What Jason Voiovich Can Teach You About the History of Innovation

Innovation Historian

Author

Danny Nathan
August 07, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Why you should watch it ☝️

Jason Voiovich is an innovation historian, not by training, but by necessity. As a startup founder and fractional CPO/CMO, he wanted better answers than what case studies and business books could offer. So he turned to original sources: inventors’ notebooks, internal memos, and press clippings from the moment the work was actually happening.

In this episode, he shares how digging through archives changed the way he sees patterns, spots dead ends, and helps others move faster. From the real story behind 3M’s invention of Scotch Tape to how Coco Chanel hacked attention long before the runway existed, Jason makes the case that history isn’t something to reference. It’s something to use.

If you build things, this conversation will change how you do research.

Still not sold? Here’s a teaser…

Where to find Jason Voiovich 👇

Jason Voiovich: Innovation Advisor, Coach, and Fractional Executive

Jason Voiovich is the creator of the Jaywalking innovation strategy and a best-selling author and innovation historian.

jasonvoiovich.com

Innovation History | Jason Voiovich | Substack

Jason Voiovich provides a historical perspective on innovation, consumer culture, and the people that helped make it happen. Click to read Innovation History.

innovationhistory.substack.com

Jason’s books:

Don’t miss our upcoming Innovation Live Jam

I want to talk to you, Innovators!

Here’s what we covered in Sunday’s newsletter edition…

Sales is the wrong lens for GTM.

Even if you don’t know Everett Rogers by name, you know his work. For decades, his theory on the Diffusion of Innovation has been taught as THE model for how new ideas (and products and startups and…) spread. If you’ve ever used the term “early adopter” then you know exactly what I’m talking about. But what if he was…wrong?

This week, we dig into how Rogers’ ideas can guide your GTM efforts — and where you should be careful not to put too much reliance on them as well.

Here’s what you’ll find:

  • This Week’s Article: Go to Market Is a Diffusion Problem,

    Not a Sales Problem

  • Case Study: Quibi: Built to Spread, Failed to Stick

  • Share This: What if he was wrong?

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Ty Gray disrupts the roofing industry by applying startup innovation, transforming traditional sales models, and challenging the status quo of digital transformation in trades.

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Have you seen our Resource Library?

Here’s what you’ll find:

  • The Disruption Canvas

  • The Innovate, Disrupt, or Die GPT

  • The New Venture Assessment GPT

  • Whitepaper: Beyond Buzzwords: Driving Tangible and Repeatable Innovation in Business

  • Whitepaper: Beyond the "Big 4": How Technology Drives Sports from Niche to Notable

  • Whitepaper: An Executive's Guide to Internal Process Innovation

  • Business Model Template for SaaS and Services Businesses

  • Innovation Premium Estimator Model

Refer 3 friends to Innovate, Disrupt, or Die and you can earn a month of free access to either of our unique, highly trained custom GPTs.

All you have to do is share your link: https://www.innovatedisruptordie.com/subscribe?ref=PLACEHOLDER

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