Executives in large companies often ask themselves, “Why aren’t we better at innovation?” After all, there is no shortage of sound advice on how to improve: Come up with better ideas. Look outside the company for concepts and partners. Establish different funding mechanisms. Protect the new and radically different businesses from the old. Sharpen the execution. Such strategic counsel, however, is based on the assumption that all organizations face the same obstacles to developing new products, services, or lines of business. In reality, innovation challenges differ from firm to firm, and otherwise commonly followed advice can be wasteful, even harmful, if applied to the wrong situations.
