The Brilliant Success of Shackleton’s Failure

The Wizards of Menlo Park: It's time to set the record straight: Thomas Edison's greatest achievement was not the lightbulb. In fact, he wasn't even the first to invent it. The unrecognized master stroke of Edison was he brought together some of the brightest minds to collaborate, exchange ideas, and work in creative ways to change the world as we knew it. In the first episode of Teamistry, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite journeys to late-19th century Menlo Park, where a team of unsung heroes is hard at work setting up an electricity grid that could light up a New York city block. There's a lot at stake: financial ruin, countless hours of labor, and Edison's very reputation. We hear from David Burkus, author of The Myths of Creativity and Jill Jonnes, author of Empires of Light. We also get the insights of Robert Friedel, University of Maryland history professor and coauthor of Edison's Electric Light, Kathleen Carlucci, Director of the Thomas Edison Center, and Paul Israel, Director of th by Teamistry

23 min listen

This is Teamistry: Think about the stories that captivate you. Survival in the harshest places on earth. Courage in the face of death. Invention that changed the world. What do these stories have in common? The work of teams. Teamistry is a podcast that examines the chemistry that exists between people who team up to pull off what no one could ever do alone. It launches March 16. by Teamistry

2 min listen

Saving Fukushima: On March 11, 2011 Japan was struck by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake, the most powerful in the country's recorded history. But the real horror had only just begun. A 14-meter-high tsunami created by the seismic event followed, sending giant waves of seawater crashing into the the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, triggering a nuclear disaster. While the world watched in horror, the responsibility of containing the disaster fell on workers who had to risk their lives to salvage the plant -- and protect the planet. In this episode of Teamistry, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite takes us through the harrowing experience that no amount of training could've prepared the team for. Former plant superintendent Atsufumi Yoshizawa describes the scenes from the frontlines and how a method called "Resilience Engineering" helped his team prevent total meltdown. You'll also hear from operations manager Akira Hogyuko as he talks about how trust between team members and seniors helped the by Teamistry

26 min listen

The Car that Saved Ford: In 1985, the automobile giant Ford was teetering on the edge of financial collapse. Faced with internal chaos, an uninspiring product line, and fierce competition from Japanese cars – they needed a sensation. Enter: The Ford Taurus. This breakthrough model didn't just rescue the company, it sparked new life in an industry that represented 3% of the United State's GDP. But how Ford did it is even more surprising. For the first time ever, the venerable carmaker changed how it made cars. It introduced a brand new cross-functional team approach, putting engineering and design together in the same room, and welcoming the contributions of employees across the organization. The Taurus was not just a revolutionary product, it represented a revolution in how to do business. In this episode, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite takes us to the design floor where together creative geniuses from different departments hash out the details of an entirely new American automobile. We h by Teamistry

27 min listen

Mission Impossible: The Thai Cave Rescue by Teamistry

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Teamistry Season 2: The Team of Teams by Teamistry

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Seiko's Duelling Factories: In the aftermath of World War II, Japan must rebuild its economy. Certain products become vital exports in the revitalization effort, including the wristwatch. Seiko leaps to the forefront of the recovery, but there's a problem: their watches aren't good. The company decides to bring R&D in-house to take advantage of constructive competition between its factories, and winds up going from industry failure to time-honored player on the world stage. by Teamistry

32 min listen

The Brilliant Success of Shackleton’s Failure: Sir Ernest Shackleton wanted to be the first man to walk across the Antarctic continent. In 1914, with a crew of 28 men, he set sail on the Endurance to complete the first “Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition." But harsh winds and frigid temperatures threatened the voyage from the start, and in short order the ship was marooned thousands of miles away from civilization. Shackleton suddenly realized a different task was at hand – keeping his crew alive. A team of restless seamen who quickly run out of food, patience, and hope. In this episode of Teamistry, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite travels back in time to discover the surprisingly modern leadership skills of Shackleton, like emotional intelligence and empathy. Hear from the diary of one of the crew to get a sense of the uncertainty and fear the seamen grappled with, and listen as Nancy Koehn, a historian and professor at the Harvard Business School, walks you through the pivotal moments w by Teamistry

32 min listen

The Team that Fashioned Apollo 11 by Teamistry

30 min listen

Photographing a Black Hole: On April 10, 2019, the world saw what many thought was unseeable. An international group of astronomers and scientists — called The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration — photographed a Black Hole. But while this first-ever image of a glowing orange ring was splashed across the front pages, buried in the back was the amazing story of how the team actually did it. A story of the herculean scientific work and dicey political maneuvering required from the researchers and scientists that spanned countries, continents, and institutions. In the second episode of Teamistry, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite uncovers the story of a team separated by time zones but united by the collective quest for the greatest cosmic discovery of our times. Shep Doeleman, co-founder of the Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, tells the tale along with insights from team member and professor of theoretical astrophysics at the University of Amsterdam Sera Markoff. We also hear from Aver by Teamistry

27 min listen

Finding the Way to Google Maps: It's hard to remember what it took to get around before the invention of Google Maps. But the technology has changed everything from daily routes to road trips to navigating unknown territory. Because of Google Maps, the entire globe seems reachable. But the road to inventing Google Maps? That's another story. In this episode of Teamistry, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite uncovers the tale of this indispensable technology and the team that built it. In 2001, Lars Rasmussen, Jens Rasmussen, Noel Gordon, and Stephen Ma are developing a product they believe will change the mapping landscape. But like so many great inventions before it, "Where 2 Technologies" – not yet Google Maps – is just a fledgling startup run from a small room in Sydney, and constantly one wrong turn away from a dead end. Rent checks bounce, savings accounts evaporate. The dream could be only a mirage on the distant horizon. But the team discovers a way to keep going, to find new pathways, u by Teamistry

25 min listen

Iceland vs. COVID: Containing a Pandemic: Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Iceland had become the worst-hit country in Scandinavia. But it reversed its fate, without a full lockdown. And to date, Iceland has seen very few deaths. How? Largely because of the harmonious collaboration of "The Trinity" – Iceland’s chief epidemiologist, Director of Health, and superintendent of police – who implemented the "pandemic plan" – a framework for working together, and saving lives. In episode two of Teamistry's second season, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite brings us a story of optimism to cut through the gloom. We hear directly from The Trinity: Alma Moller, Iceland's Director of Health, Þórólfur Guðnason, its Chief Epidemiologist, and Víðir Reynisson, Chief Superintendent of the Office of the National Commissioner of the Police. We also learn how Kári Stefánsson, the CEO of deCODE genetics, and his team of scientists assisted government health officials by examining the virus and increasing Iceland's by Teamistry

29 min listen

The United States of Compromise: The great American experiment was about to fail. On the eve of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 – where the U.S. Constitution began – the French minister to America wrote home to his superiors in Paris, "What part of the United States would you like to take when it falls apart?" Disunity between states, a faltering economy, active rebellions, the threat of European interference – all were contributing factors. The Articles of Confederation — the original post-independence document – weren't working. The fledgling country needed an overhaul of its core principles. In this episode of Teamistry, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite revisits that summer of 1787 when a monumental collaboration ultimately delivered the U.S. Constitution. Within the muggy chambers of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, some of the country's brightest lawmakers and thought-leading eccentrics came together to hash out a new government system unlike any other in the world. Carol Berki by Teamistry

27 min listen

A Shot at Change: The Making of a Vaccine by Teamistry

27 min listen

Saving an Indian Cricket League from Itself: The Indian Premier League (IPL) promised to transform cricket in India until a series of scandals rocked the league – and threatened the integrity of the sport itself. But a leadership team unites to save the IPL and winds up navigating it through an even bigger crisis: the pandemic. by Teamistry

36 min listen

When a Picture is Worth a Thousand Animals: In the desert plains of Northern Kenya, hundreds of people from around the world and different walks of life have gathered. The photographs they take with their GPS-enabled cameras might be humanity's best shot at saving an entire species. This is the story of Wildbook, an artificial intelligence (AI) software program that creates a live database to track animal populations. In this episode of Teamistry, host Gabriela Cowperthwaite discovers how a shared mission, and a shared technology platform supporting the work of diverse teams, is saving animals – and the biodiversity of the planet. We hear from Tanya Berger-Wolf, co-founder of Wildbook and Jason Holmberg, co-founder of WildMe, the organization that created and runs Wildbook. We also hear from Rosemary Warungu, zebra project manager at the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya, and Daniel Rubenstein, a behavioural ecologist at Princeton University, as they explain how Wildbook's global commun by Teamistry

31 min listen

Season 3: Time for Change: In the new season of Teamistry, we witness stories of extraordinary teamwork that have inspired change and upended legacies—within organizations and across industries. by Teamistry

2 min listen

Where There's a Will (Smith), There's a Way: When the pandemic halted film and TV productions in early 2020, Westbrook Media, the fledgling production company of actor Will Smith, didn't fold. They changed the game. Seeing an opportunity for a new kind of project, and using new ways of working, they pivoted to produce a hit variety show for Snapchat ... in Will Smith's garage. by Teamistry

35 min listen

Reinventing Hot Wheels: Can you fix a toy that isn't broken? That's what a team at Mattel Inc. set out to do with Hot Wheels™. But the digital update they introduced to future-proof the best-selling toy on the planet bombed. The risky decision, however, benefitted the venerable company – just not the way they expected. by Teamistry

26 min listen

Patagonia’s Demand for Ethical Supply: Before corporate social responsibility was a popular concept, Patagonia declared its commitment to better outcomes for their workers, and the planet. They soon discovered that commitment would include major pitfalls, but it seems the more Patagonia doubles down on its values, the better it performs. In this episode, we hear from Craig Wilson, former lead strategist for consumer marketing at Patagonia; Bethany Patten, Senior Associate Director for MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, and Maya Spaull, Vice President of apparel and home goods at Fair Trade USA. We also speak with Andrew Kenney, a journalist who got insider access to see how Patagonia is redefining its business processes. Teamistry is an original podcast from Atlassian. For more on the series, go to https://www.atlassian.com/blog/podcast. by Teamistry

28 min listen

When IBM Nearly Missed the Internet: During the 1994 Winter Olympics, an employee of IBM, that held exclusive rights to the telecast, went looking for the results on the brand-new World Wide Web. But he didn't find them on IBM's website – they didn't have one. He found them on a rival company's website. This is the story of the forward-thinking team that convinced decision-makers to wake up to the Internet, which influenced a tectonic shift in everything about IBM as an organization. by Teamistry

30 min listen

On a Mission for Equitable Internet in Detroit by Teamistry

30 min listen

Season 4: The Untold Story of Concorde: Imagine flying between New York and London in half the time it takes today. Celebrities sit nearby, champagne and caviar are served. Fantasy? Not long ago, this was a reality – made possible by Concorde. An airplane faster than a bullet, faster than the speed of sound. An airplane that seemed impossible to make. In Season 4 of Teamistry, new host Nastaran Tavakoli-Far and lead producer Pedro Mendes travel to the U.K. and France to speak with the designers and engineers who dreamed the same dream, worked and failed together, and built the fastest passenger plane ever. by Teamistry

4 min listen

Campbell’s Finds the Soup for their Soul: By 2001, abysmal employee morale and unsafe working conditions had soured the reputation of the Campbell Soup Company. The century-old colossus, whose iconic cans appear in 90% of American households, had the lowest employee engagement of any Fortune 500 company. Enter a new CEO who forms a truly engaged leadership team and turns the toxic workplace around – in just three years. by Teamistry

29 min listen

Part 1: “The Dream of Supersonic Flight”: In episode one, host Nastaran Tavakoli-Far and producer Pedro Mendes set the stage for our six-part story of the people and teams that made supersonic flight a reality. The team travels to the Brooklands Museum in the U.K, where Nastaran sees a Concorde up close for the first time. Also in episode one, you’ll hear about the monumental 1956 meeting of the Supersonic Transport Aircraft Committee (STAC) that set in motion a complex network of teams from the U.K. and France to execute this ambitious project. by Teamistry

41 min listen

Part 3: The Big Bird Flies!: Concorde makes aviation history when the first prototype plane takes to the skies. But solving complex engineering problems is only the beginning. At almost every turn throughout the 1970s, Concorde faced existential threats. The Oil Crisis, environmental protests, and allegations of "Aviation Colonialism" could ground the plane and end the supersonic dream forever. by Teamistry

33 min listen

Part 4: Becoming the Sexiest Flight on Earth: Concorde is an instant hit with celebrities. Mick Jagger, Sting, and Princess Diana are all frequent flyers – for the fast travel and the high-class atmosphere. Concorde itself becomes a pop star, with its own (horrible) feature film. But on the ground, politics and protests force it to alter its course. by Teamistry

31 min listen

Part 5: Rising from the Ashes: On July 25th, 2000, Concorde suffers its worst nightmare. Minutes after take off, an Air France flight crashes into a hotel near Charles de Gaulle airport, killing all passengers and crew. It’s now up to the team of engineers to study the aftermath and piece together the final moments of the aircraft. They hope to explain the cause to the world and restore faith in supersonic flight. by Teamistry

37 min listen

Part 2: "Building the Fastest Passenger Jet Ever": While engineers in U.K. and France struggle to a prototype of Concorde up in the air, they respond by creating their version of an open office concept to build a fluid and collaborative work environment. Also in this episode - America enters the supersonic race, rumours of Russian espionage become rife, and Soviet Russia’s attempt at flying supersonic ends in a tragedy. by Teamistry

45 min listen

Part 6: Will Sonic Booms Return to our Skies?: In the season finale, we go beyond rumor and speculation to answer: what really grounded Concorde for good? Aided by insights from an aviation journalist, we explore Concorde's legacy, its impact on the world, and the new projects it inspired that might return supersonic passenger aircraft to the skies. by Teamistry

33 min listen

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The Brilliant Success of Shackleton’s Failure

The Brilliant Success of Shackleton’s Failure

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