Here at EarlyGroove HQ, we are big fans of podcasts and the wisdom they contain.  Recently we discovered ZigZag, which defines itself as “a podcast about changing the course of capitalism, journalism, and women’s lives.”  On their third season, public radio veterans, Manoush Zomorodi and Jen Poyant, are exploring the lifecycle of an idea.  Given that we’ve been living and breathing this lifecycle, we thought this would be a great resource to share with you!

In the episode, The Lifecycle of an Idea, Manoush interviews Jackie Fenn, researcher and originator of the Gartner Hype Cycle model which documents this cycle from “Innovation Trigger” (we’ve got the next big idea!) … to the “Peak of Inflated Expectations” (we’re the next unicorn!) … to the “Trough of Disillusionment” (this is freakin’ harder than we thought!) … up the long “Slope of Enlightenment” (there is light at the end of the tunnel!) … and finally cruising into the “Plateau of Productivity” (we’ve got this!).

This conversation completely resonated with us and our own rollercoaster ride of innovation!

Enjoy!