Innovation isn’t broken — But it’s a lie in most corporates

Every CEO claims they want innovation (at least they say so). They put it in annual reports. They build labs. They run hackathons. But when you look under the hood, most so-called innovation units are theatre. No skin in the game. No real risks. No decisions with consequences. Just career-minded employees playing at startups, tucked safely inside slow, inflexible legacy structures.

The result? Millions wasted. Talents frustrated. Markets missed.

Real innovation is messy. It’s uncomfortable. It questions the core business. And it needs entrepreneurs — not employees in white sneakers in fancy labs. If you're serious about innovation, stop simulating it. Hire someone who actually builds under pressure, with constraints, and with the mindset to ship — not showcase.

Corporates don’t innovate — They simulate

Let’s be honest: most corporate innovation initiatives are designed to look like progress without actually making any. They build labs far from headquarters. They hand out job titles like “Innovation Catalyst.” They fly people to Silicon Valley to “learn from startups.” They host demo days. But at the end of the year, nothing that matters changes. No product launched. No business model disrupted. No new value created.

Why? Because the core system isn’t built to make bets. It’s built to preserve status, avoid blame, and maintain predictability.

Innovation theatre exists to make people feel like they’re trying — without the cost of real commitment.

Playing safe is the most expensive mistake

What feels safe in the short term — avoiding risk, building consensus, aligning with everyone — is lethal in the long term. The market doesn’t wait. Your competition isn’t asking permission. Your future customer doesn’t care how many design sprints you ran.

In the real world, value is won by speed, courage, and relentless focus. Corporate innovation fails not because people are lazy — but because the system rewards the wrong behaviours. Innovation becomes an internal performance, not an external outcome. Meanwhile, startups are shipping MVPs, testing pricing, learning in public — and eating your market share.

The legacy mindset Is the real barrier

Forget blaming old IT systems or compliance. They’re excuses. The real problem is mindset. The vast majority of corporate “innovators” think like employees, not builders. They wait for permission. They overanalyse. They protect their calendar, their title, and their bonus.

Entrepreneurs operate differently. They decide fast. They act with urgency. They test early, fail fast, and course-correct with grit. They’re not perfect. But they’re in motion. That difference — between motion and meetings — is what separates companies that talk about innovation from those that live it.

Innovation needs ownership, not observers

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: real innovation comes from people with skin in the game. Entrepreneurs (Intrapreneurs) feel the pressure. They’re accountable. If it doesn’t work, they lose time, money, and credibility. That sharpens thinking. That filters out bullshit. Of course, there must be a safety net: those who take the risk should have the opportunity to stay in the organization after a project is shut down—or to move on to another opportunity.

In corporates, innovation is too often disconnected from consequence. If the project fails? No big deal. Re-org next year. If it works? A line on LinkedIn and a speaking gig.

You also need to question how such projects are funded. Why is it considered impossible to co-invest company and employee money—where both sides have skin in the game? Why not allow employees to invest their own money or work for reduced wages in exchange for equity, instead of funnelling VC cash into funds, incubators, or accelerators? Or worse, spending even more to buy successful startups later through an expensive M&A process, just to play it safe (and costly).

No one said you can't co-found and co-fund your startup with your employer. It’s often a better path than quitting your job without a safety net and chasing outside capital from people who don’t understand you or your industry.

Kill the theatre. Start the real play.

The time for stickers and post-its is over. Shut down your theatre. End the podcasts and hackathons. Stop the innovation theater. Instead: fund ideas with teeth. Back people who want to own something. Don’t build another lab. Build a real, independent founder team with decision power and the urgency to deliver.

And if you don’t have that talent inside — borrow it. Bring in someone who’s walked that path, taken those hits, and knows how to ship, not just shine.

Time to bet bold — Or stay irrelevant

Here’s the offer: Stop wasting time and money on surface-level innovation. If you’re serious about building something new — not next year, but now — let’s talk.

Because innovation without ownership is just theatre. And theatre doesn’t win markets.

You don’t need more consultants. You need entrepreneurs. You need unreasonable people. You need someone who’s ready to bet and co-found with you — not just advise from the side.

Ready to stop the show and start building?

Let’s talk.

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I regularly write about innovation, business models in my blog, and real solutions to real problems. If you're working on a platform idea or looking for structured feedback, feel free to reach out.

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