This episode is a little different from most others that we create here at Startup Competitors. I talk with Sean Ammirati, a VC, distinguished service professor of entrepreneurship, and director of the Corporate Startup Lab at Carnegie Mellon University. Sean shares a bit of his history as an entrepreneur and the path that he took to get to where he is today. We spend most of our time diving into the similarities and differences between traditional startups and corporate startups, the strengths, and weaknesses of each, and even discuss some of the regulatory pieces of corporate startups. This was a fascinating conversion, and I hope you enjoy it.

Topics in this episode

The trend in recent years of large companies rediscovering their entrepreneurial roots

The importance of early customer feedback for both traditional and corporate startups

Traditional entrepreneurs don’t have to think about how their vision fits into a larger organization’s strategy

For corporate startups, one single “no” could be much more devastating

The feedback problem with corporate startups

The customer knows the problem. The entrepreneur comes up with the solution.

Collaborating as a corporate startup with competitors

The tools and techniques that work for both corporate and traditional startups

Contact Info

Twitter

Website

Corporate Startup Lab

Book, The Science of Growth