[Editor’s note: the following is a modified version of my notes from opening remarks at WatchMojo’s first internal Show & Tell]

This week, Thomas Cook & WeWork were in the news for similar & different reasons.

What was similar? Debt, insolvency – poor financials.

What was different? Thomas Cook simply didn’t innovate, it was stuck in a 20th century model while WeWork lacked focus and chased too much. All sizzle, no substance.

It’s critical that we finish the year on a strong note and focus on what matters. So admittedly, starting off our end-of-year meetings/discussions (State of the Union, Reviews, etc.) with our first ever Show & Tell may seem like a paradox, since we’ll be showcasing some of the seeds we’re planting which may bloom in years to come, or never hear from again.

Some of these provide incremental changes to our core operations, others may become brand-new, stand-alone businesses.

Last year WatchMojo’s breakout star was MsMojo, this year thus far it’s our Snap roll-out. While those two things are different – one is a brand, another is a platform – they’re similar in that they are iterative and evolutionary.

To truly avoid Innovator’s Dilemma, to become a company that’s Built to Last, we strive for revolutionary opportunities.

And that requires different thinking, radically different ideas, and different people. It’s a cliché but it’s always about the people, and when we talk of people we’re describing culture. A culture is only as strong as its communications.

WatchMojo wouldn’t be where it is right now if it weren’t for the overall constructive feedback I got last year in the Town Hall and Survey (in which some of you voiced a desire for such a Show & Tell-like presentation). But one thing that disappointed me was a lack of openness, empathy & understanding for why we re-invested so much into new products, platforms, processes… and ultimately people, especially people with diverse strengths and skills. When colleagues questioned something, it was because it was different. It was because it was misunderstood.

Hmm. Diversity isn’t limited to people’s race, age, gender, sexual orientation – but also backgrounds, expertise, experiences.

For the company’s culture to stay strong, then we need to communicate and that means a spirit of inclusiveness.

So today, instead of just hanging out and eating pizza, I thought we’d kick off our first ever Show & Tell and have a handful of colleagues present what they’ve been working on.

One thing we finally unveiled was the initial roster to SoundMojo, which I first outlined right here five months ago.