Inside Outside
Inside Outside is a Nebraska-based innovation media platform serving corporate and startup innovation leaders through a weekly podcast (330+ episodes, 250K+ listens), curated newsletter, searchable resource databases (tools, books, videos), annual summits, and supporting speaking, coaching, and podcast-production services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersLincoln, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Inside Outside does
Inside Outside is a privately held, founder-operated innovation media and community platform based in Lincoln, Nebraska, serving corporate innovation leaders, startup founders, and ecosystem participants. Founded by Brian Ardinger and Susan Stibal, the company has built its presence through a weekly podcast (330+ episodes, 250,000+ listens across 75+ countries), a curated weekly newsletter published since September 2018, and searchable resource databases covering 400+ innovation tools (including 110+ AI-powered), 136+ innovation books, and 110+ summit and live-event videos. The company operates an annual IO Innovation Summit (most recently IO2026 on April 13, 2026 at Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln) and complementary IO Live virtual events that bring together corporate and startup innovation practitioners.
The business model is a portfolio of small, diversified revenue streams rather than a single core product. Direct revenue comes from Brian Ardinger's keynote speaking, workshops, emcee, and panel services (clients have included SXSW, gener8tor, Innov8rs, and Nebraska Chamber Manufacturing Summit); corporate and startup coaching and training engagements on customer discovery, lean startup tools, business model design, and innovation readiness; podcast and newsletter sponsorships and advertising; ticket sales and event sponsorships for the IO Summit series; book royalties from 'Accelerated: A Guide to Innovating at the Speed of Change'; and IO Podcast Services, which offers production, editing, hosting, and transcription support to organizations building business podcasts. Underlying technology is intentionally lightweight: content is hosted on standard platforms including Transistor for podcast, Mailchimp/Airtable for databases and newsletter, and Vimeo for video.
There are no disclosed external investors, no funding rounds, and headcount is in the 1-10 range, with ownership and control resting with the two cofounders plus a recently added podcast cohost, Robyn Bolton (MileZero). Recognition includes features by Inc. Magazine ('10 Best Design and Innovation Podcasts You Can't Live Without'), FeedSpot ('Top 15 Corporate Innovation Podcasts'), Adidas GamePlan ('8 Innovation Podcasts to Inspire and Activate Ingenuity'), and Silicon Prairie News ('A List Regional Leader'). The company's strategic posture is that of a content-driven lifestyle business with professional-services augmentation rather than a venture-scaled platform.
Inside Outside firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Inside Outside
- Legal name
- Inside Outside
- Website
- https://insideoutside.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Inside Outside is a Nebraska-based innovation media platform serving corporate and startup innovation leaders through a weekly podcast (330+ episodes, 250K+ listens), curated newsletter, searchable resource databases (tools, books, videos), annual summits, and supporting speaking, coaching, and podcast-production services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Inside Outside industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Innovation Consulting and Media
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Innovation Leadership & Leading Growth (EDABAAAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Creativity & Innovation Mindset (EDABAMAH), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Corporate Team-Building & Offsite Services (HSACADAF)
Keywords
Where Inside Outside is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lincoln
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Inside Outside business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Speaking & Keynotes: Brian Ardinger is available for hire as keynote speaker, workshop leader, event emcee, panel member or moderator for conferences, corporations, and events. This is a direct revenue stream from professional speaking services.
- Innovation Coaching and Training: Corporate and startup coaching and training on innovation topics including customer discovery, Lean startup tools, business model design, and new product development.
- Podcast Sponsorship & Advertising: Sponsorship opportunities include ads, giveaways, guest interviews, and topical discussions in the podcast. Newsletter advertising opportunities with customizable, trackable ads linking to sponsor content.
- Innovation Events & Summits: IO Innovation Summits (2017-2026) and IO Live events generate revenue through ticket sales and event sponsorships.
- Book Sales: Brian Ardinger's book 'Accelerated: A Guide to Innovating at the Speed of Change' published via nxxt.co generates book sales revenue.
- Innovation Sponsorships: Partnership, sponsorship, and advertisement opportunities across podcast, newsletter, events, and social media to reach corporate, startup and community innovators.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Speaking engagements - Contact for pricing |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
Inside Outside product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Inside Outside is an innovation community and consultancy that helps corporate and startup leaders develop innovation strategies through a weekly podcast (330+ episodes), a weekly email newsletter (published since September 2018), and searchable databases of innovation tools, books, videos, and articles. The company monetizes its audience through corporate speaking engagements, innovation coaching and training, annual IO Innovation Summits, IO Live virtual events, podcast and newsletter advertising and sponsorships, and IO Podcast production services.
Product overview
Inside Outside is an innovation community that helps corporate and startup leaders develop innovation strategies through a multi-platform content and events ecosystem. The core offerings include the Inside Outside Innovation Podcast (a weekly show with 330+ episodes delivering interviews and tactical advice), The IO Newsletter (a weekly curated newsletter published since September 2018), and searchable databases covering innovation tools (400+ tools), books (136+ titles), videos (110+ videos), and articles. These digital resources are complemented by in-person programming including the annual IO Summit series (IO2026 upcoming in April 2026) and IO Live virtual events. The company also offers professional services including innovation coaching and training, speaking engagements, and IO Podcast Services for podcast production support. Brian Ardinger's book 'Accelerated: A Guide to Innovating at the Speed of Change' serves as a foundational publication. The products function together as an integrated innovation learning ecosystem, combining on-demand content with live events and professional services to serve corporate, startup, and community innovators.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Inside Outside Innovation Podcast Weekly innovation podcast featuring interviews with corporate and startup innovators, providing raw stories, real insights, and tactical advice. Available on all major podcast platforms with transcripts and a searchable topical database across 70+ topics.
- The IO Newsletter Weekly email newsletter for corporate and startup innovation leaders, providing curated articles, podcast interview highlights, event connections, and innovation resources.
- Innovation Tools Database Searchable database of 400+ innovation tools, including 110+ AI-powered tools, organized across 100+ categories such as analytics, design, automation, productivity, and innovation management.
- Innovation Book Database Searchable database of 136+ innovation books from podcast guests, summit speakers, and bestsellers, organized by book name, 148+ authors, and 20+ topics including venture investing, corporate innovation, culture, design, experimentation, and leadership.
- Innovation Video Database Searchable database of 110+ innovation videos from annual summits (2017-2022) and IO Live Q&A sessions, hosted on Vimeo, searchable by title, speaker, company, event, or subject matter.
- Inside Outside Innovation Summit (IO Summits) Annual immersive innovation summits bringing together corporate and startup innovation leaders for keynotes, panels, and ecosystem connection (with IO2026 scheduled for April 13, 2026 at Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln).
- IO Live Events Virtual live events profiling innovators, entrepreneurs, and authors with live Q&A from online audiences, complementing the annual in-person summits.
- Innovation Coaching and Training Corporate and startup coaching and training covering customer discovery, lean startup tools, business model design, new product development, and innovation readiness assessment.
- Innovation Speaking Services Innovation keynotes and workshops by Brian Ardinger, delivered in person or virtually at conferences, corporations, and events, covering corporate innovation, customer experience, and innovation & technology.
- IO Podcast Services End-to-end podcast production, editing, hosting, transcription, and strategy services for organizations wanting to start or improve an internal or external business podcast.
- Accelerated: A Guide to Innovating at the Speed of Change Book by Brian Ardinger that helps readers adapt to and act on whatever comes next, covering innovation strategies for navigating change.
Quantifiable outcome
- 250,000+ podcast listens from innovators across 75+ countries
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Inside Outside
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Inside Outside technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Inside Outside partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- NMotionminorBrian Ardinger founded NMotion, a seed-stage accelerator in Nebraska, prior to Inside Outside. This represents prior career experience rather than an active company partnership.
- EconicminorBrian co-founded the corporate innovation consultancy Econic. This represents prior career experience rather than an active company partnership.
- gener8tor Corporate Innovation NetworkcoreInside Outside collaborated with gener8tor's Corporate Innovation Network for the Innovators On a Plane (IOAP) trip to New York City, participating in panels and ecosystem tours.
- Rise of the RestminorBrian Ardinger is involved in driving the Midwest's innovation ecosystem through Rise of the Rest initiative.
- StartupWeekminorBrian Ardinger is involved in StartupWeek initiatives across multiple cities (Seattle, Chattanooga, Omaha, Lincoln) as part of Midwest innovation ecosystem development.
- Lean Startup CircleminorBrian Ardinger is involved in Lean Startup Circle as part of his work in the innovation ecosystem.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Inside Outside competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Board of Innovation: Global innovation consultancy and content platform serving enterprise clients with corporate innovation strategy, training, and thought leadership. Most directly comparable peer: combines consulting services with a branded media presence and corporate innovation resources targeting the same buyer persona.
- Innov8rs: Community and conference network for corporate innovation leaders, running flagship summits, peer networks, and content resources. Highly comparable on the events-plus-content-plus-community model and on targeting intrapreneurs and innovation leaders.
- Strategyzer: Provider of business model innovation tools, training, and certification built around the Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas. Comparable as an education-plus-tools platform serving both startups and corporate innovators with proprietary resources and training services.
- Innovation Leader: Membership community, research, and events business serving corporate innovation leaders, producing reports, conferences, and benchmark research. Closely comparable audience (CXOs of innovation) and revenue mix (membership/sponsorship/events).
- C2 International (C2 Montreal): Annual creativity and innovation conference combining summits, content, and community programming for business leaders. Comparable on the premium innovation-events franchise model.
Broad incumbents
- Doblin (Deloitte): Deloitte's human-centered innovation practice offering innovation strategy consulting and proprietary frameworks. Larger incumbent competing for the same enterprise innovation budgets but as part of a much broader professional services portfolio.
- Forrester Research: Research and advisory firm that publishes syndicated research and runs CXO events (e.g., Forrester's forums for technology and innovation leaders). Established incumbent in the corporate-innovation research/events ecosystem with comparable programming audience.
- a16z Podcast: Long-running, well-capitalized innovation and technology podcast hosted by Andreessen Horowitz partners, covering startups, technology, and corporate disruption. Competes for the same listener attention and sponsor mindshare in the innovation podcast category.
- Masters of Scale: Flagship innovation and entrepreneurship podcast featuring high-profile founders and investors with a substantial global listenership. Comparable weekly content format and corporate/startup innovator audience.
Others
- gener8tor: Accelerator and corporate innovation network running programs such as gBETA and the Corporate Innovation Network; collaborator with Inside Outside on ecosystem tours. Adjacent ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Inside Outside social profiles
Digital presenceInside Outside financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Inside Outside leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Inside Outside funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Inside Outside M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Inside Outside
What does Inside Outside do?
Inside Outside is an innovation community and consultancy that helps corporate and startup leaders develop innovation strategies through a weekly podcast (330+ episodes), a weekly email newsletter (published since September 2018), and searchable databases of innovation tools, books, videos, and articles. The company monetizes its audience through corporate speaking engagements, innovation coaching and training, annual IO Innovation Summits, IO Live virtual events, podcast and newsletter advertising and sponsorships, and IO Podcast production services.
Is Inside Outside a public or private company?
Inside Outside is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Inside Outside founded?
Inside Outside was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Inside Outside based?
Inside Outside is headquartered in Lincoln, United States, in the North America region.
How does Inside Outside make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Speaking & Keynotes are the primary driver. The others are innovation Coaching and Training, podcast Sponsorship & Advertising, innovation Events & Summits, book Sales and innovation Sponsorships.
Who are Inside Outside's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Board of Innovation, Innov8rs, Strategyzer, Innovation Leader and C2 International (C2 Montreal). Broad incumbents are Doblin (Deloitte), Forrester Research, a16z Podcast and Masters of Scale. gener8tor is listed as an others.
Does Inside Outside have an API?
No public API is recorded for Inside Outside.
What industry is Inside Outside in?
Inside Outside's product category is Innovation Consulting and Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAAAO, Innovation Leadership & Leading Growth, with a secondary code of EDABAMAH, Creativity & Innovation Mindset. Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 8742.