Some might call Phil McKinney the OG of the podcast world. As host of the world’s oldest, continually running podcast, Killer Innovations, he imparts his wisdom regarding technology, business, and life. What sets McKinney apart from the average podcaster and makes his observations especially valuable is that he is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and tech executive with notable roles, including CTO at HP and his current position as CEO of CableLabs.
In the above interview, McKinney shares his insights on the current tech landscape Filmed at the Showstoppers’ event at CES2024, McKinney observes that the energy level, the new technologies, and the pace of innovation are reminiscent of the pre-COVID era. AI was everywhere and seemingly in everything at the 2024 event.
The rapid changes include hardware where silicon chip refresh cycles have accelerated from every 2-3 years to an annual basis. This pace of change is impacting industries across the board, such as the automotive sector.
The interview touches upon the increasing importance of software in cars, transforming them into “phones on wheels.” McKinney also highlights the challenges companies face in keeping up with this rapid evolution,
More about Killer Innovations and a Disclaimer:
Although McKinney is CEO of CableLabs and this author is the Director of Marketing for the Broadband Forum, the above interview was filmed independently of those roles and relationships. It was a chance meeting on the Showstoppers show floor and a brief conversation about the Killer Innovations podcast that led to the above interview.
McKinney and his team have evolved his podcast production through the decades. He has a 45-foot mobile studio (a customized bus), that also serves as his home away from home when traveling. In a recent podcast, he talks about the impact and importance of travel on himself and his family.
The intertwining of professional and personal life is a common theme of many of his podcasts. In the podcast, “Worst Career Advice I’ve Ever Received”, he sums up his success by prioritizing the 5 F’s as follows; faith, family, friends, fitness, and finances.
He explains that finances will take care of itself if the first four are the priorities. The finances clearly have worked out for McKinney, as he donates 100% of the profits from his book, podcast, and other similar endeavours to nonprofit organizations.
McKinney will have his mobile studio bus at SCTE’s TechExpo next month in Atlanta. This author looks forward to seeing it in person and, hopefully, catching up with McKinney at this communications technology showcase.
*Note: SCTE is a subsidiary of CableLabs. The Broadband Forum is hosting a couple of panels at this event. Again, the above interview was filmed independently of that relationship.