RELOAD: How Big Companies Can Act Small with Tendayi Viki
11/16/23 • 34 min
Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.
This week on the What’s Next! Podcast, I’m bringing back a conversation with Tendayi Viki that I think is extremely valuable to re-listen to from time to time.
If you don’t know Tendayi, he’s an academic, the co-designer of Pearson's Product Lifecycle, which won the Best Innovation Program 2015 at the corporate Entrepreneur Awards in New York, and is on the shortlist for the Thinkers 50 Innovation Award. He’s also a contributing writer for Forbes and is the author of The Corporate Startup: How Established Companies Can Create Successful Innovation Ecosystems.
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR... bigger companies who want to act like a startup.
TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE... to act small, companies must first think about their innovation ambition.
The first step is to create an innovation thesis and understand your minimum viable ecosystem – maybe that means conducting a small workshop instead of jumping straight into a 2-day event. Second, become clear about key trends. Ask, who do we want to innovate for? Then, run through problems and challenges that could make life easier for your customer. Throughout the process, always measure everything against this question: Is this aligned with our innovation thesis?
As Tendayi says, “Figure out whether or not you have the right solution and then figure out whether or not you have the right business model.”
WHAT I LOVE MOST... a reoccurring theme has swept over the podcast: embrace non-traditional diversity. Make sure the middle management, legal, and the MBAs are involved; build teams with diverse thinking styles; and get out of the ordinary environment to be creative.
Diverse teams create creative tension and avoid internal silos – all good things.
Running Time: 34:37
Find Tiffani Online:
Find Tendayi Online:
Tendayi’s Book:
Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.
This week on the What’s Next! Podcast, I’m bringing back a conversation with Tendayi Viki that I think is extremely valuable to re-listen to from time to time.
If you don’t know Tendayi, he’s an academic, the co-designer of Pearson's Product Lifecycle, which won the Best Innovation Program 2015 at the corporate Entrepreneur Awards in New York, and is on the shortlist for the Thinkers 50 Innovation Award. He’s also a contributing writer for Forbes and is the author of The Corporate Startup: How Established Companies Can Create Successful Innovation Ecosystems.
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR... bigger companies who want to act like a startup.
TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE... to act small, companies must first think about their innovation ambition.
The first step is to create an innovation thesis and understand your minimum viable ecosystem – maybe that means conducting a small workshop instead of jumping straight into a 2-day event. Second, become clear about key trends. Ask, who do we want to innovate for? Then, run through problems and challenges that could make life easier for your customer. Throughout the process, always measure everything against this question: Is this aligned with our innovation thesis?
As Tendayi says, “Figure out whether or not you have the right solution and then figure out whether or not you have the right business model.”
WHAT I LOVE MOST... a reoccurring theme has swept over the podcast: embrace non-traditional diversity. Make sure the middle management, legal, and the MBAs are involved; build teams with diverse thinking styles; and get out of the ordinary environment to be creative.
Diverse teams create creative tension and avoid internal silos – all good things.
Running Time: 34:37
Find Tiffani Online:
Find Tendayi Online:
Tendayi’s Book:
Previous Episode
Master Speaking in the Moment with Matt Abrahams
Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.
This week I’m thrilled to bring you an episode of What’s Next! Podcast with Matt Abrahams that I know you’re going to keep coming back to.
Matt is a leading expert in communication with decades of experience as an educator, author, podcast host, and coach. As a lecturer in organizational behavior at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, he teaches popular classes in strategic communications and effective virtual presenting. He has a new book out called Think Faster, Talk Smarter.
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR... anyone who wants to improve their communication skills and learn how to better think on their feet in a conversation.
TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE... most of our communication happens in the moment - not in a rehearsed presentation or a planned meeting. So how do you become a good speaker in the moment? Matt Abrahams breaks down the methodology behind it and gives practical tips and examples to learn how to master this important skill.
WHAT I LOVE MOST... the formula that Matt shares for giving a concise but memorable pitch. He shares a live example in the show, but these are the four sentence starters that can be applied every time: What if you could... So that... For example... And that’s not all...
Running Time: 26:38
Find Tiffani on Social:
Find Matt Online:
Think Fast, Talk Smart Podcast
Matt’s Book:
Next Episode
What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know with Catalina Daniels and James Sherman
Welcome to the What's Next! Podcast with Tiffani Bova.
This week I’m thrilled to bring you an episode of What’s Next! Podcast with a powerful duo, Catalina Daniels and James Sherman who are co-authors of Smart Startups: What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know.
Catalina spent the first 17 years of her career at McKinsey, where she became a partner. She left McKinsey to become an entrepreneur and eventually an angel investor. She is a venture partner at Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, a prominent New York-based tech accelerator where she mentors U.S. entrepreneurs and helps non-U.S. entrepreneurs expand into the U.S.
James started his career at Bain as a consultant and then spent several years working in media with Time Inc. and Pearson. In 1997, he launched the Internet division of Martha Stewart Living. He then became a serial Internet entrepreneur and an active angel investor in New York startups. He's been a mentor to entrepreneurs and sits on the board of Harvard Business School's Alumni Angels of New York.
THIS EPISODE IS PERFECT FOR... anybody looking to gain some pearls of wisdom about entrepreneurship.
TODAY’S MAIN MESSAGE... entrepreneurship is a challenging journey and real experience from fellow founders is the most useful advice. Catalina and James interviewed eighteen HBS graduates and entrepreneurs who shared real-life experiences founding businesses. In this conversation, they share some of their findings - from the power of a great business model to strategies for scaling.
WHAT I LOVE MOST... using an ideation triangle to determine whether an idea is viable and assessing these criteria: size of the opportunity, relevant skills, and passion.
Running Time: 28:20
Find Tiffani on Social:
Find Catalina Online:
Find James Online:
Catalina + James’ Book:
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