Burn It Down, Start From First Principles
Why innovation won’t come from tweaks, and what to do instead
You’ve heard it before.
Innovation is hard. Disruption is risky. Changing the model? Damn near impossible. But what if the real problem isn’t execution, it’s that we’re asking the wrong questions?
In this week’s KP Unpacked episode, KP and Jeff don’t just talk about innovation. They peel back the layers to show why most firms never actually do it. It’s not because they lack ideas. It’s because they never break free from the gravitational pull of how things have always been done.
Here’s what they unpacked… and what you should take with you.
🎧 Prefer to listen instead? Check out the full episode of KP Unpacked: This Industry Worships Timesheets…
The Innovation Bottleneck? It's Your Business Model.
If your business model is built around timesheets and hourly billing, what exactly are you optimizing for? You’re not solving problems. You’re just selling time. And here’s the kicker: clients know it. That friction you feel? It’s not just about tools. It’s about trust and misaligned value.
So KP asks the uncomfortable question:
If you had the chance to start over, would you rebuild the same business?
Most wouldn’t. But most do, again and again. And that’s why innovation stalls.
First Principles > Incrementalism
The phrase came up repeatedly in this episode, first principles.
You don’t innovate by tweaking. You innovate by rebuilding. Strip the system down to its core. Ask:
What does the client actually want?
What are we truly solving for?
Is this workflow built for outcomes, or just legacy habits?
A client wants a building, not your drawing set. They want confidence, not a 500-hour burn report. Start there. Everything else is noise.
What Happens When You Can't Change?
Here’s the brutal truth: most established firms can’t change because the inertia is too strong. They’re trapped in their own operating model. The talent, the tools, the agreements… it’s all built around the old way.
Want to break out? You probably have to spin out.
Set up a new business, a new team, a new structure outside your existing firm. Use your balance sheet capital to build something with better margins, a sharper go-to-market, and room to experiment.
Geotech Gold: The Data Business You’re Sitting On
KP shares a wild insight from a geotechnical CEO:
“No one reads our reports.”
It’s tragic and revealing.
You’ve drilled 90% of the city. You’ve got subsurface data, environmental snapshots, historical borings, a data goldmine. Why not productize that? Package it. Sell it. Make it accessible before someone even buys a site.
But firms don’t do it.
Why? Because they’re afraid of cannibalizing their core business. But in reality, it’s lead gen. It’s margin. It’s scale. It’s the real business.
Want Innovation? You Need Brand.
Here’s something else that hit hard:
In a world where software is easy to clone, brand is your moat.
You can recreate functionality. But you can’t clone trust, community, or emotional connection. KP and Jeff riff on Apple, LVMH, and even geotechnical firms driving home the point:
if your work is becoming commoditized, brand isn’t a luxury, it’s survival.
The Vibe-a-Thon Challenge
To put all this into action, KP Reddy Co. is hosting a Vibe-a-Thon - a no-code, AI-first hackathon where ideas take center stage.
If you’re a CEO talking big about innovation, KP’s throwing down the gauntlet:
Come build with your team. Or stop pretending you’re innovative.
Final Thoughts.
If you want to innovate, start with first principles, not process tweaks.
Business model inertia is the #1 blocker, most firms recreate what they left.
Your data is an asset, not just a deliverable. Monetize it.
Brand isn’t optional. It’s what differentiates when everything else is a clone.
You don’t need code to build something valuable. Just the willingness to think differently.
This isn’t theory. This is the work.
If you’re serious about moving beyond incremental change, now’s the time to burn the playbook and start fresh.
Resources to Explore:
Podcast Episode: Listen to the full episode of KP Unpacked for deeper insights.
YouTube Episode: Watch the full conversation in action on KP Unpacked.
Follow KP Reddy Co. on LinkedIn: Stay up to date with the latest insights coming directly from one of the most prominent figures in the industry.