Why Listening Is Innovation’s Best Technology
Listening is crucial to innovation, Boost Payment Solutions founder and CEO Dean M. Leavitt writes in a new PYMNTS eBook, “The Innovation Mindset: How to Achieve It in 2025.”
At Boost Payment Solutions, innovation has always been our foundation. We thrive on a “yes, and …” mindset, constantly asking, “What if?” to explore possibilities and drive meaningful change. Guided by curiosity, collaboration and a commitment to pushing boundaries, we refuse to be confined by traditional methods or legacy processes. Instead, we continuously seek smarter, better ways to create value for our customers and partners.
This mindset starts with our people. We prioritize hiring individuals who are not only skilled but inherently curious and driven to challenge the status quo. For us, innovation isn’t disruption for its own sake — it’s about reimagining what’s possible to solve real-world challenges. By fostering a culture where assumptions are questioned, ideas are welcomed and collaboration is key, we’ve created an environment where transformative thinking thrives. Empowered to ask “what if” daily, our team brings fresh perspectives and groundbreaking ideas that drive meaningful results.
For our customers, innovation begins with listening. As an “ears first” organization, we know our customers understand their businesses better than anyone else. By identifying their challenges, pain points and goals, we create bespoke solutions that streamline operations, reduce friction and deliver measurable value. Listening isn’t just about solving immediate problems — it’s about forming meaningful, lasting partnerships that empower our customers to innovate, thrive and grow. Through collaboration, we ensure that our solutions are not only practical but transformative.
In the broader payments and banking landscape, a new mindset is imperative. Inertia — the tendency to cling to familiar systems and processes — remains a significant barrier to progress, especially in large institutions. Yet, with the emergence of younger, digitally native decision-makers, this is beginning to change. These leaders, raised in a digital-first world, are more open to exploring new ideas and embracing technologies that drive efficiency and innovation. This generational shift presents a unique opportunity for companies like Boost to deliver forward-thinking solutions that resonate with this evolving audience.
Another question, a close cousin to “what if,” that is constantly in the mix at Boost is, “why not?” It’s a mindset across the organization and serves as a companion force to drive innovation. Together, these questions — “what if?” and “why not?” — form a powerful combination that challenges assumptions, inspires action and opens new possibilities.
For example, our cross-border payments solution, Boost 100XB, emerged from asking, “What if global B2B payments could be as seamless as domestic ones?” and following that with, “Why not?” This led to the creation of an industry-first solution enabling enterprise businesses to use existing U.S.-issued commercial cards for payments to suppliers in over 180 countries. By continually challenging ourselves, we ensure that innovation remains at the heart of our business while making our customers’ lives easier.
This shift from “no, because …” to “yes, and …” is more than a cultural adjustment — it’s a necessity for organizations looking to thrive in today’s rapidly changing world. At Boost, this mindset fuels everything we do, from empowering our team to how we partner with our customers. It’s how we’re shaping the future of payments and delivering solutions that truly make a difference.
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