From Chaos to Clarity: Mike Urban on Human-Centered Innovation and Agile That Actually Works

Breakthrough Innovation

In this episode of Breakthrough Innovation, we’re joined by Mike Urban, Chief Technology Operations Officer at Best Egg and a transformation leader with over 20 years of experience in fintech and enterprise innovation. From cross-functional agile adoption to enterprise-wide AI implementation, Mike shares how simplifying complexity and putting people at the center leads to meaningful, scalable change.

Key Lessons Covered in This Episode:

Simplifying Complexity Through Agile: Discover how Mike breaks down massive, complex challenges into bite-sized initiatives that energize teams and keep customer needs at the center.

Creating Your Own Agile Recipe: Learn why off-the-shelf agile doesn’t work—and how organizations should tailor agile methods to fit their unique culture, systems, and goals.

Cross-Functional Teams Done Right: Mike shares two real-world case studies on building high-performing cross-functional teams—one in-person, one hybrid—and how both boosted trust, velocity, and business value.

Why Discovery is Everything: Execution is easy when you’ve done the hard work up front. Mike emphasizes why in-depth discovery and customer research are the hidden drivers of innovation.

Overcoming Resistance to Change: Get practical strategies for winning buy-in from stakeholders who may be hesitant to adopt new ways of working—and how to show them the “from–to” vision of success.

Small Wins, Big Impact: Mike challenges the myth that innovation must be flashy or massive—explaining how small, consistent improvements lay the groundwork for breakthrough results.

Three Traits Every Tech Leader Needs: Hear Mike’s formula for leadership success: a high sense of urgency, a hunger for knowledge, and the ability to embrace constant change.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Agile is most effective when customized to the people, priorities, and purpose of your organization.

✅ Customer-centricity must be embedded into team structure—not just product design.

✅ Discovery and cross-functional collaboration are the secret weapons of execution.

✅ True innovation isn’t one big idea—it’s a series of focused, resilient steps forward.

Links And Resources:

• Connect with Mike Urban on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-urban01
• Websites: mikeurban.me/ (Personal)

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