Innovation Impossible

How to Become an Insights Leader - Dr. Liubov Ruchinskaya | Innovation Impossible

What does it really take to move from “data provider” to true decision-maker in the C-suite? And what happens to insights teams in an AI world where we might… simply vanish?In this episode of Innovation Impossible, our host Danniel Roumian Booker sits down with Dr. Liubov Ruchinskaya — Head of Strategy, Analytics & Consumer Planning at Diageo, former insights leader at Colgate-Palmolive and Electrolux, and founder of Insights Lighthouse, a global community of client-side insights leaders.From cannabis toothpaste and premium oral beauty to dishwashers, washing machines, and luxury spirits, Liubov has spent 20+ years turning math, econometrics, and human behavior into competitive advantage.In this conversation, we dive into:🚀 Turning “white space” into real products- How Colgate Elixir reimagined oral care as a beauty routine, not a boring daily chore- The cannabis toothpaste project: what worked, what didn’t, and why “gray areas” can kill great ideas- Why asking consumers what they want often doesn’t work — and what to do instead🧠 Leading through crises & ambiguity- How COVID forced Colgate to radically reshape insights work almost overnight- The three rules Liubov used to navigate chaos: flexibility, agility, and “falling in love with the problem”- Why you should fail fast and detach your ego from your favorite idea🧺 From R&D-led to people-centric at Electrolux- Building a global insights function across 4 regions and millions of R&D ideas- Using math, KPIs, and predictive models to prioritize which innovations deserve investment- Humanizing “boring” appliances and why packaging, emotion, and storytelling win when tech is equal🥃 Competing in a moderating, disrupted drinks market- Inside Diageo’s portfolio strategy across 11 very different cultures- Navigating tariffs, geopolitics, and a global shift toward moderation and no/low alcohol- Why focus and calculated risk are everything when the whole industry is under pressure🤖 AI, synthetic data & the future of insights- Why only a small minority of insights teams operate as true thought leaders today- How AI, synthetic data, and agentic systems will transform insights beyond “faster surveys”- Who should own Chief AI / Data roles — and why Liubov believes insights must step up- The blunt warning: why insights teams “might not exist any longer” if they don’t evolve, get fearless, and lead🌍 Career, networking & building your own ‘board of directors’- Why you should treat your career like being CEO of your own company- How to build a global network (even if you’re not a natural networker)- The origin story of Insights Lighthouse at Davos — turning a personal “failure” into a global movementIf you’re an insights leader, CMI professional, product innovator, strategist, or marketer wondering how to stay relevant in the AI era, this episode is packed with hard-won wisdom, honest career advice, and real examples from Colgate, Electrolux, and Diageo.This episode is sponsored by Prelaunch.com, the qual and quant platform that guarantees actionable insights from ready-to-buy customers... before you launch your innovation.#Innovation #ProductDevelopment #ConsumerInsights #AI #CPG #B2BMarketing #RD

How NBC helped launch online video for $45,000 - Keyur Shroff | Innovation Impossible

In this episode of Innovation Impossible, our host Danniel Roumian Booker sits down with Keyur Shroff, Vice President at a Fortune 500 Health Company. Keyur has over 20 years experience developing innovations for giants like NBC, Comcast, Johnson & Johnson, and now a Fortune 500 Health Company. His work has placed him in fields as diverse as health and pharma, TV and media, AI, and HR, just to name a few! In this episode: * How Comcast launched one of its first online video platforms for just $45,000 * How to get your innovative voice heard at BIG corporations * The innovation frameworks you should be applying every day * Where start-ups have leverage over enterprise brands... and what they can learn from them * And what enterprises need to learn from start-ups This episode is sponsored by Prelaunch.com, the qual and quant platform that guarantees actionable insights from ready-to-buy customers... before you launch your innovation.

From Tide Pods to Pringles to Smoke-Free Alternatives - Olivier Houpert | Innovation Impossible

How do you balance sustaining vs. disruptive innovation, leveraging AI for product development, all while working within strict regulations? Olivier Houpert breaks it down. In this episode of Innovation Impossible, our host Danniel Roumian Booker sits down with Olivier Houpert, Chief Innovation and Product Officer at Altria and former global R&D leader at Procter & Gamble. From launching healthier Pringles variants to leading a smoke-free future in one of the most highly regulated industries, Olivier shares the bold decisions, failures, and insights that shaped his innovation mindset. This is a candid look at what it really takes to innovate in legacy industries. * Why innovation can’t come from inside * How to test bold ideas with Frankenstein prototypes * The real health risk in smoking — and what innovation is doing about it * Using AI to spark product ideas no human would have thought of * Why the most boring-sounding jobs often lead to the biggest growth Whether you're in FMCG, pharma, or tech, this episode is packed with real-world advice for innovators, product managers, insights leaders, and R&D pros. This episode is sponsored by Prelaunch.com, the qual and quant platform that guarantees actionable insights from ready-to-buy customers... before you launch your innovation.

Why global launches flop and how Electrolux innovates at scale - Rahul Kumar | Innovation Impossible

What happens when your global product fails miserably in a new market? Rahul Kumar has the answers — and the battle scars to prove it. In this episode of Innovation Impossible, our host Danniel Roumian Booker sits down with Rahul Kumar, Global Head of R&D for Wellbeing and SDA at Electrolux. In this episode of Innovation Impossible, we dive into: * The million-dollar lesson Electrolux learned launching European products in India * How ignoring real-world human behavior destroys innovation * The right way to diagnose product failure (Fishbone + 5 Whys explained) * Why "one-size-fits-all" products don't work globally — and what to do instead * How AI, IoT, and multifunctional products are reshaping homes worldwide If you're an innovation leader, product manager, or insights pro building for global markets — this episode is essential. 🧠 Innovation Impossible is the show for product leaders, R&D teams, and innovators shaping the world of tomorrow. This episode is sponsored by Prelaunch.com, the qual and quant platform that guarantees actionable insights from ready-to-buy customers... before you launch your innovation.

Why Google Killed 300+ Products - Alistair Rennie | Innovation Impossible

In this episode of Innovation Impossible, our host Danniel Roumian Booker sits down with Alistair Rennie, Global Head of Innovation & Thought Leadership @ Protocol Theory. Alistair has spent the last 20 years helping giants like Google, Easy Crypto, and the UK Post Office rethink innovation itself. And in this episode, we discuss the truth behind Google’s “Messy Middle” model of customer behavior; why web3, AI, VR, and even electric car companies fail to cross the chasm — and how to fix it; how to build insight-gathering communities years before launch (even for unbuilt products); and why traditional consumer research is broken — and what to do instead. This episode is sponsored by Prelaunch.com, the qual and quant platform that guarantees actionable insights from ready-to-buy customers... before you launch your innovation.