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. 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
  2. Open Source Biotech: Platform Biotech • Alloy Therapeutics / Errik Anderson

    12/02/2025

    Open Source Biotech: Platform Biotech • Alloy Therapeutics / Errik Anderson

    The Coral Reef of Innovation: Building Symbiosis in the Biotech Ecosystem In this season finale, Nic sits down with Errik Anderson, founder and CEO of Alloy Therapeutics, for a deep dive into how collaboration—not competition—is redefining the future of drug discovery. Alloy isn’t a traditional biotech company chasing its own therapies. It’s building the plumbing—the shared infrastructure and ecosystem upon which others develop life-saving drugs. Much like Linux transformed software through open collaboration, Alloy is reimagining the business of innovation itself by making the tools of discovery accessible to all. Errik’s approach to strategy and innovation is a masterclass. He seamlessly pulls on the full spectrum of the Doblin Group’s Ten Types of Innovation—from product and experience to networks, structure, and business models—creating a moat that’s not only unique, but dizzying to potential competitors. Together, Nic and Errik unpack the principles of culture, incentive alignment, and systems design that allow openness to scale without losing coherence. This conversation goes beyond Alloy—it’s about how to think differently, build collaboratively, and redefine what it means to innovate in one of the world’s most complex industries. A perfect close to Season One of unNatural Selection, before Nic’s upcoming Season Synthesis episode that will connect the dots across all 45 interviews to reveal the broader patterns of innovation and survival.

    1h 17m
  3. Scientific Storytelling: Journalism • New York Times / Carl Zimmer

    11/25/2025

    Scientific Storytelling: Journalism • New York Times / Carl Zimmer

    Airborne Ideas: The Life of Scientific Storytelling What makes a science story worth telling — and how do you make it stick? In this episode, Nic speaks with Carl Zimmer, the award-winning science journalist behind the New York Times “Origins” column and author of fifteen books, including She Has Her Mother’s Laugh and Air-Borne. Carl’s work has earned the Stephen Jay Gould Prize, a National Academies Communication Award, and contributed to Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, he and Nic explore how storytelling can bring complex science to life, how Carl chooses which discoveries to follow, and how the field of journalism is evolving under pressure from AI and fragmented media. Whether you're a scientist, communicator, or just curious, this episode is a deep dive into the craft of making science matter.

    54 min
  4. Collaborative Defense: Cybersecurity • FBI / Rajeev Raghavan

    11/18/2025

    Collaborative Defense: Cybersecurity • FBI / Rajeev Raghavan

    Evolving Immunity Against Cyber Predators Rajeev Raghavan has been at the center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) efforts to combat cybercrime and national security threats, advising the FBI Director and senior leaders on cyber strategy, policy, and the rise of AI-enabled risks. In this episode, he joins Nic to discuss the ever-evolving cat-and-mouse game with cybercriminals, the balance between security and civil liberties, and the importance of collaboration across government, industry, and international partners. They also explore how organizations can prepare not only to prevent breaches, but to respond effectively when they occur.

    1h 4m
  5. Reinvention Strategy: Life Science & Diagnostics • Revvity / Prahlad Singh

    11/11/2025

    Reinvention Strategy: Life Science & Diagnostics • Revvity / Prahlad Singh

    Signal vs. Noise: Revvity's Data Strategy for the Future of Life Sciences The life sciences and diagnostics industry is evolving faster than ever. We sit down with Prahlad Singh, CEO of Revvity, to discuss this dramatic shift. Prahlad explains the vision behind Revvity's major rebranding (formerly PerkinElmer), moving from a tools provider to a high-value, end-to-end solutions partner. The focus? Agility, innovation, and data. We explore how their Signals Platform is the new "crown jewel" that addresses the immense complexity in fields like genomics, multi-omics, and precision medicine. Learn why advanced data analytics is no longer optional—it's essential for navigating the future of science.Tune in to understand how Revvity is anticipating client needs and driving the next generation of scientific breakthroughs.

    44 min
  6. Tribal Leadership: Professional Rugby • New England Free Jacks / Alexander Magleby

    11/04/2025

    Tribal Leadership: Professional Rugby • New England Free Jacks / Alexander Magleby

    Tribal Leadership: How Culture Creates Champions What does it take to build a winning team—and a lasting community—around a sport still growing its roots in the U.S.? In this episode, Alex Magleby, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the New England Free Jacks, shares insights that go far beyond the field. Alex walks us through Rugby’s rich history, from its earliest origins to its ongoing evolution, and reveals how the Free Jacks are redefining what it means to compete. Their philosophy begins with Rugby itself, then culture, and only then the mechanics of skills and strategy—an approach more like building a special forces unit than a traditional sports team. This is a conversation about leadership, culture, and innovation—less a sports analysis and more a masterclass in how to forge resilience, belonging, and excellence in any competitive environment.

    52 min
  7. Gems in the Shadows: Housing Security • Breaktime / Connor Schoen

    10/28/2025

    Gems in the Shadows: Housing Security • Breaktime / Connor Schoen

    Reweaving the Safety Net: Innovating Against Youth Homelessness Youth homelessness is a crisis hiding in plain sight. Unlike chronic homelessness, it doesn’t always look obvious—these are young people who may seem like classmates, coworkers, or friends, while quietly struggling with housing insecurity. In this episode of unNatural Selection, we sit down with Connor Schoen, co-founder and CEO of Breaktime, to explore how his team is innovating new ways to identify and engage youth in need. Connor shares how Breaktime equips young people with not only jobs, but the soft skills and resilience required in a world where technology is rapidly transforming the value of hard skills. We discuss what it takes to truly understand the needs and challenges of this population, how to engage them in ways that foster trust and opportunity, and how to equip them with the skills to navigate a rapidly changing social landscape during one of life’s most vulnerable and confusing periods—youth.

    57 min
  8. Disrupting Mountains: Extractive Metallurgy • Sadoway Labs / Matt Humbert

    10/21/2025

    Disrupting Mountains: Extractive Metallurgy • Sadoway Labs / Matt Humbert

    From Caves to Skyscrapers: Powering Progress and Paying the Price The modern world runs on an invisible foundation—precious metals, rare earths, and fossil fuels that power everything from smartphones to clean energy. But behind the shine lies a darker reality. In this episode, Dr. Matthew Humbert, a globally seasoned materials scientist, joins us to unpack the high-stakes world of resource extraction—where innovation is slow, margins are razor-thin, and the consequences are often borne by the most vulnerable. From blood diamonds to oil fields, from Dutch disease to national security, we explore how geopolitical tension, economic dependency, and community exploitation are all part of the true cost of what powers progress.

    48 min
See All (46)

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
    2K
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Nic Encina
  • Show Website
    UnNatural Selection