Given that Aspen is the launch that changes everything, we at Guidewire took the opportunity to rethink our overall go-to-market approach—including how we name our launches. We were inspired by other software companies, like ServiceNow, which uses major cities and locations, as well as macOS, which uses big cats and locations in California. Names are meaningful. They give things identity. If you think we’re overthinking it, you can read the 244-page e-book that explains the origins of the names of all NASA launch vehicles, satellites, and manned space flights.

In the world of improvisational comedy, one of the unbreakable rules is to accept what your partner or fellow actors say and then add something to it. This is referred to as “Yes, and…” thinking. The idea is that you’re building a story together, rather than pivoting in a number of directions. How in the world do improv comedy techniques relate to innovation in property and casualty core systems? Hear me out...