Innovation. The word might make you think of SiliconValley. But innovation isn’t the sole province of start-ups.They didn’t invent it, and they’re not always the onesfrom which we can best learn.
As Matt Kingdon argues in The Science ofSerendipity, it’s corporate innovators battlingwithin large, established organisations who are the field’sreal heroes. Tapping into 20 years of experience on the frontlines of innovation—bringing new products and services tomarket and helping organisations become more creative—Kingdondissects the ways in which corporations are continually reborn. Helooks at the anatomy of innovation, asking: How do time-pressedexecutives go about taking risks? How do they prepare tosee—and seize—opportunity? And how do you place humans,with all of their fears and foibles, at the heart of commercialsuccess?
In a conversational, jargon-free style built on apractitioner’s observations and anecdotes, TheScience of Serendipity traces the dilemmas that executivesin a wide variety of firms face. It details the steps taken toovercome the issues and get great ideas across the finishline. If you’re looking for a guide in your fightagainst the corporate machine, this is the business book foryou.
Matt Kingdonis the Co-founder, Chairman, andChief Enthusiast of What If! Innovation Partners. For 20years, What If! has partnered with the world’s mostsuccessful, forward-looking companies—businesses such asBarclays,Four Seasons,Google,PepsiCo,Pfizer, and Virgin—to galvaniseinnovation and deliver impact. Its 250 inventors work acrossthe Americas, Europe,and Asia.