Tech & Biz

Inventiveness and The Page Turner

by YankeeJim | January 13, 2012 at 08:49 am

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I once was responsible for consulting the GTE Intrapreneur Program supporting the launch of employee-initiated ventures. I consulted the venture board that controlled the investments and I worked in support of individual ventures by providing them with market research and new product development guidance. The program design was based on Gifford Pinchot III’s “Intraprenuring” concept that promoted entrepreneurial performance within existing corporations. It was a successful concept.

In the experience of having supported 32 new ventures in my consulting lifetime, I learned some things.

1. Most ventures begin with a technically competent person with an idea that they believe they can execute to produce a product or service.

2. Most ventures fail when they fail to 1) validate the need with customers and 2) verify that customers have money to spend on solutions.

3. Many ventures succumb to ‘founder’s disease,” that is the person who starts the business fails to recognize their own shortcomings in having the capacity, skill, and knowledge to execute the plan, i.e. they need to delegate and get help.

One of the funny thing that happens is when entrepreneur-inventors fall in love with their ability to produce the outcome whether anyone cares about it or not.

Case in point: The Page Turner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=GOMIBdM6N7Q#!