The paradox of corporate innovation is that many of the best startups are spawned by the alumni of stodgy enterprises. Yet, had these very same entrepreneurial alumni attempted to realize their vision within the walls of the corporation, it’s unlikely they would have succeeded.
Understandably, many corporates consider these alumni-bred startups missed financial opportunities, but that is simply not the case.
However, I am a believer that in the future corporations and startups will find better ways to work together. Corporate venture capital, co-incubation and corporate venture studios are all evolving paradigms which can help facilitate relationships between incumbents and upstarts. In the future zero-sum games and acquisitions will not be the standard in corporate development and innovation.