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How Corporate Investors Can Improve Their Odds

Harvard Business Review

When investing in new growth businesses, corporate leaders are commonly advised to behave more like venture capitalists. VCs, they’re told, take more of a long-term approach, have a greater degree of risk tolerance, and parcel out their funds in stages to mitigate risk. All of this is right, as far as it goes.

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6 Ways to Keep Good Ideas from Dying at Your Company

Harvard Business Review

Many companies have figured out how to parcel out small amounts of money to employees cultivating something new. In the startup world, venture capitalists compile data about how many pitches they’ve listened to, how many they put through due diligence, and how many they invested in. Invest real money.

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How to Revive a Tired Network

Harvard Business Review

And in a connected world, build­ing stronger external networks to tap into the best sources of insight into environmental trends is also part and parcel of the leadership role. Get in touch with a venture capitalist. Start a LinkedIn or Facebook group. Be the connector for this group of people. Learn from your students.

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