In this episode Nate and Elliott dive into the history and necessity of optimism in entrepreneurship, the challenge of maintaining innovation in large corporations, and the importance of running fast, cheap, and weird experiments.

Elliott Parker is the CEO of High Alpha Innovation, a venture studio that works with large-scale corporations and universities to co-create startups. 

Elliott is also the author of The Illusion of Innovation, a book to help big corporations escape efficiency and achieve progress.

You are going to walk away with actionable items insights on creating a culture of innovation and the practical steps to blend the strengths of both worlds for sustainable success.

Check out these great clips:

00:20 Historical Perspective on Optimism

01:04 The Innovator's Dilemma

01:35 Elliot Parker's Background

02:29 Early Entrepreneurial Influences

03:17 Lessons from Family Business

05:18 First Steps in Entrepreneurship

07:45 Business School Insights

13:53 Journey to Indiana

16:19 Corporate Innovation at Roche

20:56 The Innovator's Dilemma in Practice

28:42 High Alpha Innovation

29:57 Spinning Out High Alpha Innovation

30:47 Early Experiments and First Launches

31:51 Partnering with Corporations and Universities

32:47 Challenges of Corporate Innovation

35:59 The Walt Disney Tinkering Story

38:46 Encouraging Innovation in Organizations

46:00 The Role of Optimism in Innovation

53:34 Lightning Round and Closing Thoughts

By listening to this episode you will learn:

• The value of an MBA. Is it worth it? 
• What is the innovator’s dilemma and how to overcome.
• How contrarian thinking can be game changer for your company as well as your personal life.