It's been puzzling many observers why companies are not innovating to a degree that keeps them from going out of business. Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen and others came up with explanations around that. But while innovation practitioners keep talking and preaching about the reasons and measures to avoid being disrupted, companies seem to be immune implementing the lessons learned.
A great example of where you can see a wipe out of traditional companies going on is the car industry. And the Porsche vs Tesla example is just too great that I could pass it. I composed an article that garnered quite some attention and heated discussion in Germany during the holidays with 15,000+ views. Now I have it in English as well for your enjoyment. Read it here:German Innovation Problems Explained With Porsche And Tesla (here is the German version).
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STARTUP-founders need to be impostors and do these little white lies. "Of course our software can do that" (translation: "We program it, as soon as you signed the contract and paid for it"). "We already have several happy customers" (translation: "We are talking to some and they liked what they've seen but have not yet signed up"). "We have a strong dedicated team!" (translation: "We have a couple of team members who are still in their day jobs and work in the evening and on weekends").
Though, there are things that they should not say, especially not when they pitch their startups and ideas to VCs. Here is a list of What Startups Should Never Say During A VC-Pitch, with explanations: What Startups Should Never Say During A VC-Pitch
What better way to start 2016 than with getting the innovation experience? There are two ways to do that. One is to come to Silicon Valley and do an inspiration tour with us. Such tour is not a tourist thing, but a way to engage with startup founders, VCs, corporate innovators on a one-on-one basis and experience their attitudes, behaviors and spirit in person. The one thing that is expected from you is to show authentic interest and the desire for an honest exchange of ideas.
The second way to do it is go through an innovation program including certification and a visit of multiple innovation hotpots world wide. That's what the Innovation Orbit does with the certified Global Innovation Expert.
In an outlook to what's coming multiple analysts examine industries such as finance and banks or the ride hailing industry. What's mind-blowing is how borders between industries seem to evaporate. Uber becomes a bank, Facebook an internet provider, Google a car company, Netflix a media company, Apple a content provider, and SAP ... ah well, I don't know where my former employer is going. At least this seems to be puzzling the community on Quora as well. Chip in, if you have an idea.
Some good news: my book Die Silicon Valley Mentalität can be pre-ordered. The book is in German is hitting the market in early 2016. In case you wonder what it's about. In the book I explain what makes the Silicon Valley the Silicon Valley and walking you step-by-step through the different elements. This will help you to understand what you can do and apply those behaviors to yourself or your own organization, combining them with your own strengths. Although I wrote the book with a focus on the German-speaking countries, many of the elements are equally valid for other countries and regions. You'll agree with that because I interviewed over 2 dozen people, with over half of them from other parts of the world.
Read more about the book and where to get it here.
The Porsche vs Tesla article in this newsletter gives just one glimpse into the importance of an innovation culture in companies to foster and enable intrapreneurs. A bunch of other articles analyze the same topic with other companies, such as Nokia, Volkswagen, or Polaroid.
Articles I wrote or liked around INTRAPRENEURSHIP:
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NSFW - Chemical Party
Today's NSFW - internet lingo for Not Safe For Work - is something that all chemists (like me - yes I studied chemistry) and non-chemists will appreciate. The video depicts in a humorous way how chemical elements bond - by comparing it to a party.
That makes learning chemistry fun! Watch the video here.
