Designing the Successful Corporate Accelerator

CHAPTER 16POST-PROGRAM PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

Source: May 15, 2013, The Wholehearted Life: Oprah Talks to Brené Brown. Harpo Productions Inc. Retrieved from: https://www.oprah.com/spirit/brene-brown-interviewed-by-oprah-daring-greatly/4.

There is a high rate of failure for both startups and accelerators, so if you get to a point where both are working, or at least surviving, congratulations! The best use of your time now is to support and nurture the subset of potential winners who make up the vast majority of your financial and strategic returns. All startups are not created equal. The ones that win tend to win big, and it is in everyone's best interest to focus time and effort there. These are the ones that will give your program a winning reputation, and in turn will help recruit more winners, which will continue to build the brand and reputation of your program in a virtuous cycle.

However, it is common for accelerators to stop their efforts after the program is over. From our research and personal experience, the number one reason that corporate accelerators fail to meet their strategic goals is the lack of follow through post-program. It's usually not the curriculum or even the company selection that prevents successes, it's the lack of ongoing support for a fledgling startup or relationships that have a seed of potential success, but need to be nurtured and cultivated ...