How to Drive Innovation in Corporations Using the Entrepreneurial Spirit with Elliott Parker

In this episode Nate and Elliott dive into the history and necessity of optimism in entrepreneurship, the challenge of maintaining innovation in large corporations, and the importance of running fast, cheap, and weird experiments.

Elliott Parker is the CEO of High Alpha Innovation, a venture studio that works with large-scale corporations and universities to co-create startups.

Elliott is also the author of The Illusion of Innovation, a book to help big corporations escape efficiency and achieve progress. (More on that later.)

You are going to walk away with actionable items insights on creating a culture of innovation and the practical steps to blend the strengths of both worlds for sustainable success.

Check out these great clips:

00:20 Historical Perspective on Optimism
01:04 The Innovator's Dilemma
01:35 Elliot Parker's Background
02:29 Early Entrepreneurial Influences
03:17 Lessons from Family Business
05:18 First Steps in Entrepreneurship
07:45 Business School Insights
13:53 Journey to Indiana
16:19 Corporate Innovation at Roche
20:56 The Innovator's Dilemma in Practice
28:42 High Alpha Innovation
29:57 Spinning Out High Alpha Innovation
30:47 Early Experiments and First Launches
31:51 Partnering with Corporations and Universities
32:47 Challenges of Corporate Innovation
35:59 The Walt Disney Tinkering Story
38:46 Encouraging Innovation in Organizations
46:00 The Role of Optimism in Innovation
53:34 Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts

By listening to this episode you will learn:
-The value of an MBA. Is it worth it?
-What is the innovator’s dilemma and how to overcome.
-How contrarian thinking can be game changer for your company as well as your personal life.