Here’s to the crazy ones.
Steve Jobs said that about the people who believe they can change the world. And you know what? I think he was talking about builders.
Not just the famous ones. Not just the billion-dollar founders. The person tinkering in a garage on a Saturday night. The designer learning to code after hours. The engineer writing their first marketing sentence because they believe their product could help someone.
There’s a certain pride that comes with making something that didn’t exist before. A humility too — because every builder knows the truth: you fail more than you succeed. The question isn’t whether you’ll make mistakes. It’s whether you’ll keep learning from them.
That’s the spirit this community is built on.
Over the past 25 years, I’ve worked across design, brand, business, and technology — from sketching products at VTech to leading digital transformation at Mary Kay, from a Kickstarter campaign that shipped across the globe to coaching 45+ tech startups through HKSTP. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate to learn from incredible builders in every field.
But I’m still learning too. Every project, every startup I coach, every book and case study I read teaches me something new. The frameworks I use today were shaped as much by my failures as by my successes — and they keep evolving.
In a world changing as fast as ours, that willingness to learn matters more than ever.
AI is rewriting the rules. Old career paths are dissolving. The uncertainty can feel overwhelming — especially if you’re wondering whether your skills are enough.
Here’s what I’ve come to believe: they are. You just need the right context, the right community, and the confidence to take the first step.
That’s why Innovation SWAT exists.
This is a community for people who love making things — at any age, at any stage. Whether you’re a seasoned founder, a student finding your footing, a career-shifter reinventing yourself, or someone who’s never built anything but dreams of starting — you belong here.
We’re building something together: a space where:
- You don’t have to choose between being technical and being strategic
- Trial and error is celebrated, not hidden
- Every builder — at every level — finds inspiration, practical tools, and people who genuinely want them to succeed
What to expect from this newsletter:
- Real stories from real projects — the wins, the failures, and the messy middle
- Practical frameworks drawn from hands-on experience and the best thinking I can find
- Honest takes on AI and the future of work — not hype, not fear, just what I’ve seen working
- A growing community where we help each other build with confidence
Over the coming weeks, I’ll share what I’ve learned about why great products fail to find their audience, how cross-functional teams can stop fighting and start building, what AI actually means for the way we work, and the one system I wish I’d had when I started my first venture.
Nothing academic. Just lessons learned the hard way — shared with people who are learning too.
If you’ve ever built something — or want to — you belong here.
Welcome to Innovation SWAT.
Let’s build what matters. 🚀
