrowth is a repeatable operating system—not a one-time event How Tesla reduced complexity to increase speed and conversion The role of first-principles thinking in breakthrough innovation Why cycle time is the ultimate performance metric How leaders can build cultures that embrace feedback and urgency

Why do most AI initiatives fail to deliver real value? Because they automate broken processes instead of fixing them. In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Shobhit Varshney, Global Head of Artificial Intelligence at Citi, about how one of the world’s largest banks is rethinking AI from the ground up. With experience spanning Citi and IBM, Shobhit shares how a value-first, platform-driven approach is enabling AI at scale, while maintaining strong governance and control. Key highlights include: Why re-engineering workflows is essential before applying AI How Citi prioritizes high-value use cases with clear ROI accountability The role of centralized AI platforms in scaling capabilities Embedding responsible AI across the enterprise Building an AI-first culture through training and champions

What happens when IT stops delivering projects—and starts delivering outcomes? In this episode of Technovation, Peter High speaks with Alex Gutman, CTO of Gilbane, about how a 150-year-old construction leader is transforming its IT operating model around value streams. Gutman shares how aligning technology to client-defined value is driving agility, accountability, and measurable business impact. Key highlights include: Transitioning from siloed projects to outcome-driven value streams Building faster learning loops through cross-functional alignment Treating data as a trusted asset to enable scalable AI Applying AI to accelerate RFP responses and field execution Designing architecture for flexibility, speed, and long-term differentiation