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Pirates In The Navy: How Innovators Lead Transformation
Faced with the choiceof starting a company or joining a large corporation, Steve Jobs believed thatit was 'more fun to be a pirate than to join the navy'. But for innovatorsinside established companies, making a distinction between being a pirate andjoining the navy is a fallacy. We have to figure out a way to become pirates inthe navy!
There is nothingharder in business than trying to innovate within large corporations.Innovators in big companies often face internal opposition as well as their externalcompetitors. It is the management of the core business that tends to get in theway of innovation. Most intrapreneurs recognise that innovation can’t becarried out as a series of one-off projects that always have to jump throughpolitical hurdles. They realise that there is a need for innovation to happenas a repeatable process. But how can they achieve this?
This is a step-by-stepguide to getting continuous innovation done in companies and reshaping them inthe process. It is for anyone involved in corporate innovation and drivingcompany change.
There is nothingharder in business than trying to innovate within large corporations.Innovators in big companies often face internal opposition as well as their externalcompetitors. It is the management of the core business that tends to get in theway of innovation. Most intrapreneurs recognise that innovation can’t becarried out as a series of one-off projects that always have to jump throughpolitical hurdles. They realise that there is a need for innovation to happenas a repeatable process. But how can they achieve this?
This is a step-by-stepguide to getting continuous innovation done in companies and reshaping them inthe process. It is for anyone involved in corporate innovation and drivingcompany change.
192 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 14, 2020
61 people are currently reading
259 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 5, 2020
What a fantastic, inspiring and encouraging book! This book addresses the challenge of innovating in large organisations with pragmatic and realistic insight. It is centred around the obvious, but sometimes ignored principle that innovation is about creating successful new business models and all the trappings of innovation labs and their innovation theatre often impede rather than facilitate innovation. The book is primarily concerned with the challenge and long hard slog of building an organisational innovation engine against the backdrop of an organisation that is potentially successful and creating value from its current core business. I found the whole book exciting, inspiring, daunting and encouraging in equal measure and believe this is a MUST read for anyone involved with innovation in large organisations. Fantastic! Thank you Tendayi Viki! :)
November 30, 2025
2.5, but I’ll round to 3 stars. This was recommended by a work colleague, and I am questioning why. There were some decent nuggets in this book but it seemed like the target audience was wannabe Silicon Valley bros who lack humility. So much of this was common sense. For example, “Don’t go over your boss’ head to the CEO to get buy-in for your expensive idea because your boss will be mad,” (paraphrased). Like, duh! Also this guy really thinks highly of Elon Musk?? Gross.
The author also starts the book out telling people to lose the jargon but then proceeds to use jargon the rest of the book. “Innovation” was barely defined.
The audiobook was abysmal. There were random pauses and cuts that were poorly edited. At one point the narrator made a mistake and started over and somehow that was left in the final product. The volume level and quality varies a lot, and sometimes even in the same sentence. Shameful editing.
The author also starts the book out telling people to lose the jargon but then proceeds to use jargon the rest of the book. “Innovation” was barely defined.
The audiobook was abysmal. There were random pauses and cuts that were poorly edited. At one point the narrator made a mistake and started over and somehow that was left in the final product. The volume level and quality varies a lot, and sometimes even in the same sentence. Shameful editing.
June 1, 2020
Kudos to Tendayi Viki for sharing his approach to support innovators who want to transform their companies in Pirates in the Navy. The book clearly lays out the key obstacles that innovators will have to overcome, the key questions from the leadership team they’ll need to answer, and the key elements (tools, processes, etc.) they’ll need to put in place. It’s written in clear and simple language that cuts through the complexity of the task at hand. After the Corporate Startup, it’s another great contribution by Tendayi Viki to the field of corporate innovation!
February 3, 2021
Immensely insightful and relatable book. This book really does a great job at translating just how difficult innovation can be in your workplace as well as highlighting the 'innovation theatre', which has a powerful pull.
The challenges and obstacles that are met with organisational innovation from either up or down the hierarchal ladder are expressed, and I found to be poignant reminders.
The understanding and reminders that are so vital to innovation are consistent throughout this book. Some of these are so glaringly obvious and it was nice to read, absorb and appreciate, to help purse the right approach towards innovation in my workplace.
Some quotes I loved:
'Get strategic alignment: This ensures that the projects we are working on matter to someone else in the company beyond our innovation team.'
'Agree on process alignment: Synchronising innovation processes with company strategy ensures that we have an agreed method for tracking and measuring success.'
'While it is important to have conversations, it is even better to do the work.'
'We don’t want our innovation process to ever be home for the homeless ideas.'
The challenges and obstacles that are met with organisational innovation from either up or down the hierarchal ladder are expressed, and I found to be poignant reminders.
The understanding and reminders that are so vital to innovation are consistent throughout this book. Some of these are so glaringly obvious and it was nice to read, absorb and appreciate, to help purse the right approach towards innovation in my workplace.
Some quotes I loved:
'Get strategic alignment: This ensures that the projects we are working on matter to someone else in the company beyond our innovation team.'
'Agree on process alignment: Synchronising innovation processes with company strategy ensures that we have an agreed method for tracking and measuring success.'
'While it is important to have conversations, it is even better to do the work.'
'We don’t want our innovation process to ever be home for the homeless ideas.'
July 14, 2020
This book appeared in my linkedin feed and, although I never read any other work by Tendayi Viki, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
In this book, the author lays out the key obstacles that innovators will probably face when they will try to innovate inside an established corporation, what should be the question management should ask to evaluate fairly such innovative efforts and lays some tools to elaborate internal innovative processes. It is written in a clear and simple language (sometimes simpler than I would like to see in this type of books) and the illustrations allow to show the process in an accessible way (although the book configuration can sometimes make harder to understand the connection between text and image)
In conclusion, a good book to tackle the myths of what makes a good innovator, what challenges it may face and what soft skills it should have to succeed but which could go a little deeper in some sections.
April 10, 2024
A short book on how to bring about innovative changes within large and bureaucratic organizations. This is currently relevant to me as I work within a government organization and am trying to initiate change. Tendayi Viki provides practical tips on how to achieve this, although it remains somewhat abstract. Nevertheless, in this 130-page book, I have marked 55 passages and made 21 notes on things I want to implement immediately. Highly recommended for anyone looking to innovate within a large company.
August 2, 2020
An interesting read about the politics of innovation in big corporations.
Not a single practical line in the book, so you'll need to look somewhere if that's what you are looking for - the author points to a couple of references.
It may, none the less, be the book you need to read if you are leading an innovation team in a big company, as it may point you to go classes if traps you are likely to find.
Not a single practical line in the book, so you'll need to look somewhere if that's what you are looking for - the author points to a couple of references.
It may, none the less, be the book you need to read if you are leading an innovation team in a big company, as it may point you to go classes if traps you are likely to find.
January 26, 2021
In many ways this book was written with me in mind. In 2019 I travelled across America to really understand start-up culture and how lean innovators really work. Reading the book I feel we have taken on many of those lessons and made them a practice. It was good to renew my understanding of what is really important and to reinforce some things I have forgotten. A good read for anyone who wants to accelerate innovation in a corporate culture.
August 4, 2020
So much great advice, I loved this book!
I have had my fair share of scrapes with innovation, and I wish I had this book in my back pocket as my guide in my early career - a must read for anyone who is serious about innovation in the business they work in! Start here...
I have had my fair share of scrapes with innovation, and I wish I had this book in my back pocket as my guide in my early career - a must read for anyone who is serious about innovation in the business they work in! Start here...
August 28, 2020
This is very informative book of innovation process as Pirates in Navy. It talks generally about Innovation processes and best practices in transformation. One good framework is PLC: Idea, Explore, Validate, Grow, sustain and retire.
December 11, 2021
Must read for shapping your innovator mindset
No matter if you are a novel or experienced intrapreneur leading or supporting an innovation strategy within a company, this book will help you to have an amazing overview of all you need to take into account to succeed.
No matter if you are a novel or experienced intrapreneur leading or supporting an innovation strategy within a company, this book will help you to have an amazing overview of all you need to take into account to succeed.
February 27, 2021
Great book for intrapreneurs - exactly the knowledge I needed and applicable in my daily work.
I recommend it for intrapreneurs starting their innovation journey!
I recommend it for intrapreneurs starting their innovation journey!
February 27, 2021
Enjoyed this book. Calls out many of the challenges I see with innovation in large companies and offers practical, lean guidance on how to create sustainable innovation.
Want to read
August 8, 2021Recommended at https://twitter.com/soopert/status/14...
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October 23, 2025Recommend checking out his talk here if you're curious https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmSlL...
August 3, 2020
Pirates in the NAVY
Yes, pirates in the navy, just like Tendayi’s said: a startup in the company. Agree with this statement: There is nothing harder in business than trying to innovate within large corporations. And I become understand how the leaders take the main role to company innovation.
I think this book very usefull to get you understand how to execute innovation team (scrum, agile squad, tribes, etc). Thanks.
Yes, pirates in the navy, just like Tendayi’s said: a startup in the company. Agree with this statement: There is nothing harder in business than trying to innovate within large corporations. And I become understand how the leaders take the main role to company innovation.
I think this book very usefull to get you understand how to execute innovation team (scrum, agile squad, tribes, etc). Thanks.
April 2, 2021
Tactical and strategic advice for starting an innovation program
Tendayi dishes out some great advice for starting an innovation program from scratch. Beyond being simply accurate, Tendayi paints a compelling picture of how to navigate the difficult political reality of starting an innovation program in a organization designed to maintain the status quo. It’s pragmatic and true.
Also, it’s delightfully well written and not the typical business book blog of 900 pages of pontificating.
Tendayi dishes out some great advice for starting an innovation program from scratch. Beyond being simply accurate, Tendayi paints a compelling picture of how to navigate the difficult political reality of starting an innovation program in a organization designed to maintain the status quo. It’s pragmatic and true.
Also, it’s delightfully well written and not the typical business book blog of 900 pages of pontificating.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews