Today, when a small, nimble team of exceptional software engineers can build products that quickly attracts millions of customers, an incumbent needs to position itself as an agile tech company, no matter what industry it is in. Of the businesses I visited for this book, those best able to adapt to new digital realities seem to share a few common traits. Typically they empower small, self-determined internal teams to discover and then respond to evolving customers needs. They understand that their ability to recruit, motive and retain world-class talent is their greatest asset. They remain curious and outward-looking, constantly questioning and learning, fighting arrogance or complacency. They test their assumptions and rely on feedback to iterate at every step. They prioritize customers’ needs over their own internal goals. They look beyond today’s business modles and products in an effeort to understand emerging market trends. They challenge hirarchial structures and bureaucratic thinking, which slow decisions and create aversion to risk. They are tolerant when bold initiatives fail, as long as lessons are learned. They tend to have ownership structures that protect them from short-term market demands. They don’t see ‘innovation’ as the responsibility of a particular individual or team. They enable cross-disciplinary working and hybrid thinking. They have a strong sense of company purpose and an articulated set of values. And mostly, theey nurture a culture that constantly inventivizes and rewards internal entrepreneurship.
‘Non-Bullshit Innovation’ af David Rowan, s. 349-350
