Meaning before instructions
When people understand why they're doing what they do, they organise themselves. I share information, goals and criteria so the team can decide without waiting for me.
Shared, visible goals, built with the team.
How I work
Translate, decide, execute.
My method for turning ambiguous problems into solutions people adopt, how I lead teams, and the ways we can work together.
Three phases
Three steps from a fuzzy idea to something people use
Innovation doesn't fail for lack of ideas. It fails when nobody translates the problem, nobody decides in time or nobody makes sure the solution gets used. Each phase has a question, a set of tools and a sign that it has worked.
Leadership style
How I lead
I lead strategic design, innovation, research and product teams, more than 30 people between staff and external collaborators. These are the principles I try to apply every day, and they also show up in what I write.
In a trainera, the Basque rowing boat, the stroke isn't the one who pulls hardest. It's the one who sets the rhythm so every blade enters the water at the same time.
Small teams that decide
I prefer a small team with real decision-making power to a large one with several layers of approval. People working on the future need to own their projects from start to finish.
One owner per initiative, from idea to launch.
Decide in time
Indecision wears an organisation down more than a bad decision corrected in time. I decide with the information available, learn from the result and adjust.
Pilots with success criteria defined before they start.
Sustain the present and build the future
A large company needs to exploit and explore at the same time. Part of the team improves what already works; another part works on what comes next, with a clear horizon.
A portfolio of initiatives with different horizons and metrics.
Festina lente: make haste slowly
Under pressure is when you most need to stop, understand what's going on and listen to different voices. Well-grounded steps usually save time.
Research before deciding, even if it takes days rather than months.
Bad news, as early as possible
I look for an environment where people can say what isn't working as easily as what is, where honest mistakes are something we learn from and where I own my mistakes too.
Honest retros and lessons shared with the rest of the company.
Work with the ecosystem
I believe in people and in the exchange between different profiles, from startups, other corporations and universities to customers themselves.
IAGi, Patio Campus, All4Zero and the Iberia Community.
Bring people in from day one
I open the door to newcomers from the start, with mentoring and a visible path to grow. And I don't forget the people who have been in the team for years.
Supported onboarding and regular career conversations.
What cathedral do we want to build?
I care about the impact we have on others. That purpose is what keeps the team going when a project gets difficult.
Projects with social and environmental impact in the portfolio.
Working in my team
What to expect
An honest summary for anyone thinking about working with me or in my team.
What you'll find
- Full context and clear goals from day one.
- Autonomy to run your projects from start to finish.
- Fast decisions, and help to unblock things when they get stuck.
- Exposure to the business, senior management and the ecosystem.
- Time to learn, research and try things out.
What I try to avoid
- Micromanagement and unnecessary layers of approval.
- Projects that launch and nobody measures.
- Emergencies that could have been foreseen.
- Showcase innovation with no real adoption.
- Silos between teams that serve the same customer.
What drives me
The challenges I look for
I'm driven by creating things that didn't exist before and that carry my mark. I work best with real autonomy, a committed team and the ability to execute. I'm open to talking about challenges like these.
GATEA
Lead something new
Run a business, a unit or an AI transformation where something new has to be built.
GATEB
Build from scratch
Co-found or launch a company with partners who share my vision, from inside or outside a large organisation.
GATEC
Support those who build
Advisory boards and founders in innovation, applied AI, and aviation and mobility businesses.
If you have a challenge like this, let's talk, calmly and in confidence.
Get in touch ↗Working with me
Four ways to work with me
Outside Iberia, I take on occasional advisory, mentoring and speaking work. These are the usual formats.
ADVISORYA1
Sounding-board session
A session on one specific challenge, such as an innovation strategy, an AI programme or a launch.
DURATION2–3 h
ADVISORYA2
Advisory board
Ongoing involvement in the advisory board of a startup, scaleup or innovation programme.
DURATIONQuarterly
MENTORINGB1
Ongoing support
For innovation leaders and teams who want to make better decisions and take their ideas through to execution.
DURATION3–6 months
TALKSC1
Talks and judging
Keynotes, panels and startup judging on AI adoption, aviation and corporate innovation.
FORMAT20–45 min
Further reading
Articles
These days I write Despegando el Futuro, my Spanish-language newsletter on Substack. Before that I published on Medium, where some of these principles first took shape.
- 2020Festina lenteCalm and context under pressure · Medium, in SpanishREAD ↗
- 2021What cathedral do we want to build?Purpose and legacy · Medium, in SpanishREAD ↗