1. Developing
Intrapreneurial
Mindset
Tathagat Varma
Founder & CEO
h<p://thoughtleadership.in
Picture: h<ps://manuverbisnis.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/intrapreneur.jpg

2. Topics
Who is an intrapreneur?
What is intrapreneurial mindset?
How does one nurture it?

3. About me…
Solve high-end problems in
Strategy, Agility, InnovaSon
and Leadership
Fun fact: Stayed at
AntarcSca for 16 months J
My book “Agile Product
Development” comes out
on 1-Dec!

4. OrganizaSonal realiSes…!!!

5. Why?
Large companies lose agility
Focus is on execuSon
Most innovaSon is top-down

6. “Intra-Corporate Entrepreneurship” –
Gifford Pinchot and Elizabeth Pinchot, 1978
“Today's large corporaSons are suffering from size. They are so large that the
managers making decisions are o6en isolated from a personal knowledge of the
problems to be solved. The tradiSonal answer for this situaSon is decentralizaSon.
Unfortunately, decentralizaSon alone is not enough. In a hierarchical organizaSon,
promoSons can be won by social graces, loyalty to one's boss, and in general, poliScal
skills. Courage, original thought, and ability to observe the obvious but overlooked
fact., do not necessarily lead to success.
If we are to get really good problem-solving in our decentralized corporaSon,- we
must introduce a system that gives the decision to those who get successful results.,
not to the inoffensive. Such people will be willing to take moderate risks and will be
more concerned with achieving results than with gaining influence. These are among
the characterisScs of the successful entrepreneur.
What is needed in the large corporaSon is not more semi-independent departments
run by hard-driving yes men'. but something akin to free market entrepreneurship
within the corporate organiza@on. Such a new way of doing business would be a
social invenSon of considerable importance, both for the individuals in it, and for the
producSvity and responsivity of the corporaSon.”
h<p://www.intrapreneur.com/MainPages/History/IntraCorp.html

7. The original intrapreneur(s)…?
1968:Spencer Silver discovers a glue that
won’t sSck! For next 5 years, he
promotes a “soluSon without problem”!
1974: Art Fry finds a “problem” for Dr.
Silver’s soluSon!
1977: 3M launches “Press n Peel”.
Unsuccessful effort.
1980: Post-It Notes were launched. Great
success.

8. Intrapreneur?
• “A person who drives growth through innovaSon,
creaSve imaginaSon, and pioneering of new
ideas; an entrepreneurial employee who exploits
the opportunity at hand for the wellbeing of the
company and its stakeholders,”
h<p://www.theceomagazine.com.au/news/
intrapreneurial-leadership-fine-balancing-
act.html#sthash.v63GH1es.dpuf
• Bo<om-up innovator
• Bring change from within…

9. Intrapreneur vs. Entrepreneur
OrganizaSon
“…Hmm…how can
I solve it be2er?”
“…Hmm…what can
I solve be2er?”

10. Behaviors
Disruptors
Operate out
of comfort
zone
CompeSSve Passionate
Independent ImaginaSve Risk-taking Persistant
High energy
IniSaSve-
taker
Experimenter Learner
ImpaSent /
sense of
urgency
Frame the
problems
differently
Ignore what
others think
of them

11. Challenges they face
Constant criScism
Frequent setbacks
OperaSonal constraints (resources, day job)
Unlike entrepreneurs, no incubators / accelerators
Oqen not the tradiSonal “HiPo / Talent”
Can be seen as bit “rough”

12. Org support needed
Culture that support
experimentaSon
Culture that
embraces
failures
Encourage autonomy
Challenging
of status
quo

13. The
Intrapreneur’s
Ten
Commandments
– Gifford Pinchot
h<p://www.pinchot.com/2011/11/the-intrapreneurs-ten-commandments.html

14. …and some more recent addiSons!
Ask for advice before asking for resources.
Express graStude.
Build your team; intrapreneuring is not a solo acSvity.
Share credit widely.
Keep the best interests of the company and its customers in mind, especially when
you have to bend the rules or circumvent the bureaucracy.
Don't ask to be fired; even as you bend the rules and act without permission, use all
the poliScal skill you and your sponsors can muster to move the project forward
without making waves.
h<p://www.pinchot.com/intrapreneuring/

15. References
• Intra-Corporate Entrepreneurship,
h<p://www.intrapreneur.com/MainPages/History/IntraCorp.html
• Intrapreneurial Leadership is a Fine Balancing Act,
h<p://www.theceomagazine.com.au/news/intrapreneurial-
leadership-fine-balancing-act.html
• To Change A Company, You Need Intrapreneurs,
h<p://www.fastcoexist.com/1681203/to-change-a-company-you-
need-intrapreneurs
• The Mindset of Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs,
h<p://orgchanger.com/2014/10/21/what-is-mindset-of-
entrepreneurs-and-intrapreneurs/
• The Rise of The Intrapreneurs,
h<p://www.fastcoexist.com/1680655/the-rise-of-the-
intrapreneurs