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The Architecture of Innovation: The Economics of Creative Organizations
This book draws on important research in economics and reviews different approaches to innovation, combining this with a series of case examples to explore the challenges that face start up firms, large firms, and nations. It is essential reading for anybody faced with the challenge of innovation.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 17, 2018
This was a really interesting macro perspective on the venture industry and on innovation.
The book looks at corporate R&D centers, venture capital, and corporate venture funds, and asks which of these does the best job of fostering innovation. It looks at the role of government as well, taking the broad view -- I think we can all agree on -- that innovation is critical for society's continued advancement.
There was fascinatingly a total absence of the entrepreneur point of view, so just note before you read this that it is very much a systemic look at innovation, not an individual-driven one.
The book looks at corporate R&D centers, venture capital, and corporate venture funds, and asks which of these does the best job of fostering innovation. It looks at the role of government as well, taking the broad view -- I think we can all agree on -- that innovation is critical for society's continued advancement.
There was fascinatingly a total absence of the entrepreneur point of view, so just note before you read this that it is very much a systemic look at innovation, not an individual-driven one.
June 28, 2020
It is about time to release a new crosspreneurship model
The author does an excellent job of summarizing R&D and Venture history and models.
The reason I did not give 5 stars was due to mismatch between my expectation and the final chapter. It would have been much better if the author has proposed more experimental models vs just cross-fertilizing R&D with venture model.
Still it is a valuable and quick read.
The author does an excellent job of summarizing R&D and Venture history and models.
The reason I did not give 5 stars was due to mismatch between my expectation and the final chapter. It would have been much better if the author has proposed more experimental models vs just cross-fertilizing R&D with venture model.
Still it is a valuable and quick read.
July 26, 2013
Given this title, one might be forgiven for expecting a book about innovative business architectures, with perhaps an in-depth look at real business model innovation, or the evolution of creative / innovative organisations, but instead it just provides a treatise and history lesson on (mostly American) corporate innovation and venture capitalism.
I felt the title was a little misleading, and perhaps intentionally geared towards boosting sales, but it only detracts from the overall experience - at least for this reviewer.
That said, the book does provide good coverage of a highly relevant topic, and it presents a hybrid approach that combines the best of corporate and venture capital backed innovation into something that many organisations and their investors will benefit from reading.
Author Josh Learner is a top professor at Harvard Business School, and a leading authority, with several books published on innovation, including the well-known Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
The style and organisation of the book is great, with plenty of well researched and well-argued points supported by loads of evidence, quotes and anecdotes - as perhaps should be expected from someone with such a high profile. However, this may have also lent it a dry and almost academic language style, which sometimes gets in the way of even the more compelling stories / examples cited within the book.
Key nuggets and highlights include the history of modern corporate innovation (spanning de-centralised to centralised initiatives and back again), plus the rise of venture funding and the perfect storm of people, place and time that is Silicon Valley, the Mecca for innovation and funding.
It also describes key lessons learnt along the way for both corporate and venture-backed innovation and makes these the basis for a hybrid approach that delivers on the benefits of both whilst minimising the downsides. In my opinion, this alone makes it worthwhile reading.
In conclusion, although I would recommend this book for students of corporate and venture-based innovation, it is not a particularly passionate, engaging or inspiring effort, and you might do well to disregard the ‘architecture of innovation’ in the title.
Reviewed by Jude Umeh FBCS CITP
I felt the title was a little misleading, and perhaps intentionally geared towards boosting sales, but it only detracts from the overall experience - at least for this reviewer.
That said, the book does provide good coverage of a highly relevant topic, and it presents a hybrid approach that combines the best of corporate and venture capital backed innovation into something that many organisations and their investors will benefit from reading.
Author Josh Learner is a top professor at Harvard Business School, and a leading authority, with several books published on innovation, including the well-known Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
The style and organisation of the book is great, with plenty of well researched and well-argued points supported by loads of evidence, quotes and anecdotes - as perhaps should be expected from someone with such a high profile. However, this may have also lent it a dry and almost academic language style, which sometimes gets in the way of even the more compelling stories / examples cited within the book.
Key nuggets and highlights include the history of modern corporate innovation (spanning de-centralised to centralised initiatives and back again), plus the rise of venture funding and the perfect storm of people, place and time that is Silicon Valley, the Mecca for innovation and funding.
It also describes key lessons learnt along the way for both corporate and venture-backed innovation and makes these the basis for a hybrid approach that delivers on the benefits of both whilst minimising the downsides. In my opinion, this alone makes it worthwhile reading.
In conclusion, although I would recommend this book for students of corporate and venture-based innovation, it is not a particularly passionate, engaging or inspiring effort, and you might do well to disregard the ‘architecture of innovation’ in the title.
Reviewed by Jude Umeh FBCS CITP
November 9, 2013
A very deep (academic and practical) treatment of the two principal different ways to architect innovation: Corporate R&D and Venture Capital backed startups. It explains the History and origins of both and also give tips on how to mix and match both inside a corporation.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews