Gorillas Can Dance

CHAPTER THREEHOW TO PARTNER WITH STARTUPS SYSTEMATICALLY

If companies don't talk to startups they are at risk… . The bit that companies need to get right is partnering.

– Gerald Brady (Silicon Valley Bank)

A THREEFOLD STRATEGY TO OVERCOME ASYMMETRIES

As seen, while there are potential upsides to startup partnering in theory that some (perhaps, many) corporate managers recognize, in reality there is a paradox: the very differences that make it attractive for these companies to work together also result in barriers to collaboration. It is, at one and the same time, desirable yet difficult for large corporations and small startups to work together. The crux of the problem is the sheer asymmetry – in terms of goals, structure, and attention – between large corporations and startups. Broadly, corporations and startups differ in terms of organizational culture and power and such differences combine to give rise to three asymmetries that get in the way of smooth partnering.

As I have described earlier, companies like Microsoft have had to put in a lot of effort to figure out what works and what doesn't. Common to all of these companies that have taken startup partnering seriously is a collaborative mindset. Managers with a collaborative mindset do three important things: they leverage networks actively, discerningly, and reflectively.

Leveraging networks actively is about taking the initiative to connect with others. Proactive managers are not put off by interorganizational asymmetries. ...