Strategies for Intrapreneurship and Workplace Innovation

Should you try Google’s famous “20% time” experiment to encourage innovation? We tried this at Duolingo years ago. It didn’t work. It wasn’t enough time for people to start meaningful projects, and very few people took advantage of it because the framework was pretty vague. I knew there had to be other ways to drive innovation at the company. So, here are 3 other initiatives we’ve tried, what we’ve learned from each, and what we're going to try next. 💡 Innovation Awards: Annual recognition for those who move the needle with boundary-pushing projects. The upside: These awards make our commitment to innovation clear, and offer a well-deserved incentive to those who have done remarkable work. The downside: It’s given to individuals, but we want to incentivize team work. What’s more, it’s not necessarily a framework for coming up with the next big thing. 💻 Hackathon: This is a good framework, and lots of companies do it. Everyone (not just engineers) can take two days to collaborate on and present anything that excites them, as long as it advances our mission or addresses a key business need. The upside: Some of our biggest features grew out of hackathon projects, from the Duolingo English Test (born at our first hackathon in 2013) to our avatar builder. The downside: Other than the time/resource constraint, projects rarely align with our current priorities. The ones that take off hit the elusive combo of right time + a problem that no other team could tackle. 💥 Special Projects: Knowing that ideal equation, we started a new program for fostering innovation, playfully dubbed DARPA (Duolingo Advanced Research Project Agency). The idea: anyone can pitch an idea at any time. If they get consensus on it and if it’s not in the purview of another team, a cross-functional group is formed to bring the project to fruition. The most creative work tends to happen when a problem is not in the clear purview of a particular team; this program creates a path for bringing these kinds of interdisciplinary ideas to life. Our Duo and Lily mascot suits (featured often on our social accounts) came from this, as did our Duo plushie and the merch store. (And if this photo doesn't show why we needed to innovate for new suits, I don't know what will!) The biggest challenge: figuring out how to transition ownership of a successful project after the strike team’s work is done. 👀 What’s next? We’re working on a program that proactively identifies big picture, unassigned problems that we haven’t figured out yet and then incentivizes people to create proposals for solving them. How that will work is still to be determined, but we know there is a lot of fertile ground for it to take root. How does your company create an environment of creativity that encourages true innovation? I'm interested to hear what's worked for you, so please feel free to share in the comments! #duolingo #innovation #hackathon #creativity #bigideas

Had a great time at yesterday’s InnoLead LinkedIn Live. Thanks to everyone who joined the conversation on how to build leadership support for innovation. Here are a few thoughts I shared based on real experience in the field: 𝟭. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁, 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀. In your first 100 days, go to each business unit and ask: “What’s your #1 problem?” Get them to size the cost of not solving it. Then commit to fixing it and tie your success to that number. Innovation as a Service, tied to business pain. 𝟮. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆. When leadership changes, don’t wait. Understand their goals, pressure, and allies. Present your current portfolio and ask: “Do we need to adjust this to match your priorities?” Give them early wins they can show internally. And what is better - that they can own. 𝟯. 𝗜𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲’𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲. If your impact is unclear or your focus isn’t seen as critical then you’ll be first in line when cuts come. So, make your value visible. If needed, find protection elsewhere in the org. Someone who believes in what you’re building and benefits from backing you. What do you do to ensure leadership trusts and supports your work? #CorporateInnovation #InnovationLeadership #ExecutionMatters #InnoleadLive #StartupMindset

Associations of the Future are the ones asking the best questions right now: "What can we offer that our members really need? How have those needs changed?" And perhaps the hardest question, "How will we change quickly to address those needs?" After working closely with Association Forum and their CEO Artesha Moore, FASAE, CAE, we developed a leadership session to help associations design their future. In this article, I talk with Association Forum Magazine Editor in Chief, Kim Kelly, CAE about the power of intrapreneurship in that roadmap. Here's a quick look, and three ways to get started: "Innovation is about creating new value every single day," shares Dr. Simone Ahuja, CEO of Blood Orange and a leader in global innovation strategy. Intrapreneurship, the act of driving innovation within an organization, holds immense potential for associations looking to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape." Reframe Innovation: Shift some of the focus from massive ideas to solving everyday problems for members. Whether it's improving website usability, enhancing conference experiences, or streamlining processes, intrapreneurship starts with identifying and addressing unmet needs and friction points. Build agency on your team: Foster a culture where all staff members feel empowered to innovate. Ask them to consider, "Why do we do it this way?" to uncover pain points and spur intrapreneurial thinking. Provide support, autonomy, and clear communication to enable innovation at every level. Create a Safe Space for Ideas: Dedicate time in meetings for idea-sharing and collaboration. Encourage and model vulnerability and open dialogue, demonstrating that it's safe to take risks and share new concepts. By building psychological safety, organizations can unlock the full potential of intrapreneurship. Intrapreneurship as a powerful tool for growth and relevance. By reframing innovation, empowering our teams, and creating a culture of openness, associations can build a future that is agile, member-focused, and deeply impactful. #Intrapreneurship #AssociationInnovation #EmpowerYourTeam https://lnkd.in/gwy6KUrZ

Every leader and company wants their teams to be innovative but they limit innovation. Do you notice any of these limiting behaviors? 🚩 Overemphasis on Short-Term Gains -> Focusing on short-term results can undermine long-term innovative projects. Balancing short-term objectives with long-term vision will inspire innovation. 🚩 Impatience with Results: Demanding immediate success can discourage experimentation and risk-taking. Innovation often requires time to develop and mature. 🚩 Micromanagement: Overly controlling every detail can limit creativity and autonomy. Innovation thrives when teams have the freedom to explore new ideas. 🚩Fear of Failure: Creating a culture where failure is punished rather than seen as a learning opportunity can stifle creativity. Embrace failures as stepping stones to success. 🚩Lack of Resources: Not providing sufficient resources, whether it’s time, funding, or tools, can hinder the innovative process. Ensure teams have what they need to experiment and innovate. 🚩 Resistance to Change: Clinging to traditional methods and being resistant to new approaches can stifle innovation. Encourage an open-minded attitude towards change and new ideas. 🚩 Lack of Diversity: Homogeneous teams may lack diverse perspectives, leading to limited ideas. Promote diversity and inclusion to foster a wider range of creative solutions. #productinnovation #productmanagement #productleadership #innovation