What’s more powerful: knowing the right answer or noticing the right question?In this insightful TEDx talk, "The Power of Being Perceptive," serial entrepreneur and former award-winning television personality, Adam Cooper, explores the subtle yet extraordinary strength of perception—the ability to read between the lines, sense what’s not being said, and recognize opportunities that data alone can’t reveal. From engaging stories and 'what-if' scenarios, to US military strategy, to managerial practices decades ahead of their time, to the birth of the iPhone, Adam demonstrates how perception can outshine raw intelligence in real-world scenarios.But this isn’t a one-sided argument. The talk also explores when intelligence takes the lead, particularly in high-stakes fields such as medicine and engineering. Packed with humor, relatable moments, and thought-provoking questions, this talk doesn’t hand you an answer—it invites you to consider how both perception and intellect shape your decisions. With humor, insight, and relatable examples, this talk challenges you to rethink how you approach decision-making—whether you're running a business, launching a career, or simply trying to read a room.Adam Cooper won a New York State Broadcasters Award for “Best Documentary” less than five years after graduating from the SI Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University—and he hasn’t slowed down since. He’s excelled in major market TV news and built a dynamic career across multiple entrepreneurial ventures.A pioneer in using storytelling as a marketing tool before “content marketing” was even a term, Adam has a proven ability to spot emerging trends across media, marketing, sales, and business. His early adoption of digital and social media—back when MySpace was still more popular than Facebook—earned him the respect of his peers. His name became synonymous with being a forward thinker. Over his 30+ year career, Adam has worked with publicly traded companies such as Hasbro, Tribune, and Goodbaby International, and has gained agency-side experience working on digital campaigns for brands like eBay and The Home Depot.Today, Adam is the founder and CEO of Raddl, Inc., an early-stage startup using patent-pending technology to bring transparency and trust to the consumer product review space—connecting companies and consumers through the world’s only transactional product review platform. Adam also shares his expertise with the next generation of entrepreneurs as an adjunct professor at Bryant University. Adam is an experienced professional in digital marketing and entrepreneurship. As the CEO and Founder of Raddl, he has been leveraging AI and honest consumer reviews to reshape how products are bought and sold, focusing on zero-party data collection and review seeding since 2020. He is also currently serving as an adjunct professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship at Bryant University, where he shares his wealth of knowledge with aspiring entrepreneurs. Adam has previously held leadership roles in digital marketing at CYBEX and Stone Temple Consulting, where he led content strategies and digital campaigns for large clients, including eBay and The Home Depot. His career has been marked by a strong strategic vision and a successful track record of managing large-scale projects and building relationships with key stakeholders. Before venturing into entrepreneurship, Adam worked with Hasbro as a Global Brand Marketing Producer, managing cross-functional teams and overseeing the execution of global marketing campaigns for iconic brands like Transformers, Marvel, and Star Wars. His expertise in project management, budgeting, and creative content development helped bring numerous projects to fruition. Adam's accomplishments also include leading the development of CYBEX's first e-commerce platform and managing consumer review platforms like Bazaarvoice and Amazon Vine. Throughout his career, Adam has demonstrated a commitment to driving innovation and growth, whether in the corporate world or through his entrepreneurial endeavors. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx