Sketchplanations - The Podcast

Bell Boy Productions

Big Ideas explored through Little Pictures. We offer up great conversations about ideas based on simple and insightful sketches in the Sketchplanations online collection, with the aim of giving listeners something fun and interesting to have their own conversations about. This is an explainer podcast for the curious-minded. Topics covered include science, behavioural economics, wellbeing, nature, psychology frameworks, business models, cognitive biases, and even domestic life-hacks.  It's certainly not a self-help podcast, but you might take something away that helps you notice or even enjoy the world around you a little more. Sketchplanations illustrator and author Jono Hey joins lifelong friends Tom Pellereau (2011 Apprentice Winner) and Rob Bell (Engineer & Broadcaster) to share ideas and stories catalysed by each week's sketch. The 3 of us have been friends for over 20 years and have always enjoyed delving into all sorts of conversation topics - usually with some silliness along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Submarine Lessons for Business Leadership

    1D AGO

    Submarine Lessons for Business Leadership

    US Navy submarine captain and author David Marquet discusses leadership lessons from turning the USS Santa Fe from worst to best, focusing on “pushing authority to information” rather than pushing information up a hierarchy. Marquet critiques industrial-age leadership language that seeks obedience and creates “bobblehead” agreement, arguing that real engagement comes from giving people decision-making authority, He also explains “distancing,” as a leadership and decision-making tool: viewing oneself from a third-person, from a different time, and/or from a different place to reduce ego and defensiveness over previous decisions.  A thoroughly fascinating chat with a very talented and fun individual.  External Links for items referenced in the conversation: David’s 3 books can be found here: Turn the Ship Around (+ workbook), Leadership is Language, and DistancingHere are two of many of David's talks to be found on YouTube: What is leadership? and Turn the Ship Around at the World Web ForumHere's the YouTube video of David rating submarine movies for how realistic they portray life under the waves.David talks about advice given to him by Simon SinekSome of Jono's other skecthes references in this podcast include: Solvitor Ambulando (it is solved by walking); 9 windows (problem solving tool); Anchors and Tugboats (self-talk)David talks about ultra-runner extraordinaire Courtney Dauwalter Summary 00:00 From Cold War Kid to Submariner 03:02 Life Aboard a High-Performing Sub 03:53 The Arbitrary Officer Divide 04:40 Student Not "Expert" 05:51 Words That Kill Curiosity 08:44 What Leadership Was Taught 12:37 Pushing Authority to Information 16:03 Submarine Leave Approval Hack 20:02 Authority in Everyday Workplaces 21:59 Bias for Action and Excellence 22:46 Distancing to Decide Better 25:41 Put Them In Your Chair 26:12 Distancing In Space & Time 27:45 Inviting Feedback Culture 28:52 Nine Windows Thinking Tool 30:25 You Can Do It Self Talk 32:28 Regret Proof Decisions 38:04 Journaling Into A Book 39:41 Be Your Own Coach 45:50 Team Reviews Without Defensiveness 47:19 Live Big Bold Lives 48:14 Submarine Movies And Ambiguity 50:55 Wrap Up Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    52 min
  2. Hitting the Target: Accuracy vs. Precision

    MAR 24

    Hitting the Target: Accuracy vs. Precision

    Using Jono’s sketch of four archery targets, we discuss why and how accuracy and precision differ. Using many different examples, we frame the distinction as “accuracy being true to intention and precision being true to itself,” also phrased as doing the right thing versus doing it right. The sketch is inspired by Simon Winchester's book, Exactly, where precision and accuracy are connected to the industrial revolution via Henry Maudsley’s innovative screw-cutting lathe, micrometer, and the concept of interchangeable parts. The conversation broadens to explore examples in food (McDonald’s vs artisan meals), recipes, recruiting, IQ tests (validity vs reliability), indoctrinated beliefs, gut feelings, culture’s return to individual craftsmanship, AI’s variable answers, LED mask wavelength tolerances, and targeting weapons. External links Also referenced in this episode: Jono's sketch that describes the difference between Reliability and Validity.Jono's sketch inspired by Roger Martin's Knowledge Funnel.Jono's sketch outlining The Beard Cycle. Episode Outline 00:00 Accuracy vs Precision: the Four Target Sketch 03:23 True to Intention 04:11 Ball Through Window 05:44 Precision Built World 09:45 Food and Recipes 13:27 Calibration and Scales 14:47 Manufacturing Tolerances 16:51 Hiring and Testing 19:16 Beliefs and Education 23:01 Culture and Craft 26:09 Doctors Robots and AI 29:03 Wrap Up and Credits All music on this podcast series is provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli and you can find more tracks at franccinelli.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    30 min
  3. Do you Know Your Dashes?

    MAR 10

    Do you Know Your Dashes?

    If you like the finer details of grammar and punctuation, then you're gonna love this episode. We geek out on the subtle, but incredibly important and occasionally crucial differences between three little horizontal lines: the hyphen - the En Dash – and the Em Dash — Jono explains hyphens for line breaks and compound terms, how usage can evolve into single words (e.g., wildlife, wellbeing), and why hyphen placement can change meaning (e.g., five-dollar bills). The en dash is described as linking ranges and relationships (pages, dates, times, scores, routes, debates, partnerships, negotiations), with notes on how to type it. The em dash is framed as a stronger-than-comma interruption for added thoughts, with style cautions and typing methods. They discuss underscore origins from typewriters, punctuation differences across countries, and how AI popularized em dashes as a telltale sign of machine-written text. Most importantly though, we discuss why this matters and that if used correctly, they can help avoid misunderstandings. Episode Summary 00:00 Welcome to Sketchplanations 00:40 What Are Dashes 03:09 Hyphen Basics 04:32 Hyphenated Words 05:35 Language Evolves 07:00 Hyphen Pitfalls 07:31 Tom on Hyphens 10:38 Meet the En Dash 11:41 Typing En Dashes 12:32 En Dash Use Cases 14:47 Spacing and Style 15:30 Introducing Em Dash 15:33 Em Dash Basics 16:15 Style Guide Rules 18:08 Brackets vs Speech 18:57 Where Names Come From 20:32 Underscore Origins 22:05 Reading Dashes Aloud 24:39 Does It Matter 26:04 Oxford Comma Stakes 28:36 AI Em Dash Tell 29:59 Typing Em Dashes 30:32 Punctuation By Country 31:41 Morse Code And Minus 32:43 Final Sign Off External Link There's only one link this week: Jono referenced the book Strunk and White : The Elements of Style All music on this podcast is provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  4. Digging Through the Planet: The Geography of Antipodes

    FEB 24

    Digging Through the Planet: The Geography of Antipodes

    Have you ever wondered what's happening on the exact opposite side of the world to you? Wherever you are on our planet, there's a good chance you'd need a snorkel. In this episode, we explore the concept of antipodes—the exact point on the opposite side of Earth from wherever you're standing. We discover why most antipodes end up in the ocean rather than on land and cover a whole host of fascinating geographic facts, including how the Northern Hemisphere contains the vast majority of Earth's land and population, how map projections distort our view of the planet, and why Earth's oblate spheroid shape means some antipode distances are longer than others. Along the way, we also raise the big questions like how deep have humans ever dug into Earth and how long it would take to fall through a frictionless tunnel to your antipode. External Links and mentions on the show: Jono's sketch that explains the Mercator Map Projection Jono references the Antipodal Map in the book Marvellous Maps by  Simon KuestenmacherThe 7.6 mile deep hole Jono talks about is the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Russia, initiated by Soviet scientists in 1970, primarily to better understand the earth’s crust. Here's Jono's sketch about the thickness of the earth's crust being proportionally similar to the thickness of an apple's skin. And finally, if you want to know your exact antipode, you can look here on AntipodeMap.com Episode Summary 00:00 What Are Antipodes 03:23 Land Distribution on Earth 04:14 Map Projections and Perspectives 07:19 Antipodal Map Overlay 08:56 Cultural References Worldwide 10:15 Etymology of Antipode 10:41 Digging Through Earth 12:44 UK Antipodes 13:29 Great Circle Routes 14:20 Earth's Oblate Shape 15:25 Tunnel Through Earth 16:34 Closing Remarks All music on this podcast series is provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    17 min
  5. The closer you look, the longer it gets: The Coastline Paradox

    FEB 10

    The closer you look, the longer it gets: The Coastline Paradox

    When you want to measure something you take your ruler or tape measure and read off the length right? But when it comes to measuring the length of a coastline, things get a bit tricky and totally counter intuitive. 🌊 The science and maths of measuring wiggly coastlines reveal that the smaller the unit of measure, the longer the coastline becomes. Jono recounts the origins of this phenomenon from polymath, Lewis Fry Richardson and its further exploration by Benoit B. Mandelbrot. The trio also relate the concept to various other real-world examples, including the surfaces of the brain and lungs, Romanesco cauliflower, and stock market patterns. Additionally, they touch on the philosophical implications of measurement and delve into the concept of infinity. Episode Summary: 00:00 Introduction the Coastline Paradox 04:12 Historical Context and Discovery 14:10 Fractals and Natural World Applications 17:26 Modern Implications and Analogies 24:36 Conclusion and Final Thoughts External Links and mentions on the show: Jono refers to and leans heavily on the writing of Geoffrey West in his book "Scale" to tell the story of how this was discovered.Rob's half-baked fact about The Standardised Meter can be expanded on here.This is what the self-similarity of a Romanesco Cauliflower looks likeHere is the avenue of trees in Bushy Park, in Southwest London that Jono slalomed.Here are more facts on who originally defined the number 'zero' as we know it today. All music on this podcast series is provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    26 min
  6. More Than Just Rings: Unity, History, and Ambition.

    JAN 27

    More Than Just Rings: Unity, History, and Ambition.

    Have you ever wondered what the colours on the Olympic flag represent? The Olympic logo is a globally recognised brand and remarkably, it was designed over 100 years ago by the founder of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin. This time, we discuss the history and symbolism of this design icon ahead of the Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, Italy. We find out about its representation of unity among the five (?) continents (one for each ring), and the careful selection of the flag's colours. The episode also delves into fascinating Olympic trivia, including the evolution of the games, historical moments, and the development of the Olympic motto. Rob also shares insights from filming at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, for his series 'The Vault,' which explores Olympic history through artefacts found in their archives. You can watch all 10 episodes of The Vault for free here on the Olympics Channel. Episode Summary 00:00 Introduction and Excitement for the Winter Olympics 01:42 The Genesis of the Olympic Flag 02:50 Symbolism and Design of the Olympic Flag 05:06 Pierre de Coubertin: The Visionary Behind the Olympics 05:21 Exploring Olympic History and Artifacts 09:35 Evolution of the Olympic Games and Flag 22:28 Conclusion and Farewell All music on this podcast series is by the very talented Franc Cinelli. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    23 min
  7. Tsundoku: Do you buy books faster than you can read them? 📚🤔

    JAN 13

    Tsundoku: Do you buy books faster than you can read them? 📚🤔

    How big is that pile of books next to your bed? Tsundoku is a Japanese word for buying books and letting them pile up unread. It’s a familiar habit to book lovers everywhere — that growing stack of books you intend to read but haven’t yet. In this episode of Sketchplanations The Podcast, we explore why we buy books we don’t read, why unread books don’t always feel like a bad thing, and what this habit says about curiosity, identity, and our relationship with reading. In this episode we embrace Tsundoku and our conversation ranges from buying too many books to the joy and guilt of collecting unread books, and how tsundoku can extend to audiobooks, hobbies, and other unread things. If you’ve ever wondered why you buy books faster than you can read them — or felt conflicted about your own unread pile — this episode is for you. Links to items (mainly books) that we discussed: The book that changed Tom's life: Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman and Mark WintersThe book from Jono's pile he next wants to start: A few short sentences about writing by Verlyn KlinkenborgRobbie is most looking forward to getting started on: Whatever will be will be by Felix WhiteJono recommends cartoons about books and reading by Tom GauldBig Ideas, Little Pictures is the Sketchplanations book by Jono Hey Summary: 00:00 Introduction to Tsundoku: The Act of Collecting Unread Books 02:52 Personal Stories and Reflections on Tsundoku 05:20 The Broader Implications of Tsundoku 07:49 Books as Gifts and Their Value 10:03 The Joy and Guilt of Collecting Books 17:14 Final Thoughts and Reflections 19:34 Conclusion and Farewell All music on this podcast series is by the very talented Franc Cinelli Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    21 min
  8. Family Tree Explainer

    12/30/2025

    Family Tree Explainer

    Do you know who your second cousins are or if you even have any? And what does "once removed" mean anyway? Tune in to this episode as we unravel the mysteries of family relations—which we figured would be particularly helpful at the festive time of year. We explore the subtleties of family trees, making our way to 'Second Cousins Once Removed'. We dig into the confusion around generational terms and the importance of knowing your extended family. We share a few family-related anecdotes and cultural differences, such as the Chinese family tree and Icelandic naming conventions. We strongly encourage you to follow along with the sketch at Sketchplanations.com to better understand your own family connections. Here are the Chinese family tree names mentioned. Episode Summary 00:00 Welcome to Sketchplanations 00:47 Understanding Family Relations 02:13 Exploring Second Cousins 06:06 Generational Differences Explained 11:48 Cultural Perspectives on Family Trees 14:57 Famous Families and Their Connections 15:08 The Mayflower Ancestor Story 15:55 Family Trees and Their Complexity 16:43 The Importance of Family Connections 18:01 Tracing Family History 21:07 Unique Family Names and Their Origins 22:28 Surname Origins and Commonality 25:58 Gender-Neutral Family Terms 27:07 Concluding Thoughts All music on this podcast series is provided by the very talented Franc Cinelli Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    29 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Big Ideas explored through Little Pictures. We offer up great conversations about ideas based on simple and insightful sketches in the Sketchplanations online collection, with the aim of giving listeners something fun and interesting to have their own conversations about. This is an explainer podcast for the curious-minded. Topics covered include science, behavioural economics, wellbeing, nature, psychology frameworks, business models, cognitive biases, and even domestic life-hacks.  It's certainly not a self-help podcast, but you might take something away that helps you notice or even enjoy the world around you a little more. Sketchplanations illustrator and author Jono Hey joins lifelong friends Tom Pellereau (2011 Apprentice Winner) and Rob Bell (Engineer & Broadcaster) to share ideas and stories catalysed by each week's sketch. The 3 of us have been friends for over 20 years and have always enjoyed delving into all sorts of conversation topics - usually with some silliness along the way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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