Paul Baffes: Failed Dreams & the Albatross of Being the Best
Paul Baffes
Former NASA Inventor of the Year
Professional Coach, Agile Coach, IBM
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The Executive Commute Podcast with Jayson Krause: Show Notes
Failed Dreams and the Albatross of Being the Best
Bio: Paul Baffes
Paul has an undergrad from Harvard and PhD in AI from UT Austin. He has 7 patents (including NASA Inventor of the Year).
Paul has worked as a college professor, as a CEO of 3 startups, in government research, he has written white papers for the White House (NII), published 2 books, and has held multiple roles at IBM (HR, Consulting, CIO, Agile Coach, and leading IBM's $750M innovation program).
Despite all those blessings, Paul doesn’t think he discovered what he was truly good at until he found coaching.
Part 1: The Early Days
Quotes
“I just don’t think there’s any reason why anybody I meet can’t do whatever they want.”
“Just do your thing and great things will happen.”
“NASA had a commercialization program; if they licensed your patent, then you’d get some money.”
Summary
We started the interview with Paul describing his ‘picture perfect’ childhood growing up in Illinois. The key lesson he learned from his parents is that he could be anything he wanted, as could people he meets. His parents fostered the ‘do your thing’ seed in Paul and to be the best at whatever he wanted. Paul wanted to become a doctor like his father but quickly realized that it was not his calling.
Paul recalled the negative consequences of trying to be the best, like stress and failure to allow himself the reward. He wanted to contribute to making the world a better place, which he believed would be solved by his dream of becoming an astronaut from the time he was 7 years old.
He solidified himself in high school as a high school state champion cross-country, athlete of the year, along with many other things. He remembered how different his experience struggling with physics at Harvard was from high school and why he later opted to pursue computer science. He also described his interesting entry into Harvard.
Paul explained how he started pursuing NASA by moving to Houston and continually applying even though he kept getting rejected. He described all the things he tried before he got into NASA. Once he finally got a job at NASA, he helped work in robotics and new inventions.
He talked about NASA’s commercialization program and being named NASA’s Inventor of the Year!
Timeline
[2:55] Paul described his childhood and his early career choice, which he didn’t pursue.
[8:09] He described the albatross that the idea of being the best turned out to be.
[12:56] Paul’s experience at Harvard- from failing physics to pursuing computer science.
[17:12] Why he chose computer science over physics at Harvard.
[19:36] How he pursued NASA for many years before finally getting accepted into a robotics program.
Part 2: Hitting Rock Bottom+ The Challenger+ Being CEO of 3 Startups
Quotes:
“There’s a satisfaction that comes from putting in the work over a period of time.”
“No matter how smart you are, why would you close the door on the intelligence of the universe.”
“To run a business you need an idea, you need great people to implement it, and then you need money.”
“We have this bias that innovation has to be complicated. It doesn’t. Anybody can be creative and anybody can be innovative.”
Summary
Paul described how he missed the significance of being named NASA’s Inventor of the Year. He later went to the University of Texas to get his doctorate in AI after being impressed by the work of a professor from there.
He experienced the satisfaction of putting in the work to get into NASA’s astronaut program for many years. A physical examination he had to get into the program discovered an eye problem that disqualified him from becoming an astronaut. That issue drove him to rock bottom- he was depressed for six months even though he received support from his wife.
The most fascinating aspect is that it is highly probable that if Paul had made it to the astronaut program, he would have been among the team that exploded with the Challenger in 1986. He explained how that whole ordeal shifted his outlook to look forward to a great future while trusting the universe.
We discussed how he went from an aspiring astronaut to a CEO of three different companies with his self-taught marketing and business education. Paul explained three things to implement as a startup to succeed in business. He learned that it is not about being in charge as the founder of a startup but doing what you’re good at to grow the business while delegating what you can’t do.
He talked about how he got into IBM, his different roles there, and staying there for 20 years. He learned about organizational change and communication- the power of a clean consistent message. Paul advised on the importance of eliminating the bias that innovation should be complicated. To be innovative, expand!
Episode Timeline:
[2:18] NASA’s Inventor of the Year, learning AI and being accepted to the astronaut program.
[4:06] How Paul’s dream of being an astronaut was crushed by an eye condition.
[8:52] The tragedy of the Challenger explosion that was in the NASA community.
[13:22] How Paul went from an aspiring astronaut to CEO of three different companies.
[14:51] Three things you should implement as a startup to succeed in business.
[17:16] Why you don’t need the role of the CEO as a startup founder if you can’t deliver.
[18:10] Paul on his roles and time at IBM and the business lessons he learned there.
Part 3: How to Become an Innovator+ Upside and Downside of AI+ The Future
Quotes:
“AI is the same as it’s always been - it seems to overpromise and underdeliver.”
“The difference between AI then and now is the speed of the machines.”
“The machine doesn’t have the human sensibility to notice they shouldn’t be keeping people on a website treating them to stuff that’s going to make them depressed.”
“What scares me is that I don’t know if our democracy is stronger than racism.”
“Follow what excites you the most, and it will lead you to where you need to be.”
“I focus my time not getting things done so I don’t have a ‘to-do list’, I have a ‘to-spend’ list.”
Summary
Paul explained why you should continuously experiment to become innovative. Make it a habit to do quick and simple trials and errors in your business until you get to a place where you can comfortably innovate. He explained why his PhD research became a failed program, although he had initially anticipated its success. He also described his second business as a great idea at the wrong time.
Paul argued that artificial intelligence has always overpromised and underdelivered since the beginning of its invention. He compared AI today with that of the 80s as not much different in algorithms. “There’s a great Netflix show called ‘Social Dilemma’ that you can watch that will show the downside of AI.” He explained the upside of AI as its ability to notice patterns like the human brain and the downside being machines’ inability to have senses like the human brain failing to notice what they’re doing.
He expressed his fears about racism and the possibility that democracy might not be stronger than racism.
In the end, Paul answered my rapid-fire questions with one sentence and with witty and intelligent answers. Thank you for listening to this 3-part eye-opening interview with career and business advice!
Episode Timeline:
[2:08] The importance of experimenting to become innovative in your business.
[4:37] Paul described two projects of his that became failed innovations.
[6:18] The difference between AI of today and that of the 80s.
[8:35] The upside and downside of AI for machines and humans.
[12:32] He talked about his fears in the future of ending racism.
[13:25] Paul answered some rapid-fire questions.
Links
International Consortium for Agile Website
Production & Music by Alec Harrison
The Science Behind Success by Jayson Krause
Group Accelerated Leader Program with Level 52
