UnNatural Selection

Nic Encina
  • 5.0 (13)
  • BUSINESS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

~ Evolution by Design: Synthesizing Cross-Industry Innovation ~ – Curious about what innovation looks like in industries vastly different from yours? The UnNatural Selection Podcast applies ‘Survival of the Fittest’ to the world of business innovation. We explore how organizations adapt, evolve, and outcompete under the ruthless laws of evolution -- directly from the pioneers shaping their frontiers. – * This podcast is a living thesis on innovation strategy. The best place to start are the Synthesis Episodes (eg Episode 25)

  1. Winning by Milliseconds: Formula One • Aston Martin / Shergul Arshad

    7H AGO

    Winning by Milliseconds: Formula One • Aston Martin / Shergul Arshad

    Formula One is one of the most technologically advanced and hyper-competitive industries on Earth. In Episode 53, Nic speaks with Shergul Arshad, Head of North America for Aston Martin Formula One, about what it takes to compete in a world where races – and championships – can be decided by hundredths of a second. Shergul takes us behind the scenes of modern Formula One: AI-driven engineering, real-time analytics, wind tunnel testing, logistics operations resembling NASA mission control, and the relentless pursuit of microscopic advantages across thousands of moving parts. The conversation explores how regulation shapes innovation, how elite organizations sustain competitive advantage, why Formula One exploded in popularity in the United States, and what every industry can learn from a sport obsessed with precision, iteration, and performance under pressure. From sponsorship strategy and global brand building to telemetry, aerodynamics, and the future of Formula One, this episode is a masterclass in modern competition at 200 miles per hour.

    53 min
  2. At First, There Was Light: Candle Manufacturing • Alene Candles / Rodney Harl

    MAY 19

    At First, There Was Light: Candle Manufacturing • Alene Candles / Rodney Harl

    Candles are one of the oldest technologies in human history. They lit our homes, guided our nights, and shaped civilization – until the light bulb nearly made them obsolete. So how does a 3,000-year-old industry reinvent itself and grow in a world flooded with artificial light? In Episode 52 of UnNatural Selection, Nic speaks with Rodney Harl, Chairman of Alene Candles, about innovation, safety, supply chains, and the surprising science behind a product millions of people light in their homes every day. Rodney shares how candles evolved from survival technology into lifestyle and identity products—and why modern candle manufacturing looks more like a biotech lab than a craft workshop. From chemical formulation and safety testing to rapid supply chains and global competition, this episode reveals how even the oldest industries must constantly reinvent themselves to stay relevant. If you think candle making is simple, this conversation will change your mind.

    59 min
  3. Infrastructure Wins: Research & Diagnostics • Danaher / JC Gutierrez-Ramos

    MAY 12

    Infrastructure Wins: Research & Diagnostics • Danaher / JC Gutierrez-Ramos

    Breakthroughs don’t fail because of bad science – they fail because the systems needed to deliver them don’t exist yet. In this episode of UnNatural Selection, Nic speaks with Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, Senior Vice President and Chief Science Officer at Danaher, about the hidden bottlenecks slowing progress in life sciences – and what they reveal about innovation in every industry. JC shares how his journey from patient to immunologist shaped his mission to improve human health, and why the biggest barriers today aren’t discovering new therapies – they’re selecting the right patients, generating real-world evidence, and building the manufacturing and diagnostic infrastructure needed to scale breakthroughs. The conversation explores why innovation increasingly happens between industries, why incentives across ecosystems often don’t align, and why the next decade will reshape who leads discovery, development, and delivery. This episode is about the uncomfortable truth behind progress: discovery is only the beginning.

    54 min
  4. Brand Beats Commodity: Casual Hospitality • bartaco / Anthony Valletta

    MAY 5

    Brand Beats Commodity: Casual Hospitality • bartaco / Anthony Valletta

    Tacos might be one of the most commoditized products on the planet. You can find them everywhere, at every price point, in nearly every city. So how do you build a truly distinctive brand around something so common? In this Season 2 premiere of UnNatural Selection, we explore how bartaco has done exactly that. CEO Anthony Valletta shares how the company escaped the commodity trap by focusing on something deeper than the menu: experience, community, and the feeling of belonging. This conversation dives into why the real competitor in hospitality isn’t another restaurant—it’s isolation, convenience, and digital overload. You’ll hear how bartaco designs environments that encourage connection, why simplicity can be the ultimate form of innovation, and how a brand can scale emotional experiences without losing authenticity. If you care about differentiation, brand strategy, hospitality, or building meaningful experiences in crowded markets, this episode is a masterclass in turning the ordinary into the unforgettable. Season 2 starts here.

    59 min
  5. Family Superpowers: Adaptability Starts at Home

    APR 30

    Family Superpowers: Adaptability Starts at Home

    Adaptability Starts at Home In this special pre–Season 2 episode of UnNatural Selection, the microphones move from global innovators to a much tougher audience: family. Before the official Season 2 kickoff, the Encina family gathers in the “Family Board Room” for a strategic review of Season 1. The goal? Apply lessons from world-class pioneers to the far more complex challenge of everyday family life. Because if innovation strategy can’t survive bedtime negotiations, sibling diplomacy, and the emotional volatility of snack shortages… is it really strategy? Most families overlook one of the most powerful skills that can transform how they communicate, solve problems, and grow together: adaptability. This conversation explores what happens when a family tries to evolve on purpose – in real time. Together, the team reviews the Season 1 playbook and pressure-tests it against real household challenges. Along the way, they discover a slightly uncomfortable truth: the principles that help organizations survive disruption apply suspiciously well to family life. If you’re a parent, partner, caregiver, or simply part of a group chat that occasionally spirals, this episode offers a practical and surprisingly relatable blueprint for evolving together. Season 2 launches next.

    26 min
  6. A New Era Begins: Next-Gen Content Strategy • Chief Content Officer/Valentina Encina

    APR 1

    A New Era Begins: Next-Gen Content Strategy • Chief Content Officer/Valentina Encina

    What does it take to reinvent a podcast for its next phase of growth? In this April Fool’s special of UnNatural Selection, we convene a high-stakes programming strategy session to chart the future of Season Two. To lead the effort, we’ve brought in Valentina Encina–Chief Content Officer, head of household programming, and a six-year-old executive with a flawless track record and absolute authority. In this candid (and highly directive) session, Valentina outlines a bold new content roadmap, including: Ocean exploration and the mysteries of the deep seaZoology and the path to becoming a “zoo expert”Farming, food systems, and making work more funHealth, strength, and how bodies actually workCooking, with an emphasis on real-world applicationHigh-speed competition, from NASCAR to Formula OneInfrastructure fundamentals—like how water gets to your houseWhat emerges is a surprisingly coherent–and refreshingly unfiltered–vision for the future of the show: follow curiosity, prioritize what’s interesting, and don’t overcomplicate things. This episode is part of our April Fool’s series, but the shift is real. Season Two launches this May. A new era begins. Until then… we’ll be taking direction from leadership.

    9 min
  7. Survival of the Friendliest: Rude Dinosaurs • Rø Ventures/Roman Encina

    APR 1

    Survival of the Friendliest: Rude Dinosaurs • Rø Ventures/Roman Encina

    The World’s Leading Expert on Rude Dinosaurs What can rude dinosaurs teach us about competition, behavior, and survival? In this special April Fool’s episode of UnNatural Selection, we sit down with Roman Encina–widely regarded (at least in our household) as the world’s foremost expert on rude dinosaurs. Drawing on years of fieldwork across living rooms, playgrounds, and bedtime theory sessions, Roman shares his insights into a complex and often misunderstood ecosystem: Why some dinosaurs bite… and others choose to be niceHow rude and nice behaviors evolve—and sometimes overlapWhat happens when you encounter dinosaurs near lava (and how to avoid becoming lunch)And the surprisingly simple strategy for becoming a better dinosaurWhat starts as a lighthearted conversation quickly reveals something deeper: even in a world of roaring, chaos, and sharp teeth, the rules of behavior—and survival—are simpler than we think. This candid, unscripted interview is part of our April Fool’s series as we prepare for a major evolution of UnNatural Selection. Season Two launches this May. Until then… stay away from lava. And rude dinosaurs.

    7 min
  8. unNatural Signals v2: Synthesis Episode • unNatural Selection / Nic Encina

    12/09/2025

    unNatural Signals v2: Synthesis Episode • unNatural Selection / Nic Encina

    The Toilet Paper Thesis: How Innovation Creates a New Evolution What if you could take a crash course on innovation—one taught not in a classroom, but by the foremost pioneers across dozens of radically different domains? What might you learn? What patterns would emerge when the FBI, NASA, genomics leaders, policy architects, opera sopranos, and world-champion coaches all answered the same underlying question: How does innovation really work? What began as a simple observation about a roll of toilet paper quickly spiraled into a 46-episode expedition across wildly different fields. As we interviewed 45 pioneers, the patterns of a human-driven evolution—what we call unNatural Selection—became undeniable. In this Season 1 synthesis, we deliver The Evolution Playbook: the comprehensive framework distilled from these diverse experiences. We connect early signals into a clear map of how innovation behaves across two critical levels: Macro: The Four Evolutionary Patterns. The cross-industry forces—Adaptability, Asymmetry, Culture as Infrastructure, and Dual Time Horizons—that define how ideas compete, how systems adapt, and how cultural evolution unfolds across society. Micro: The Three Tactical Playbooks. The high-impact strategies you can implement today, built on the lessons of System Architecture, Trust-as-a-Moat, and the Mastery Mindset. If Natural Selection explains how species evolve, this finale decodes how society evolves by design. This is not a grand conclusion, but a living thesis—a map for tracing the forces that strengthen, disrupt, and define the future of human ingenuity.

    25 min
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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

~ Evolution by Design: Synthesizing Cross-Industry Innovation ~ – Curious about what innovation looks like in industries vastly different from yours? The UnNatural Selection Podcast applies ‘Survival of the Fittest’ to the world of business innovation. We explore how organizations adapt, evolve, and outcompete under the ruthless laws of evolution -- directly from the pioneers shaping their frontiers. – * This podcast is a living thesis on innovation strategy. The best place to start are the Synthesis Episodes (eg Episode 25)

Information

  • Creator
    Nic Encina
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nic Encina
  • Show Website
    UnNatural Selection