Innovation Starts With Listening

Innovation Is Not Always About More

The latest Coffey Talk episode, When Innovation Starts With Why: The Projo Story, features Charbel Mawad, founder of Projo. We talked about how Projo came to life not as a pitch or a product launch, but as a response to a real, everyday frustration and the discipline it takes to build with intention.

The conversation was a reminder that innovation doesn’t always mean adding more. Sometimes it means paying closer attention and knowing when to stop.

I walked away thinking less about product development and more about restraint. We talk so often about innovation as expansion. More features. More speed. More scale. What challenged my thinking here was the idea that innovation can also be about clarity and choice.

There is confidence in simplicity. There is leadership in restraint.

Frustration as a Signal

What resonated with me most was how this idea didn’t begin as a business plan. It started as a quiet frustration that refused to be ignored. That reframed something for me. Frustration is often treated as something to push through or work around. But sometimes it is a signal asking for attention.

Not every frustration needs to become a product. But some are worth listening to.

Designing for Real Life

Another takeaway for me was the importance of designing for how people actually live. Not ideal behavior. Not best-case scenarios. Real habits. Real routines.

Ease matters. Consistency matters. And sometimes the most meaningful innovation is the one that fits seamlessly into what already exists.

Knowing When to Stop

This conversation reinforced something I keep coming back to in leadership and life. Progress does not always come from doing more. Sometimes it comes from clarity. From choosing what not to add. From trusting that enough is enough.

That discipline applies far beyond products. It applies to schedules. To expectations. To growth.

Redefining Success

Success was never framed here as speed or scale alone. It was framed as usefulness. Impact. Longevity. That perspective felt grounding.

It reminded me that growth without intention can lead to burnout. But growth rooted in listening has a better chance of lasting.