Chapter 1:
Crossing Boundaries-
A Personal Journey
Throughout my career spanning over three decades, I had the opportunity to wear multiple hats-corporate CEO, entrepreneur, consultant, and startup coach. A key part of this journey was spent in corporate management, where critical discussions were shaping our organization's path forward. We grappled with strategic questions: Should we set up our own offices or expand through acquisitions? Is our organizational structure fit for purpose, or does it need a shake-up? How can we best engage and motivate our workforce while also attracting new talent, especially given shifting demographic trends? How can we adjust our strategies and operations to keep pace with fast-emerging technological advancements? And how do geopolitical changes affect our market positioning and strategy?
These conversations, primarily centered on growth and change, were guiding our organizational journey. They were infused with a sense of anticipation and excitement, even against a backdrop of uncertainties-the unsettling prospect of technological disruptions being a case in point. The decisions we made had far-reaching effects, touching everything from day-to-day operations to long-term strategic planning.
The growth-oriented mindset still prevails today, both in established corporations and, more overtly, in startups. In the context of new ventures, rapid growth is seen as the measure of success, especially during early-stage development. Yet, this growth imperative is increasingly scrutinized, given emerging societal awareness of finite environmental resources. This societal shift has prompted a reevaluation of the principles of perpetual growth. It nudges us towards alternatives that prioritize sustainability and viability not tethered to constant expansion.
This brings us to the heart of a paradox that startups face as they transition from early development to a more mature phase. At the start, new ventures need growth to succeed; it's an imperative. However, as they become viable, the growth model should be viewed through the lens of sustainable viability, not necessarily continual rapid growth. It's a delicate balancing act between the demands of the present and the requirements of a sustainable future.
The experience I gained during my immersion in corporate management was instrumental in shaping my career. It gave me a first-hand perspective on the hard choices organizations must confront and the strategies required to manage a successful company while balancing diverse stakeholder needs. I learned that the business context is always in flux, and adaptability is a defining characteristic of successful organizations. Above all, it became all too evident to me that resilience during tough times and agility in seizing opportunities distinguishes thriving organizations from those that struggle to keep pace.
A particularly transformative chapter in my journey was my tenure as CEO at MEMRB International, which coincided with a significant geopolitical shift-the fall of the Berlin Wall. Sensing an immense opportunity, we took decisive action to extend our reach into Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. This strategic move, while laden with uncertainties and risks, promised the potential of new markets and access to a pool of highly educated researchers. It was a venture into unexplored territories that significantly altered our organization's scope and influence. It also made us an attractive proposition for potential acquirers-as it soon became apparent.
The fruits of our expansions weren't just about staking claims on new territories; it also involved cultivating high-performing companies within these new markets. This achievement drew the attention of Aegis, a global media buying and planning giant headquartered in London. They were in the process of developing a new marketing insights business, initially known as Aegis Research, later to be branded Synovate. Our successful growth aligned perfectly with their strategic blueprint, leading to our acquisition and incorporation into their evolving global network.
Under the leadership of global CEO Adrian Chedore, Synovate quickly matured and developed rapidly, posing a formidable challenge to industry titans such as Kantar, GfK, and Ipsos-growing both organically and through a series of highly targeted acquisitions.
However, the story came full circle when Synovate itself was acquired by IPSOS, an even larger global player which effectively ended the brand's remarkably successful growth journey. But I wouldn't trade the exhilarating experience for anything. During this time, I accumulated more air miles than I could conceivably exhaust in a lifetime and learned a valuable lesson about the Darwinian corporate world: it's a game of "eat or be eaten."
This period did more than just lay a solid foundation for my understanding of business dynamics and corporate decision-making. It emphasized the essence of strategic choices-the art of discerning not only what actions to pursue but also, crucially, recognizing what NOT to do. This discernment, I am convinced, is the quintessence of strategic thinking. And central to this approach is a salient truth: you can't be all things to all people; you must choose your battles and carefully define your territory.
Moreover, the experience instilled in me an understanding of the indispensable role of innovation in the creation and subsequent life cycle of companies. The ability to innovate and remain agile is an oft-repeated prescription for success, bordering on a cliché, but it is much more than just a slogan; it is truly the cornerstone of competitiveness, ensuring corporate viability.
My subsequent transition into the world of entrepreneurship and academic startups provided a fresh vista, even as certain themes and challenges remained constant. This new path held more than the exhilarating thrill of evaluating potentially groundbreaking scientific discoveries and seeing them through to become real-world solutions for our clients. It involved unveiling potential in the most unlikely places, challenging established paradigms, and daring to venture into uncharted territories.
The excitement of this journey wasn't drawn from just the intrigue of the unknown, but rather from the subtle, profound joy of discovery and progress-the opportunity to make a tangible difference. Whether it was in driving technology transfer or turning promising research into viable products, the persistent theme was innovation and its transformative power.
During this journey, interacting with founders-including my own experiences in this role-created a solid base of knowledge to draw from, continually enhancing and building on that foundation. Scholars turned founders, with their sometimes audacious vision and determination to invent and create impact, are the driving force of new ventures. Their willingness to question established norms and to venture into new exploration and testing is what inspired this book and, indeed, the journey of every academic startup.
During my current phase of coaching startups, I frequently tap into the insights and lessons from my earlier corporate tenure, especially from my involvement in over 20 strategic acquisitions. In that corporate phase, our focus was on acquiring smaller, innovation-driven enterprises with dynamic and nimble teams. Our ambitions stretched beyond merely marking our global footprint by adding more "dots on the map." We aimed to integrate these agile, creative units into our larger structures, boosting our expertise in crucial areas for decision support. Innovation became pivotal to our strategy to offer cutting-edge solutions for our clients-utilizing tools like brand equity measurement, ad tracking, market mix modeling, customer loyalty assessment and management, and product testing, among others.
This corporate chapter of growth and acquisitions provided a deep dive into the intricate link between innovation and the evolving business dynamics defining the intensely competitive global marketing insights arena. This is well aligned with Peter Drucker's idea that innovation serves as the vital pulse of organizations, marking their viability and longevity. Engaging with diverse teams, crafting myriad go-to-market (GTM) strategies, and steering acquisitions made me recognize the potent synergy of innovation and meticulous execution-an insight that continues to mold my viewpoints and strategies today.
Upon transitioning back into academia, particularly within the thriving innovation ecosystem, I felt a revived enthusiasm not just in producing new knowledge, but in leveraging this knowledge to conceive products and services meeting genuine customer needs. The focus shifted towards crafting knowledge with societal significance and impact, not restricted to purely commercial gains. Yet, a marked divide persists between the realm of scientific conjectures and their tangible application-a daunting divide that often proves too challenging to bridge.
Indeed, the success of any venture relies on more than just brilliant ideas. Running a successful business demands an understanding and navigation of a distinct realm-a world where the prevailing logic is steered by market traction, profitability, risk management, and stakeholder satisfaction. This realm stands in stark contrast to the theoretical frameworks and academic rigor of the university lab. The personas of a scholar...
