Alan McKee 7/18/25 Alan McKee 7/18/25

The Ziggy Effect

When David Bowie created "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," he didn't just make a new album—he created an entire persona and universe.

Like Bowie's complete reimagining of what a musician could be, the most successful businesses start with someone envisioning a fundamentally different way of solving problems—then systematically building that vision into reality.

Alan McKee 7/16/25 Alan McKee 7/16/25

Hold My Beer

"I want my voice to sound like the Dalai Lama chanting from a mountaintop"

John Lennon walked into the studio with this request that must have seemed impossible. He told engineer Geoff Emerick he wanted his voice to sound like "the Dalai Lama chanting from a mountaintop." Not exactly a technical specification, right? But that vivid vision led to one of rock's most innovative recordings.

Alan McKee 7/9/25 Alan McKee 7/9/25

Tragedy & Innovation

Some business ideas come from market research. Others - come from personal pain.

At 2 AM, my family called for a hospice nurse as our loved one was actively dying. The nurse didn't arrive for two hours. Our loved one passed away in distress, without the professional comfort care they deserved.

Alan McKee 7/9/25 Alan McKee 7/9/25

Remember Kodak?

Remember Kodak?

They thought they were in the film business...

Here's the thing about business - standing still is actually moving backward. Too many entrepreneurs get married to their initial business model instead of their core mission.

Alan McKee 7/9/25 Alan McKee 7/9/25

The Five Headed Monster

The Five Headed Monster that haunts entrepreneurs.

The Five Faces of Imposter Syndrome. Let's talk about which flavor of imposter syndrome is holding you back.

Alan McKee 7/9/25 Alan McKee 7/9/25

Imagine

Here's something wild - John Lennon, co-founder of arguably the most influential band in history, once said: "Part of me suspects that I'm a loser and the other part of me thinks I'm God Almighty." If that doesn't sound like classic imposter syndrome, I don't know what does.