The Intrapreneurship Formula

The Intrapreneurship Formula

How to Drive Corporate Entrepreneurship

Through Employee Empowerment

Sandra Lam
The Intrapreneurship Formula:
How to Drive Corporate Entrepreneurship Through Employee Empowerment

Copyright © Business Expert Press, LLC, 2023.

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First published in 2022 by

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Corporate leaders who are facing disruption in their industry or
businesses should read this book to understand how they can lead
their organizations into the future era.
 Description
Half of the industry-leading companies have lost their leading position in
the last decade. Disruption across industries has been accelerated by the
Industry 5.0 and the pandemic. One in every two companies might not
be able to sustain its competitive advantage or even survive in the next
10 years. Corporations must innovate to keep themselves in the game.
Yet, many corporations struggle at innovating. Only one out of five cor-
porate leaders feel equipped to face the challenge. Corporate leaders have
been told that their employees are valuable innovation assets. The key to
building sustainable innovation is to empower employees and convert
them into intrapreneurs. This book is designed to help the remaining
80 percent of the corporate leaders who struggle to lead innovation and
intrapreneurship in their organizations.
This book offers a practical formula for doing just that—a guide to
help leaders outperform and stay ahead of the competition in a rapidly
changing environment. The Intrapreneurship Formula is created to help
leaders plan and manage intrapreneurship in a structured way. The book
introduces a tested formula that identifies and analyzes five key compo-
nents of intrapreneurship that shape innovation activities in organizations
across industries: Culture, Infrastructure, Traits, Skills, and the Network
of Diversity. It can be applied to any organization or team to understand
their strengths, as well as areas in which the current innovation ecosys-
tem can be improved. The book helps leaders self-assess their current
state and the areas of improvement and form a tailored plan to cultivate
intrapreneurship. It is a simple but powerful tool for understanding the
forces in the corporate ecosystem that are enabling or jeopardizing inno-
vation. Corporate leaders who are facing disruption in their industry or
­businesses should read this book to understand how they can lead their
organizations into the future era.
viii Description

Keywords
intrapreneurship; intrapreneur; corporate entrepreneurship; innovation
and entrepreneurship; innovation; innovator; corporate startup; ­corporate
innovation; innovation management; innovation ecosystem; innovative
leadership; design thinking; lean startup; agile
 Contents
List of Figures����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xi
Testimonials����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xiii
Acknowledgments���������������������������������������������������������������������������������� xv
Introduction��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� xvii

Chapter 1 The Demand for Intrapreneurs in the

Age of Industry 5.0�����������������������������������������������������������1
Chapter 2 Let’s Do a Pulse Check���������������������������������������������������19
Chapter 3 The Potential Intrapreneurs in Your Corporation�����������31
Chapter 4 Introducing the Intrapreneurship Formula���������������������41
Chapter 5 Culture for Nurturing Intrapreneurs�������������������������������49
Chapter 6 Corporate Infrastructure�������������������������������������������������73
Chapter 7 Essential Skills of Intrapreneurs������������������������������������115
Chapter 8 Network of Diversity����������������������������������������������������169
Chapter 9 Recruit and Retain Intrapreneurs����������������������������������179
Chapter 10 What Could Kill Intrapreneurship?������������������������������191
Chapter 11 Intrapreneurship Boosters���������������������������������������������199
Chapter 12 Setting Sail for Intrapreneurship�����������������������������������209

Notes�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������213
References�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������219
Recommended Reading and Courses�����������������������������������������������������229
About the Author��������������������������������������������������������������������������������231
Index�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������233
 List of Figures
Figure 1.1 Comparison of corporate innovation versus
startup innovation������������������������������������������������������������4
Figure 1.2 McKinsey Innovation Through Crisis Survey 2020����������9
Figure 1.3 McKinsey Innovation Through Crisis Survey 2020��������10
Figure 2.1 Assessment I: Level of intrapreneurship in your
corporate������������������������������������������������������������������������20
Figure 2.2 Assessment II: The intrapreneur in you���������������������������25
Figure 4.1 The Intrapreneurship Formula���������������������������������������48
Figure 5.1 Examples of dismissive body language����������������������������59
Figure 6.1 Idea evaluation criteria template�������������������������������������80
Figure 6.2 Idea evaluation panel������������������������������������������������������82
Figure 6.3 Innovation pipeline funnel���������������������������������������������87
Figure 6.4 A simple explanation of APIs����������������������������������������103
Figure 7.1 I-, T-, Pi-, and comb-shaped talents������������������������������116
Figure 7.2 Four skills that intrapreneurs need to master�����������������117
Figure 7.3 Cycle of innovation combining design thinking
and lean startup������������������������������������������������������������119
Figure 7.4 Empathy map���������������������������������������������������������������121
Figure 7.5 Idea prioritization matrix����������������������������������������������128
Figure 7.6 Validating an intrapreneurship idea������������������������������129
Figure 7.7 What an MVP is and what it is not������������������������������133
Figure 7.8 MVP features prioritization matrix�������������������������������137
Figure 7.9 Sample of an empathy map������������������������������������������138
Figure 7.10 Kanban board���������������������������������������������������������������144
Figure 7.11 Stakeholder map�����������������������������������������������������������146
Figure 7.12 Decision log template���������������������������������������������������147
Figure 7.13 Dimensions of VUCA��������������������������������������������������149
 Testimonials
“If The Start-Up Way by Eric Ries was your guide towards entrepreneurship
in the era of Industry 4.0, Sandra Lam’s The Intrapreneurship Formula is
the perfect playbook to enable progress in the age of Industry 5.0. With action-
able insights and inspiring case stories from her innovation career, I found
this useful in decoding and guiding companies who are on a pivot-or-perish
journey towards Intrapreneurship, Innovation, and Inclusion.”—Soumee
De, Partner, Workforce Advisory, EY

“This book combines years of experiences Sandra has in the domain, key
theories from other thought leaders together, to make a simple and easy to
understand guide on how businesses, both large and small, can embark on
the journey of intrapreneurship. The assessments and framework templates
that are made available in the book make it really easy for anyone to apply in
their day-to-day intrapreneurship activities. I highly recommend this book to
any businesses, and teams who are new to entrepreneurship, and do not have
much idea on how to start to pick up this book.”—Luke Goh, Director,
Innovation Consulting, Salesforce

“The world is changing, people want more from their jobs, and they want
a sense of ownership in what they are building. This book gives a practical
framework of how you can help your people grow the company from within.
It’s a win-win!”—Monique D’Arcy, Senior Researcher, Microsoft

“Today, most of us in this business world understand that innovation is one of

the essential ingredients which endow a business organization with sustainable
success. I believe many of us also have a meaningful experience with different
sizes of business organizations in which we can find their people, various
functions, and infrastructure that make us feel a culture full of innovation
and creativity. However, we may not know exactly how these organizations
xiv Testimonials

could build up such a lively phenomenon in their corporate environment. If

you are seeking the secrets to this question, then this book is the right answer.”
—Edwin Wong, Ex-Treasury and Credit Controller, Nike Greater
China

“In a time of rapid corporate innovation, Sandra’s much needed The Intra-
preneurship Formula provides a practical approach to developing the
right mindset. Her ideas and lessons are invaluable for any organization
that is ­serious about differentiating itself to remain relevant in the future.”
—Sweatha Donkada, Distinguished Engineer, UBS

“Using simple terms and ready-to-use toolkits, Sandra provides a practical,

methodological guide on how to nurture innovation in an organization.
A must-read for all business leaders who are determined to transform their
companies.”—Alex Lau, Chief of Staff, Dah Sing Bank

“As rapid innovation tops the agenda of corporates, this book provides prag-
matic frameworks, case studies, and fundamentals for business leaders at all
levels to leap across traditional approaches and implement innovation in their
organizations.”—Shan Sharma, Corporate Innovation Consultant

“Sandra Lam has written an insightful guide for business leaders aspiring to
transform their organizations into innovative ones in the Age of Industry 5.0.
It is full of important information, a pragmatic manual, and careful thoughts
about change, innovation, and stakeholder empowerment.”—Yanbo Wang,
Associate Professor of Strategy, HKU Business School

“A must-have, must-read book for everyone, on every desk, offering experi-

enced insights and step-by-step guided frameworks to pivot every business to
a grounded innovation journey.”—Edgar Low, Ex-adjunct Faculty and
Senior Practicum Manager, Singapore Management University, and
Associate Lecturer, Ngee Ann Polytechnic
 Acknowledgments
I am extremely grateful to everyone who has helped me along my j­ourney
to get me where I am today. I am very thankful to people who have
shared their ideas, thinking, and questions with me. Your generous shar-
ing inspired me and enabled my learnings and growth. I appreciate all the
great people whom I have worked with to put their trust in me to help
them. In return, I have gained new knowledge and experience. I am very
lucky to have known great leaders, key thinkers, and thought leaders in
my field. All of you are amazing!
I want to thank my beta readers. I appreciate all the feedback you have
given to me which shaped this book. Your input has helped me improve
the book, making it more relevant to the readers.
I also want to take the chance to thank my spouse, Anthony, for
his support and patience. For months I have been spending my after-
work hours and weekends to complete this book. I am very grateful for
­having a spouse who encourages me to dream big and believes that I can
do anything.
Finally, I want to thank the team of Business Expert Publishing for all
of their support. Your team is very professional and I am glad about the
trusted relationship that we have built.
 Introduction
What would you do if you were told that your company will lose its
­competitive advantage or even go out of business in five years? What
would you do today to save it? You might think of expanding into new
markets, increasing margins, improving efficiencies, and cutting costs.
But the truth is none of these incremental improvements is sufficient to
save your business from the disruption that’s happening all around us.
The world we’re in today is experiencing an acceleration of techno-
logical advancement. We have seen disruption enabled by advancements
emerging both in vertical markets and across industry sectors. The time
taken to create and scale something from scratch is short—weeks, if not
days. While these advancements bring opportunities, they also lower
entry barriers. Leaders who have established businesses to run find them-
selves facing fierce competition from small startups that did not even exist
a few years ago.
Most leaders know that innovation is important for their future success
and survival, but few are satisfied with their current level of innovation.
There is a gap between knowing about the need to innovate and knowing
how to innovate. Some leaders simply do not know where to start. Some
are struggling to innovate beyond traditional R&D. And some, especially
those in large corporates that have invested a lot of resources, are wonder-
ing why they still cannot achieve the expected results.
Many failed because they drew on their experience of doing what they
do best. They tried to run innovation the same way they ran their existing
businesses. Others invested in external innovation experts who brought
short-term excitement to the company. But once the engagement was
over, they found themselves moving back to the old ways of doing things.
The key to sustainable innovation is to empower your employees and
convert them into intrapreneurs. This book gives you a practical formula
for doing just that—a practical guide to help you outperform and stay
ahead of your competition in a rapidly changing environment.
xviii Introduction

This book will provide a guideline on how to assess the current level
of intrapreneurship in your organization and identify areas for improve-
ment. It will help you identify potential intrapreneurs and build a culture
and infrastructure to nurture them. It will run through the training you
need to provide your employees and how to attract and retain intrapre-
neurial talent. In short, this book will show you how to build a successful
intrapreneurship program.
I’ve been a corporate innovation practitioner leading corporate
­innovation, intrapreneurship, and technology partnerships in corporates.
I’ve helped C-suites develop strategies for sustainable innovation, built
intrapreneurship programs, coached intrapreneurs, and transformed
employees into founders.
This book draws on my experience of managing intrapreneurship
and learnings from some of the world’s most innovative companies. I’ve
observed those companies change the way they approach innovation in
the last few years. Traditionally it was through R&D centers with small,
centralized teams. But more corporate leaders have come to realize that, to
succeed, innovation cannot belong only to laboratories that are ­physically
separated from the rest of the business.
In contrast, the teams that I have led built large-scale innovation
practices for companies and seen the impact on both employees and
the business. I have seen companies successfully launch new products
based on the ideas of intrapreneurs. They turned into commercialization
­opportunities and drove new revenue.
Opening up innovation to employees also ignites their passion for the
organization. They feel that they are involved and that their participa-
tion matters. I have seen employee engagement increase significantly. Of
course, this doesn’t happen overnight. Some corporates have taken months
or even years to figure out how to implement intrapreneurship. Now,
with this book, you have the formula to accelerate this transformation.
This book isn’t a theoretical presentation nor a methodology for
building a single product or new value proposition. It’s designed for lead-
ers who aspire to transform their organization into an innovative one by
empowering their employees. It is a pragmatic manual that will help you
deploy a sustainable approach to innovation.
 Introduction xix

My final message is: don’t delay! Your direct competitors and others
new to the field are innovating relentlessly to get your business. This book
will give you a head start with its proven formula. Each chapter outlines
crucial elements and actions, culminating in an action plan for managing
intrapreneurship and generating new business growth. All by leveraging
your biggest existing asset—your employees.
 CHAPTER 1

The Demand for

Intrapreneurs in the Age
of Industry 5.0
Two decades from now, your company may not exist. That may sound
like a downbeat assessment but I’m afraid it’s a statistical likelihood. Since
the year 2000, 52 percent of companies listed on the Fortune 500 list
have gone bankrupt, been acquired, or ceased to exist.
Just as startling is the fact that, in just 10 years, half of the companies
currently on the Fortune 500 list will be replaced.1 It’s a similar story with
other leading share indexes. Back in 1990, the average tenure of compa-
nies on the S&P 500 was 20 years, down from 33 years for those founded
in 1965.2 It’s still falling. By 2026, it’s predicted that the average tenure of
a company will be just 14 years.
This phenomenon is global and industry agnostic, and your organiza-
tion is not immune. The question is: what will differentiate your organi-
zation from those that fail? How will it maintain its competitiveness and
continue to thrive? The key is sustainable innovation. Only with innova-
tion can a company constantly maintain its competitive advantage and
grow its business.
Innovation is overused as a buzzword and the term itself can be very
broad. People have tried to define it, however. When the entrepreneur
and consultant Jorge Barba asked 15 leading innovation experts, they
said that innovation involved new ideas, implementing them in a busi-
ness, solving problems, and creating value for customers. My definition is
slightly more precise. For the purpose of this book, I define innovation as
the process of building a new product, service, process, or business model
to create customer value.
2 The Intrapreneurship Formula

Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity, not a threat.

—Steve Jobs

As an innovation practitioner, I have helped corporate leaders create

value for their businesses by driving innovation. I have seen many of those
leaders spend a tremendous amount on external consultants to create an
innovation strategy, source new ideas, or organize innovation activities.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with hiring external help. But it
cannot stop there. Innovation is not something that can simply be out-
sourced to external parties. What’s more, many leaders overlook one of
the key assets of innovation they already have in their organization: their
own employees.
By empowering your employees, you can drive innovation from
within. Imagine that every one of your employees is a thought engine
for your business, relentlessly exploring new value every day they come
to work. Innovation at your organization would no longer be ad hoc; it
would be continuous.
Employees who innovate are known as “intrapreneurs.” The origin of
the word isn’t clear but it seems the idea was first mentioned in 1978 in a
paper called “Intra-Corporate Entrepreneurship” by Gifford Pinchot and
Elizabeth Pinchot. They were the founders of Pinchot & Co, a pioneering
consultancy firm focusing on training for corporate innovation. In their
work, Gifford and Elizabeth referred to intrapreneurs as “dreamers who
do. Those who take hands-on responsibility for creating innovation of any
kind, within a business.”
You’re familiar with the term “entrepreneur,” which defines someone
who builds a new business and takes risks in the hope of making a return.
An intrapreneur is an employee who takes on the challenge of build-
ing new solutions or business models. They act like entrepreneurs while
working in an organization.
In this book, we will discuss the importance of driving innovation via
intrapreneurship and guide you on creating an ecosystem to cultivate it.
This book will help you identify the resources you already have in your
organization and where the gaps are. You will discover which employees
have the potential to help your company thrive and the mindset, skills,
and capabilities they need to become intrapreneurs.
 The Demand for Intrapreneurs in the Age of Industry 5.0 3

Based on my experience and the knowledge of corporate innovators

across industries, this book constructed a formula for you to successfully
build the right culture. You will need to invest in the right inputs to form
an ecosystem that results in sustainable intrapreneurship. We will discuss
what the various inputs are, what they do, how to build them, and how
to measure the outcomes.

Corporate Versus Startup Innovation

Entrepreneurship is the process that turns those ideas into actual
­innovations, and when it occurs in large corporations we tend to refer
to it as intrapreneurship or corporate innovation.3
—Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Innovation in corporates versus those in startups looks quite differ-

ent. The major difference is due to the presence of an existing business.
Because of that, the challenges that startup founders are facing are vastly
different from those of intrapreneurs. That explains why the ways how
startup founders solve things may not always work best for intrapreneurs
in corporates.
In a startup, innovation is a spontaneous process that happens
­continuously through a few passionate people bouncing ideas off each
other, prototyping, and developing until it works. It is a trial-and-­error
process. Founders of a business know that struggle. They are facing
extreme challenges including lack of funding, resources, and network.
Starting from scratch, startup founders might not find themselves strug-
gling with existing legacy, corporate strategy, and red tape. They are freer
to imagine the future. They are also relentless because until the business is
launched and takes flight, there is no return.
It is not the same in a corporate. Innovation in a big, complex orga-
nization is hard, in a different way. Employees are not hired to take
risks but to execute and manage. The majority do not have innovation
as their job scope. Trial and error might not be rewarded because the
company hired you to do what you know, and so you do it the way it’s
supposed to be done. There are often established policies and procedures
to avoid errors. Anything outside of the framework is seen as a deviation
4 The Intrapreneurship Formula

Corporate
Comparison Innovation Startup Innovation
Founders Intrapreneurs Entrepreneurs
Funding source Corporate funding Venture capitalists
Exiting clientele available Yes No
Talents availability Employees in the corporate Need to hire
Stakeholders’ alignment Highly required Less of a concern
Legacy system to take Yes No
care of
Bureaucracy High Low

Figure 1.1  Comparison of corporate innovation versus startup

innovation

that might put the corporate at risk. Innovation is often something new
being explored  that does not sit well with the existing framework. For
that reason, ­supporting innovation requires a long-term commitment
from all levels, the redesign of processes and mechanisms, and disciplined
­execution. ­Without the right culture, skills, and infrastructure, innova-
tion won’t just happen. Figure 1.1 shows a comparison between corporate
innovation and startup innovation, ranging from the types of founders to
the bureaucracy they face.
Of course, you could always spend millions of dollars to get consul-
tants to innovate for you and integrate it in-house. However, it is costly
and not sustainable. The truth is that you have one of the strongest assets
already: your employees. They are the ones who know your customers,
business, strengths, and weaknesses. They know where the problems are
and sometimes the solutions too.
Corporate leaders need to develop a pipeline of intrapreneurs who
will innovate with new ideas and businesses. This book will provide a
guideline on how you can achieve it. But first, let’s take a short detour to
examine the complex and rapidly changing environment in which inno-
vation will take place.

Moving From the Industry 4.0 to the Industry 5.0

At the start of the 21st century, corporates have been busy dealing with
a digital revolution that’s often called “Industry 4.0.” First introduced
 The Demand for Intrapreneurs in the Age of Industry 5.0 5

by Klaus Schwab, executive chairman of the World Economic Forum in

2015, its foundations were outlined in his subsequent book, The Fourth
Industrial Revolution.4 Industry 4.0 refers to technology that combines
hardware, software, and biology and emphasizes advances in commu-
nication and connectivity.5 It emphasized the interconnectivity of the
machines, which increases efficiency and transparency in the workplace.
The interconnected machines enabled the capturing and analysis of
data of the end-to-end process. With the help of data, it allows deci-
sion ­makers to make better and quicker decisions and increase overall
productivity. Given the abundance of data and the machines’ c­ apability
to receive ­signals and react, the human’s role shifts from an operator of
machines toward a strategic decision maker and flexible problem solver.
During Industry 4.0, emerging technologies including artificial intelli­
gence, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain, and virtual
­reality (VR), and crypto have gained popularity and have been more
widely applied in the world.
Industry 4.0 has already caused a drastic change in the business
­environment. Blockbuster versus Netflix is often cited as an example
of how technology and a new business model can disrupt an indus-
try giant. Blockbuster was the champion of video rental companies
throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. At its peak, it had more than
9,000 brick-and-mortar stores globally.6 But Netflix’s cofounder, Reed
Hastings, identified a customer pain point. Customers did not like pay-
ing late fees, which was one of Blockbuster’s biggest revenue streams.
Netflix was launched in 1997 but did not take off immediately and
Blockbuster did not consider Netflix as competition. In 2000, Hast-
ings proposed a partnership but Blockbuster declined. But technology
and business models soon changed. In 2007, Netflix transitioned from
DVD shipments to online streaming. This led to exponential growth
in ­subscriber numbers while Blockbuster struggled, eventually filing for
bankruptcy in 2010. The Blockbuster versus Netflix example is one of the
biggest nightmares for any corporate leader.
Blockbuster management was not visionary enough to see the oppor-
tunities in partnering with Netflix. On the other hand, I wonder what
would have happened if an employee of Blockbuster had come up with
the idea of online streaming. Would Blockbuster’s management have
acted on this breakthrough idea by recognizing its potential and helping
6 The Intrapreneurship Formula

the intrapreneur experiment and develop it? It could have been a whole
new business model that kept Blockbuster in the game. But Blockbuster
probably wouldn’t have done it because it lacked the intrapreneurship
­formula to make it happen. And yet, Blockbuster was a profitable busi-
ness for more than 20 years before it went bankrupt.
The pace of technological advancement back then was slower. Corpo-
rates nowadays might not have the same luxury of time. The change to
digital technology has accelerated in the last two years and corporates are
facing a more rapidly changing market environment than ever.
In the second decade of the 21st century, we have already set one
foot into the era of Industry 5.0. Entering Industry 5.0 does not mean
Industry 4.0 becomes redundant. We have to understand that Indus-
try 5.0 is complementary to Industry 4.0. Industry 5.0 is the age of
personalization, based on the digitization achieved in Industry 4.0.
­
Industry 5.0 is putting humans at the center of focus of all technological
advancement. While Industry 4.0 asked how can we digitize everything
and make it seamlessly efficient, Industry 5.0 asks how can these digitized
assets help humans bring more personalized services, build customized
solutions, and create innovative experiences.
Industry 5.0 has a few key aspirations:

• Design of human-centric solutions: Leverage technologies to

solve problems with a human-centric approach, to create the
best experience for humans. It looks for solutions that build
synergy and harmony between humans and machines. Robots
are now shifting to “Cobots,” which mean robots that collab-
orate with humans.
• Hyper-personalization: Data, once trapped in silos or not
captured to detail, can now be collected, unified, and trans-
formed into actionable insights in real time. Personalization
increases complexity during the production process. However,
with the automated, agile, and flexible production achieved
by Industry 5.0, the highly personalized product can be
­prototyped within a short turnaround time.
• Focus on sustainability: Industry 4.0 did not have a strong
focus on environmental issues. Industry 5.0 seeks better
 The Demand for Intrapreneurs in the Age of Industry 5.0 7

technological solutions to achieve environmental protection.

It leverages automation and artificial intelligence algorithms
to increase sustainability in production processes.

The foundation of digitalization gave birth to vast opportunities for

innovative products and services that can be produced on a mass scale yet
unique to customers. Industry 5.0 aims not only to improve efficiency
and transparency, but also to create a better quality of life for humans. It
enhances the human factor of business, in terms of both customer services
and operational processes.

Industry 5.0 Accelerated

There’s no doubt that the world has changed since 2020. The impact of
the coronavirus pandemic was felt around the world. As of March 2022,
there were more than 456 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and
more than 6 million lives lost.7
The pandemic changed how we work, learn, travel, and interact
with others. During the lockdowns and circuit breakers, outdoor activi-
ties were restricted and those who had safety concerns also opted to stay
home. A year after the first outbreak, 56.8 percent of the U.S. workforce
was working remotely, at least part of the time.
To stay connected with the external world and manage their daily
lives, many sought to leverage technology:

• Remote work infrastructure. People who work from home rely

on digital and video conferencing tools to stay connected
with colleagues, collaborate, and get their work done without
physically meeting.
• Online shopping. Many had to rely on online e-commerce
to purchase groceries and necessities for daily life during
lockdowns.
• Contactless takeaway. During the period when no dine-in was
allowed, people ordered takeaway by digital means for either
self-pickup or delivery.
• Remote learning. Students attended virtual classes from home.
8 The Intrapreneurship Formula

• Virtual fitness. With the closure of indoor gyms and sports

facilities, people exercised from home. Home-gym apps and
online fitness classes gained traction.
• Cashless payment. Without visiting physical venues, most pay-
ments were made digitally. People used more cashless means,
including credit cards and e-wallets. Merchants are moving
their sales online, creating more demand for digital methods
of collecting payment. Even in physical stores, due to hygiene
concerns, people preferred contactless payments (e.g., pay-
Wave and QR codes).
• Online entertainment. Some 33 percent of Americans ranked
streaming as the most important digital service during the
COVID-19 lockdown, according to a survey by ExpressVPN.
Of U.S. Netflix subscribers, 40 percent signed up for
­additional streaming services since the start of pandemic
lockdowns.

Technology adoption will only accelerate as consumer behaviors

change. Populations around the world, not just the born-digital genera-
tion, are getting into online retail, online payment, online entertainment,
and more.

Corporations Need Innovation for Growth

In the age of Industry 5.0 and a pandemic, innovation is more critical
than ever. It’s not surprising that innovative companies outperformed
their peers by around 10 to 20 percent in shareholder returns, both before
and during the COVID-19 downturn.
Many companies have realized that now is the time to take action.
This is reflected in a recent survey of companies’ ability to adapt to the
uncertain environment created by COVID-19. In its May 2021 report,
“The Race for Innovation,” Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reported
that 75 percent of companies had made innovation a top-three priority
for 2021.8
The fallout from COVID-19 is set to fundamentally change the way
organizations do business over the next five years. This was the view of
 The Demand for Intrapreneurs in the Age of Industry 5.0 9

more than 90 percent of executives in a recent McKinsey study of 200

organizations across industries. Almost as many executives asserted that
the crisis would have a lasting impact on their customers’ needs.9
However, many saw opportunities too. Figure 1.2 shows that
among leaders of various industries, more than three-quarters agreed
that the c­risis  would create significant new opportunities for growth,
with ­varied results in different industries. Take, for example, the technol-
ogy ­industry: 85 percent of the executives expect the COVID-19 crisis to
be a big opportunity.
It’s clear that innovation is one of the key success factors that enable
organizations to sail through crisis. In past crises, companies that invested
in innovation delivered superior growth and performance in the aftermath.
In its report, McKinsey reviewed the market capitalization of the
World’s 50 most innovative companies recognized by Fast Company,
both during and after the 2009 financial crisis. Based on Figure 1.3, these
companies not only outperformed their peers by 10 percent during the
crisis, but also outperformed the market by 30 percent in postcrisis years.
Unfortunately, many corporations had to focus on business continu-
ity during the pandemic instead of innovation. Executives must indeed
weigh cutting costs, driving productivity, and implementing safety mea-
sures against supporting innovation-led growth. However, in the long
run, given the change in consumer behaviors, technology advancement,

Share of executives who expect the COVID-19 crisis to be one of the biggest opportunities for growth
in their industry, %

85
Overall 70 79
70 71 71 73 73

50
38

Industrial Communication Retail Pharma and Technology

Basic services Health care Financial medical Consumer
materials systems and services supplies packaged
services goods

Figure 1.2  McKinsey Innovation Through Crisis Survey 2020

Source: McKinsey Innovation Through Crisis Survey, April 2020.
10 The Intrapreneurship Formula

Figure 1.3  McKinsey Innovation Through Crisis Survey 2020

and intensified competition, corporations will have to build a consistent

innovation focus to create and maintain their competitive advantage. If
you are the leader of a large organization facing disruption, your compa-
ny’s survival will depend on innovation. In turn, innovation will depend
on your ability to harness the power of intrapreneurship. The time to act
on this is now, before it is too late. Intrapreneurship is gaining in popular-
ity due to accelerated changes in the market landscape. And yes, building
this talent pipeline should keep you awake at night. Big tech giants like
Facebook, Google, and Amazon have strong intrapreneurship cultures
that make the majority of their employees intrapreneurs.
You might not see the immediate threat from this. Nor will you see an
immediate return on investing in intrapreneurs. But compare a corporate
that has only a handful of employees innovating to competitors that have
the majority of employees innovating all the time. Which will still be in
business and thriving in the next 10 years?
By now, I may have convinced you that you need intrapreneurs.
So let’s examine what they do in a little more detail.

What Intrapreneurs Do for the Corporate

Intrapreneur should not be an assigned, full-time job for an employee.
And it is not someone hired only to innovate new ideas. An intrapreneur
 The Demand for Intrapreneurs in the Age of Industry 5.0 11

can be anyone. Intrapreneurs are given access to resources and assets in

the established business and some autonomy to explore new ideas.
Within these parameters, here’s how intrapreneurs should operate.

They Seek to Understand Future Megatrends

Intrapreneurs are interested in future trends in the market and businesses

in general. They seek to understand trends on a large scale. They are good
at taking in a lot of information and finding the relevant implications.
They pick up signals showing where the industry is going and what com-
petitors are doing. They expose themselves to external sources, including
conferences, industry talks, and networking beyond the business, to pro-
actively stay on top of the latest updates. They process information about
the latest technology advancements to anticipate future changes in the
business. They might see exciting trends that do not have an immediate
impact on the corporate and sometimes are considered pure fantasy, as
the trend is perceived to be so far away. Whereas most employees are
­saying “That’s not going to take place for another 20 years,” an intrapre-
neur will see it happening in five years.

They Analyze Problems In-Depth

Intrapreneurs look into the problems the corporate and the corporate’s
customers are facing today. They observe customers in detail to under-
stand what they desire and hate. They do not see a problem as a given and
would raise an eyebrow if they heard people say “That problem has been
there since day one and it is how it is.” They care about the problem they
observe and have empathy with those experiencing it. They dissect the
problem from various angles before jumping to solutions. They identify
the pain point and try to understand the reason why it happens, where
the friction comes from, and what it costs the users.

They Bring Big Ideas With Business Opportunities

Using the insights they have drawn from the problem, intrapreneurs
brainstorm not only one or two but many alternative solutions. They
12 The Intrapreneurship Formula

would not limit themselves and would gather all possible solutions. Then
they would evaluate which option is best. They are interested in big ideas
that would solve the problem, delight customers, create value, and change
the game. They are sufficiently savvy in business to apply a commercial
angle to the solution.

They Execute and Deliver

Big ideas without execution are just thoughts. On the contrary, intrapre-
neurs are doers. Once they find a solution, they move on to an execution
plan and relentlessly pursue it. They are extremely persistent and do not
take no as an answer. They would form their team and gather resources by
influencing others. They are good at removing roadblocks during the exe-
cution stage. They have a clear vision in their mind of what the outcomes
would look like and what it takes to get there. They are strong performers
who deliver results and will not stop until the results are realized.
Successful intrapreneurship can benefit the corporate in unexpected
ways and make a tremendous impact on the business.

Intrapreneurship in Action: Ken Kutaragi

and the Sony PlayStation
Ken Kutaragi is one of the most successful examples of intrapreneur-
ship.10 He joined Sony in 1975 and worked in the sound labs. One
day, he bought his young daughter a Nintendo games console and
noticed that she wasn’t pleased with the sound quality. He analyzed the
problem and concluded that the solution was to install a microchip
dedicated solely to sound, which would significantly improve the gam-
ing system. At that time, Sony was not in the gaming business. So Ken
took the idea to Nintendo as an external consultant while still working
for Sony. A life-changing moment came when Nintendo decided not
to proceed with the project Ken was working on. But Ken under-
stood both the market and the business opportunity and didn’t stop
trying to convince Sony to enter the gaming industry. Most of Sony’s
senior leaders didn’t see the benefit. They considered Ken’s computer
 The Demand for Intrapreneurs in the Age of Industry 5.0 13

gaming device a mere toy. But the chairman, Norio Ohga, recognized
Ken’s intrapreneurial spirit and took a big chance. The rest is history.
Ken went on to lead the development of Sony’s gaming system, which
became the bestselling PlayStation.
Ken has demonstrated strong characteristics of an intrapreneur,
that is, problem solver, obsessed with customers, always coming up
with ideas, and so on. We will go into more detail about what makes a
potential intrapreneur in Chapter 3. From there, you will learn more
about how to identify the likes of Ken in your organization.
Another key takeaway from Sony’s example is that Ken’s success
did  not happen by chance. It was the result of both the disciplined
innovation by Ken and the committed support of senior leader
Norio Ohga.

Who Are Intrapreneurs?

Not everybody can be an intrapreneur. Intrapreneurs are people with a
strong entrepreneurial mindset who are attracted to the idea of building
a business. People with a strong entrepreneurial mindset do not often
find themselves in a corporate. They like to explore freely, and they might
not fit in with established workflows and systems. On the other hand,
most employees do not join a company to create something new. Some
90 ­percent of employees simply do execution work.
It’s also the case that intrapreneurs are not simply entrepreneurs who
happen to work in a corporate.11 Successful intrapreneurs need the drive
to build a new business within the corporate and to navigate the com-
plexities of the existing business. They have to be able to align with the
corporate mission and strategy, navigate the politics when approaching
senior leaders for sponsorship, and lead disciplined innovation practice
(which is usually not the practice of the mainstream business).
An intrapreneur, then, is a refined version of both an entrepreneur
and a corporate-savvy individual. Talents with intrapreneurial potential
are scarce. They have some traits they are born with, and most can be
learned. Later in this book, we will discuss how you can identify potential
intrapreneurs and the skillsets they need for success.
14 The Intrapreneurship Formula

Potential intrapreneurs come from all generations and backgrounds.

Many would have believed that more senior employees are better intra-
preneurs, given their expertise and experience. Knowledge and experience
indeed play a major role in understanding the problem and finding the
solution. However, your potential intrapreneurs can also come from less
experienced talents, who are millennials and Gen Z employees in the
workforce. Millennials have gone through the transition from the early
stage of the Internet to an all-digital economy. They know what change
is like and have seen it done. Gen Z was born digital and they expect
everything in their life to be designed digitally. The following are further
reasons why millennials and Gen Z employees are likely to be potential
intrapreneurs:
They have been inspired by innovation brought about by technology com-
panies. They saw how tech companies like Apple, Google, Facebook, and
Amazon achieved great business success within a short timeframe. Many
are inspired by the way these companies transformed our lives. The prod-
ucts and services these companies created and delivered have changed
customer behaviors, including those of millennials and Gen Z. They are
constantly comparing the standard of experience they get from these
companies to any other product or service they get.
They are seeing the booming startup scene. Some of their peers are
founding startups, joining startups, or shifting to join startups. These new
companies provide an opportunity to leapfrog established companies and
the potential to change the world. Those who join corporates want to
experience the same “cool” things as their peers inside startups.
They are highly adapted to digital. Millennials have seen the ­digital trans-
formation and Gen Z was born digital. They are exceptionally ­comfortable
dealing with technology. Give them a well-designed d ­ igital product and
they would be able to navigate it without an instruction manual. They are
familiar with digital means of communication, entertainment, and work.
They have instant access to limitless data and i­nformation via the Internet
and social media.
Intrapreneurs are most often not at the top of the hierarchy; they
could be spread across various levels and departments. Leaders need to
find them, nurture them, and support their development to help the com-
pany innovate. But they are mostly overlooked by corporates, and this is a
 The Demand for Intrapreneurs in the Age of Industry 5.0 15

problem. If you can’t create the right environment and structure for them
to work in, you risk losing talent. Intrapreneurship was named the most
desirable skill for 2020 by the global recruitment specialist Michael Page
and high-growth companies are hungry for them.

Who Are Not Intrapreneurs?

We have discussed how technological advances are driving the trends of
Industry 5.0. However, technology is only one type of innovation. It does
not mean that intrapreneurs are technologists or researchers who only
work in the research and development department.
Imagine that you are a skilled researcher and you know about the
research work or the model that you are running inside out. You do your
most productive work in the lab and you’re driven to solve a particular
problem. The moment people take you away from the laboratory and talk
about using the technology for profit, you consider it beyond your scope.
You cannot wait to go back to your actual work!
These persons may be fascinated to discover how science works, but
it is obvious that they are not interested in building a new business out
of it. It is not hard to see that this individual will not be motivated
to become, or excel in being, an intrapreneur. There is nothing wrong
with people following their hearts, doing what they are motivated to do.
There is ample room for technologists to grow within their domain in
a corporation.
Intrapreneurs might also not be the same people as high-potential
leaders (Hi-pos). These are high performers who you identify as pipeline
candidates for critical leadership roles like the C-Suite. Hi-pos and intra-
preneurs indeed have many similarities in terms of mindset. They are
high achievers and have a strong business sense. Hi-pos often have strong
people-management skills and are put on the track to lead a large-scale
corporate. On the other hand, an intrapreneur might not need to lead a
large team. Innovation could, and usually does, happen faster in a team
of a few driven people.
One key characteristic that distinguishes Hi-pos and intrapreneurs
is their entrepreneurial spirit. While Hi-pos have to be comfortable
managing an established large-scale corporate, intrapreneurs have to be
16 The Intrapreneurship Formula

comfortable dealing with the uncertainty and ambiguity of experiment-

ing with new solutions.
Both Hi-pos and technologists can be potential intrapreneurs, given
the right training and mindset shift. The point is that just because someone
is tech-savvy, is a high-potential leader, or has deep-tech domain exper-
tise, it does not mean they will make a great intrapreneur. I­ ntrapreneurs
can come from all domains and do not necessarily need a technology
background. But they do need to be tech-savvy in the way they appreciate
the technology, understand the concept, and see the potential business
implications and risks.

How to Use This Book

Intrapreneurs are highly scarce, and they operate on different expectations
compared to execution staff. They are full of ideas and seek satisfaction
in creating change by realizing their ideas. You will lose intrapreneurs if
your corporation does not allow them to create new things or businesses.
That means your corporate will lose out, due to a lack of competitive-
ness. You will miss the business opportunities that intrapreneurs could
have brought you. Alternatively, if you invest in intrapreneurs, they will
pay your corporate back with a new product, solution, or business that
justifies the investment. This book provides a framework and structure to
help you identify and groom intrapreneurial talents to create new value.
It will help your organization thrive and intrapreneurs to reach their
full potential.
Sometimes, corporate leaders ask: “Will intrapreneurs ruin my busi-
ness by taking too many risks?” No, they won’t if you create the right eco-
system. This book will help you understand the components you need to
build to help intrapreneurs grow without compromising productivity or
risking your existing business. Innovation is an investment that requires
commitment. Investment comes in the form of not only money but also
effort from corporate leaders. If you don’t have an ecosystem to support
intrapreneurial talents, they will eventually leave to seek a viable environ-
ment in which they can thrive.
Make use of this book to create a pipeline of intrapreneurial talent
and continue to upskill them. Work with your HR department to design
 The Demand for Intrapreneurs in the Age of Industry 5.0 17

an end-to-end employee journey for intrapreneurs. HR recruitment pro-

fessionals need to know the importance of having intrapreneurs in the
­organization because they are the fuel that creates a future for the business.
Corporate leaders and HR departments should join forces to transform
the process of identifying, recruiting, and retaining intrapreneurs. Most
of today’s recruitment tools, including the aptitude test and interview
methods, might not fully measure a candidate’s level of intrapreneurship.
Most do not even discover a candidate’s entrepreneurial spirit, which is
understandable. After all, if the person is so entrepreneurial, why would
they come to interview for a job? But times have changed. Intrapreneur-
ship is a new skill that is required for future corporates.
Throughout this book are assessment tools that you can use to eval-
uate your employees’ current skillsets, understand their strengths and
weaknesses, and build personalized training roadmaps for potential intra-
preneurs. One key to success is to group intrapreneurs into cofounder
teams. By building diverse groups of intrapreneurs in your organization,
you can complement their skills and multiply the effect. Intrapreneurs
can be employees from vastly different backgrounds and this book will
help you understand the various types of intrapreneur profiles and exactly
how they complement each other.
On the other hand, potential intrapreneurs also need reasons to join
a corporate. A stable job with a rigid routine would not appeal to them.
This book provides guideline to HR directors on how to find potential
intrapreneurs, how to attract them to work for the corporation, how to
train them with essential skills, and how to keep them motivated.
Finally, this book will discuss the pitfalls that can stop intrapreneur-
ship  and the boosters that can accelerate it. Take note of these prac-
tices  and fill the gaps to ensure that your investment in innovation is
not wasted.
In this chapter, we’ve seen how intrapreneurship is vital for driving
innovation and innovation is crucial to the survival of corporations in
the age of Industry 5.0. In the next chapter, this book will give you
tools for assessing the level of intrapreneurship and the potential talent
in your organization and practical advice on devising a customizable
action plan.
 Index
Academic Pro, 170–171 Communication, 46, 53, 62,
Adjacent innovation, 95–96 163–165
Agile project management, 141–142, Contactless takeaway, 7
141–147 Context-setting agility, 152
scrum meeting With Kanban Core innovation, 94–95
visual, 143–144 Corporate
Sprint approach, 142–143 culture of fear, 52–54
Airbnb, 144–145 innovation
Amazon, 54, 56–57 for growth, 8–10
Application programming interfaces vs. startup innovation, 3–4
(API), 103–105 intrapreneurs in action, 10–13
data, 106–108 bringing big ideas with business
sandbox, 105–106 opportunities, 11–12
Audience-centric approach, 164–165 execution and delivery, 12
future trends, 11
BASF, 92–93 in-depth problem analyzing, 11
Blockbuster, 5–6 Corporate immune system,
Body language, 58–59 160–163
Bootstrap, 160–161 Corporate infrastructure, 73–77,
Bureaucratic Red Tape, 195–197 99–100
Business venturers, 170 application programming interfaces
(API), 103–105
Cannibalization, 85–86 data, 106–108
Cashless payment, 8 sandbox, 105–106
Character avatars, 172–173 cloud computing, 100–101
Blues, 174 idea management
Greens, 175 evaluation framework, 79–81
in intrapreneur team, 175 evaluation panel, 81–83
Reds, 173 idea funnel, 77–79
Yellows, 173–174 self-cannibalization, 85–86
Citi D10XSM Program, 188–189 sponsorship, 83–85
Cloud computing, 100–101 innovation pipeline management,
Coca-Cola 87–89
Innovation Ambition Matrix, innovation portfolio management,
93–94 93–94
adjacent innovation, 95–96 adjacent innovation, 95–96
core innovation, 94–95 core innovation, 94–95
right balance, 98–99 right balance, 98–99
transformational innovation, transformational innovation,
96–97 96–97
Collaboration, 63–65 intellectual property management,
Comb-shape talents, 168 108
234 Index

commercialization phase, empathy, 120–123

110–112 ideation phase, 125–127
development phase, 109–110 idea validation, 127–131
early-stage discovery and ideation Dismissive body language, 58–59
phase, 109 Domain specialist, 171–172
intrapreneurship metrics, 112–114 Dreamworks, 165
sandbox environment, 101–103
scale-up, 90–93 Entrepreneur, 157, 158
Corporate leaders, 4, 16, 17, 169, 194 defined, 2
communication, 62 entrepreneurial spirit, 17
in innovation strategy, 74, 162 mindset, 13
intelligent failure, 67–68 Entrepreneurship, 3
intrapreneurs, growth of, 186–187
level of intrapreneurship, 19–24 Failure handling, 181
metrics, 112
Failures, intelligent, 65, 66
self-test, for individual employees,
in complex systems, 66
19, 24–29
due to mistakes, 65–66
questions for, 54, 56, 58, 59, 62,
leader’s approach, 67–68
66, 68, 71, 77, 86, 93, 99,
reward, 71–72
108, 112, 113, 118
innovation, 68–70
Creative agility, 152
on team basis, 70–71
Culture, 43
FinTech API, 105–106
Culture of fear, 50–54
Curiosity quotient (CQ), 32
Customer obsession, 54–55, Groupthink culture, 193
180–181 Growth mindset, 33
Customer stories, 57–58
High-potential leaders (Hi-pos),
Dangerous silence, 49 15–16
Data, innovation, 106–108 Human-centric approach, 6
Decision tracking, 146–147 Hyper-personalization, 6
Design guru, 171
Design thinking, 79, 118–120 Idea implementation, 180
problem solving by, 119–120, 180 Idea management
define phase, 123–125 evaluation framework, 79–81
empathy, 120–123 evaluation panel, 81–83
ideation phase, 125–127 idea funnel, 77–79
idea validation, 127–131 self-cannibalization, 85–86
Disapproval, fear of, 51 sponsorship, 83–85
Disciplined innovation process, 46, Inclusive intrapreneurship, 60–62
118–119 Industry 4.0, 4–7
agile project management, Industry 5.0, 4–8
141–142, 141–147 Infrastructure, corporate, 43, 44,
scrum meeting With Kanban 73–77, 99–100
visual, 143–144 application programming interfaces
Sprint approach, 142–143 (API), 103–105
MVP launching, 132–141 data, 106–108
problem solving, 119–120 sandbox, 105–106
define phase, 123–125 cloud computing, 100–101
 Index 235

idea management reward, 71–72

evaluation framework, 79–81 innovation, 68–70
evaluation panel, 81–83 on team basis, 70–71
idea funnel, 77–79 Internal stakeholders mapping,
self-cannibalization, 85–86 145–146
sponsorship, 83–85 Intrapreneurial theater, 193–194
innovation pipeline management, Intrapreneurs, 2, 13–15
87–89 communications, 163–165
innovation portfolio management, corporate immune system,
93–94 160–163
adjacent innovation, 95–96 disciplined innovation process
core innovation, 94–95 (see Disciplined innovation
right balance, 98–99 process)
transformational innovation, fundamental skills, 117
96–97 leadership, 147–153
intellectual property management, networking, 154–156
108 product storytelling, 166–168
commercialization phase, recruit, 179–185
110–112 retain, 185–190
development phase, 109–110 stakeholder management, 158–160
early-stage discovery and ideation team
phase, 109 character avatars (see Character
intrapreneurship metrics, 112–114 avatars)
proceeding stages, 89–90 professional avatars (see
sandbox environment, 101–103 Professional avatars)
scale-up, 90–93 size, 176–177
Innovation virtual networking, 156–157
communication, 62 Intrapreneurship
components, 74–76 culture creation, 54
in corporate body language, 58–59
vs. startup innovation, 3–4 customer obsession, 54–55
defined, 1–2 data-driven customer insights,
McKinsey, 9–10 55–56
pipeline management, 87–89 inclusion, 60–62
reward, 68–70 invite and offer opportunity, to
Innovation Ambition Matrix, 93–94 people, 59–60
adjacent innovation, 95–96 share and celebrate customer
core innovation, 94–95 stories, 57–58
right balance, 98–99 metrics, 112–114
transformational innovation, 96–97 measurement
Intellectual property management, level of intrapreneurship, 19–24
108 self-test, for individual
commercialization phase, 110–112 employees, 19, 24–29
development phase, 109–110 pitfalls, 191–198
early-stage discovery and ideation Bureaucratic Red Tape, 195–197
phase, 109 groupthink, 193
Intelligent failures, 65, 66 hiring entrepreneurs instead
in complex systems, 66 of grooming intrapreneurs,
due to mistakes, 65–66 197–198
leader’s approach, 67–68 intrapreneurial theater, 193–194
236 Index

return on investment (ROI), “Pay-as-you-go” model, 101

194–195 PillPack, 137–141
unsupportive middle managers, Postevent, 157
192 Potential intrapreneurs, 14
reward, 187–190 in action, 34–35, 38
boosters identifying, 31–36
for mindset change, 199–200 traits, 32–34
for networking and Problem solver, 32
collaborations, 200–203 Problem solving
for new ideas, 203–205 by design thinking, 119–120, 180
for speedy execution, 205–208 define phase, 123–125
Intrapreneurship formula, 41, 47–48, empathy, 120–123
209–211 ideation phase, 125–127
behavior, 42 idea validation, 127–131
environment, 42–45 Product storytelling, 166–168
people, 42, 45–47 Professional avatars, 169–170
Academic Pro, 170–171
Kanban method, 143–144 business venturers, 170
Key performance indicator (KPIs), design guru, 171
192 domain specialist, 171–172
in intrapreneur team, 172
Leadership, 46, 147–153 tech hacker, 171
by influence, 148–149 Punishment, fear of, 52
networking, 153
through VUCA, 149–153 Remote learning, 7
Lean startup, 118, 119, 132–141 Remote work infrastructure, 7
Level of intrapreneurship, 19–24 Return on investment (ROI), 92,
Lewin’s theory, 42 194–195
LinkedIn, 85, 157 Reward
innovation, 68–70
McDonald’s Happy Meal, 38 intelligent failures, 71–72
McKinsey, 9–10, 19 intrapreneurship, 187–190
Mentorship, 84 with new roles, 187
Minimal viable product (MVP), on team basis, 70–71
87–90 with shareholdings, 189–190
by lean startup, 132–137
of PillPack, 137–141 Sandbox environment, 101–103
Scope-setting, 142–143
Natural collaborator, 33 Seed funding, 84
Navigation, large organization, 46 Self-cannibalization, 85–86
Netflix, 5, 106 Self-esteem, fear of, 51
Networking, 152–156, 200–203 Self-leadership agility, 152
Network of diversity, 45, 47 Self-test, for individual employees, 19,
24–29
Online entertainment, 8 Skills, 45–47
Online shopping, 7 Social media, 157–158
On-The-Go H2O, 34–35 Sponsorship, 83–85
Open APIs, 104 Sprint approach, 142–143
 Index 237

Stakeholder agility, 152 Uncertainty, fear of, 52

Stakeholder management, 158–160
Starbucks, 57
Virtual fitness, 8
Storytelling, product, 166–168
Virtual networking, 156–157
Sustainability, 6–7
Volatile, uncertain, complex and
ambiguous (VUCA),
Tech hacker, 171
149–153
Time investment, 83–84
Traits, 45
Transformational innovation, 96–97 Wabi app, 97