THE RELENTLESS PACE OF CHANGE IS FORCING BIG COMPANIES TO INNOVATE NOT ONLY THEIR PRODUCTS BUT ALSO THEIR CULTURE.

THAT’S A CHALLENGE BUT ALSO A HUGE OPPORTUNITY:

WHAT COULD BE BETTER THAN COMBINING THE AGILITY AND ENERGY OF A START UP WITH THE SCALE AND TALENT OF A BIG ORGANISATION?

I have seen firsthand how the start up magic can fade when a company grows into a big business. It happened to both companies I founded and I’ve seen it in the cultures of the 400 or so corporates I have worked with.

Many believe this shift away from agility, experimentation, curiosity, resourcefulness and resilience is inevitable — that startup culture is something you grow out of. It’s not. Of course a big company can’t be run like a small kitchen table start up. The sheer size and scale demand a certain amount of systems and controls. But it is possible to retain – or ignite — that startup magic. All it takes is removing the obstacles that stand in its way.

That’s why I called my latest book, Start Up Forever. Acting like a start up isn’t a phase companies grow out of, but instead a culture you should fight hard to hold on to.. forever.