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Case Study: Silicon Valley Relentless Approach to Innovation |
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By Vadim Kotelnikov. Main source of information: Relentless Growth, Christopher Meyer
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"Silicon Valley innovators have uniquely learned how to define, design, and deliver innovation with a massive degree of flexibility and concurrency." Christopher Meyer |
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Relentless Growth Attitude Leaders in the Silicon Valley inject the Relentless Growth Attitude into the firms. "This attitude establishes a context within which corporate executives lead by setting direction, creating strategy, securing resources, defining organization architecture, and ensuring that learning occurs." The competitive environment in the Valley literally demands innovation. "Without it, you don't grow - and in the Valley, if you don't grow, you die. Relentless growth is a requirement, not a choice." Competitive Intensity
"Valley innovators want to be the first, the best, or the most elegant solution providers; simply providing an alternative product or service with no serious differentiation from its competitors is not compelling." Relentless Venturing Attitude Too many companies are consumed with what they have done and where they've been. "In contrast, Silicon Valley companies are excited about what they haven't done and where they haven't been."
Failure in the Valley is understood to be an integral aspect of the growth process. "Investors, entrepreneurs, and technologists will readily abandon a company or technology that looks unlikely to thrive, using what they have learned to jump-start the next innovation effort. Organizational Structures
"In contrast to traditional firms
where organizational structure defines the framework within which work
occurs, Valley firms use the work to define organization's structure." These
structures are best described as flat, flexible, permeable, and fluid.
"Reorganization is a way of life in the Silicon Valley. Organizations mimic
nature's most adaptive organisms as they constantly reformulate themselves
to meet the latest challenge."
The Fun Factor
Do you really want to know what is deep inside,
at the core of Silicon Valley and what makes is tick? "The truth is ... it's
a ball! Hard work combined with hard play at every level, from executive
down and back up again." People don't only work hard, but also have
a lot of fun at the
same time.
Inspiring Culture
Do you want to encourage extraordinary
performance from your people? Do you want them to do great things? If yes, then you must create an
inspiring corporate culture
to inspire and
energize them...
Lessons from Silicon Valley Firms
Deciding If Your Innovation Portfolio Has Enough
Stretch
Adapted from
Relentless
Growth, Christopher
Meyer
Balance between revolutionary and
evolutionary initiatives. First, Silicon Valley companies assess the
overall balance between
revolutionary and evolutionary projects. The ultimate arbitrator of
portfolio stretch if the innovation leaders judgment, experience,
intuition, and luck...
More
Innovation Strategies of Silicon Valley Firms... Using Innovation Portfolio... Deciding It Your Innovation Portfolio Has Enough Stretch... Partnering for Auxiliary Capabilities... Gain Sharing... Failure as a Primary Vehicle for Success...
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