Venture Building 101

Welcome to the bustling world of venture building, where the corporate behemoths meet the sprightly startup spirit!

This guide will walk you through the essentials of starting new ventures within a legacy setup, with a dash of real-life examples to keep things real.

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Step 1: The Idea Greenhouse

Venture building in a conglomerate isn’t just about having resources; it’s about finding that golden idea. You need an idea that's both innovative and synergistic with the existing corporate ecosystem. Think of yourself as a corporate gardener nurturing ideas.

For instance, imagine you’re part of a major ICE company, and you notice the rising trend of eco-friendly vehicles. Your venture could focus on developing affordable electric vehicle (EV) solutions that leverage the company’s manufacturing capabilities. It’s like finding a new recipe that still lets you use your grandma’s old frying pan.

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Step 2: Go Team!

After sprouting your idea, it’s time to pollinate. In conglomerate terms, this means gathering support from different departments. This isn’t a solo mission; it’s more like forming a rock band where every department is a different band member. You’ve got finance on the drums, marketing on the guitar, and R&D on the vocals.

Get these departments jamming together. Organise ideation sessions where everyone brings their expertise to the table. The key here is collaboration and identifying a tune that resonates and uplifts everyone.

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Step 3: Secure the Nutrients (Funding)

Now, let’s talk money. Every plant needs water; every venture needs investment. Convincing the upper echelons of a conglomerate to part with their precious capital, people, and time can be daunting. Picture this as Shark Tank, except the sharks are your group leaders who’ve seen it all.

Prepare a pitch that not only showcases the potential returns but also aligns with the company’s long-term strategy. Highlight how this new venture can be a beacon of innovation, potentially attracting more investors, or opening up new markets. Remember, you’re not just asking for sponsorship; you’re selling a vision.

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Step 4: Weeding, Trimming & Shaping

Nothing brings an idea to life like a prototype – this is where the rubber meets the road. Develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that demonstrates the feasibility of your venture. This MVP is your seedling, the first tangible proof that your idea can evolve beyond the drawing board.

Consider our earlier example with ICE. Perhaps you develop a prototype for a modular EV platform that can be customised for different consumer needs. It’s like those choose-your-own-adventure books, but for cars.

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Step 5: Test in the Wild

Once your prototype is ready, it's time to test it in the wild – or as wild as controlled market conditions can be. This stage is crucial for gathering feedback and making adjustments. It’s akin to letting a domesticated cat outside and seeing if it can climb trees.

Use this phase to identify what works, what doesn’t, and what could make your venture a smashing success. Pay close attention to customer feedback; these are the nutrients that can help your seedling grow strong.

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Step 6: Magical Beanstalk

With a proven prototype and market validation, you’re ready to scale. This is the phase where rapid growth occurs. Scaling within a conglomerate means expanding your venture at a breakneck pace while still adhering to the parent company’s philosophies.

Here’s where you need to strategise about production, distribution, and marketing. It’s like throwing a mega party and ensuring everyone knows about it, wants to come, and talks about it afterwards.

Take Google’s parent company, Alphabet. Alphabet acts as a giant incubator for various ventures like Waymo (self-driving cars) and Verily (health tech). They use the conglomerate's muscle to fuel these ventures, nurturing them from seeds to giant oaks in their respective industries.

Venture building within a conglomerate is an exhilarating journey that combines the thrill of startups with the muscle of major corporations. It's about being agile enough to navigate through the undergrowth of corporate structures while carrying the torch of innovation.

So, while you equip yourself with these steps and get ready to grow some towering ventures that expand horizons…hold tight for an Introduction to Entrepreneurship coming your way soon!

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