Episode Summary
What if creativity wasn’t just something a few people do—but the way your entire company thinks, decides, and works?
In this episode, Ivan Pols argues that the most effective organizations don’t isolate creativity—they operationalize it. As Chief Creative Officer at what3words, Ivan has helped build a culture where story becomes strategy, feedback is infrastructure, and creativity isn’t confined to a team—it’s expressed across the company.
We explore why “creative” is a word that often hurts more than it helps, how to build creative systems rooted in story and shared language, and what it means to protect friction and curiosity in the age of convenience and commoditization.
Key Takeaways
- Creativity isn’t a department. It’s a decision system, a culture engine, and a business advantage.
- The label “creative” often limits people. Real creative work happens when everyone contributes.
- Brand story isn’t just marketing—it’s the internal algorithm that drives decisions and direction.
- Friction isn’t the enemy—done right, it sharpens thinking, focus, and collaboration.
- Creative operations can evolve from asset delivery to cultural architecture.
Passive Listening to Active Thinking
Use these prompts to reflect solo—or spark deep conversations with your team:
- Are you building a creative team—or a creative company?
- What labels are limiting your team’s ability to think creatively?
- Does your brand story help your people make decisions—or just decorate your decks?
- What creative decisions are being made in your org—without creative input?
Ivan Pols, Chief Creative Officer at what3words | Co-Founder, Truth & Spectacle
Ivan has led global creative work at agencies like Ogilvy and adam&eveDDB, launched viral campaigns like Diamond Shreddies, and now serves as the creative heartbeat of what3words. At the intersection of design, systems thinking, and brand storytelling, Ivan has helped build a company-wide creative culture where everyone—from engineers to finance—is part of the creative process.
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Links & Resources
Ivan Pols on LinkedIn
what3words
Truth & Spectacle
Where would more friction—or better feedback—make the work better?
What is CreativeOps Podcast?
The Creative Ops Podcast, hosted by a respected leader in the industry since 2014, Nish Patel, explores the ever-changing world of creative operations. Each week, immerse yourself in candid, enlightening, and curiosity-driven conversations with creative operations leaders as they share stories of challenges, solutions, and insights on both prevailing and emerging topics.
Central to these conversations are the foundational pillars of Creative Ops: People, Process, and Tech and the disruption and opportunity of AI (artificial intelligence) on individuals, organizations and the entire industry.
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