Episode
Creating Products with Curiosity, Humility, and Play
- Podcast
- HBR IdeaCast
- Published
- Jun 23, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1688
- Processing state
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Summary
Most leaders know they need to innovate, but many take a strong instinct and hold too tightly to an idea, rather than testing, experimenting, and playing to find the best solution. Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, argues that by approaching product development with more curiosity, humility, and experimentation, leaders can improve their odds of building something people truly love. He shares lessons from launching hit products, scaling a fast-growing company, and creating a culture where play, rather than perfectionism, drives innovation. He explains why leaders should focus less on originality and more on understanding what already works and how to identify breakthrough opportunities. Pincus is the author of Life at the Speed of Play: Launch Products People Love.