16 August 2026

Season 5, Episode 35. Innovation Funding and Frameworks with Natalie Born 

In this episode of Innovation Meets Leadership, host Natalie Born continues the Set It On Fire: The Art of Innovation series with Chapter 9: Funding Innovation. Joined by Moriah Hidden, Natalie explores why smart investment matters more than simply spending more, how clear constraints can fuel creativity, and how leaders can determine whether an idea should move forward, pivot, or stop. From balancing transformative, breakthrough, and disruptive innovation to using stage gates and studying the larger ecosystem, this episode offers practical guidance for funding ideas wisely and building for the future.

 

[00:00 - 04:13] Funding Innovation: Lessons from Nokia and Apple

  • Why greater R&D spending does not automatically lead to better innovation

  • How Nokia spent significantly more while Apple created the stronger outcome

  • The danger of funding a slow-moving train wreck of projects

  • Why investment must be connected to strategy, focus, and customer value

 

[04:14 - 11:28] Freedom Within a Framework

  • How organizational capabilities create useful boundaries for innovation

  • Why limited resources and beautiful constraints can spark creativity

  • Understanding transformative, breakthrough, and disruptive innovation

  • Recognizing when changing customer preferences require a new category

 

[11:29 - 16:31] Stage Gates, ROI, and the Innovation Ecosystem

  • Using customer feedback to decide whether to invest, pivot, or stop

  • Building a little, learning a little, and testing demand before scaling

  • Knowing when a promising idea has become something customers do not want

  • Looking beyond a single product to create value across the entire ecosystem

 

[16:32 - 19:35] Look Back, Look Out, and Look Up

  • Looking back to learn from mistakes and failures without repeating them

  • Looking out to understand competitors, market signals, and the wider landscape

  • Looking up to plan for the future through three-, five-, and ten-year strategy

  • Helping visionary leaders see around corners before change arrives

 

[19:36 - End] Turning Innovation into Action

  • Bringing intentionality to the teams, funding, and insight behind an idea

  • Connecting stage gates and investment decisions to meaningful execution

  • Choosing who an innovation is for before bringing it to life

  • Using practical frameworks to move ideas from concept to funded reality

 

Key Quotes

  • “Funding alone doesn’t determine your success.” — Natalie Born

  • “Oftentimes, it’s through the constraints that we get creative—and through that creativity, we’re able to build the future.” — Natalie Born

  • "If you don't disrupt yourself, you'll be disrupted." - Natalie Born

 

Resources & Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalieborn

Website: https://innovationmeetsleadership.com

Book & Resources: https://setitonfire.co

 

If this episode encouraged you, share it with a leader who wants to invest in innovation wisely, evaluate ideas with clarity, and build for the future.

Be sure to subscribe to Innovation Meets Leadership for more conversations on leadership, innovation, culture, and growth.

 

 

 

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