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Why Companies are Not Startups

Steve Blank

These groups are adapting or adopting the practices of startups and accelerators – disruption and innovation rather than direct competition, customer development versus more product features, agility and speed versus lowest cost. KPI’s and processes are the root cause of corporations’ inability to be agile and responsive innovators.

IRR 335
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ESADE Business School Commencement Speech

Steve Blank

In fact, it was only 7 years ago that Apple shipped its first iPhone and Google introduced its Android operating system. Unfortunately as we’ve learned from recent experience, using Return on Net Assets and IRR as proxies for efficiency and execution won’t save a company when their industry encounters creative disruption.

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Intel Disrupted: Why large companies find it difficult to innovate, and what they can do about it

Steve Blank

As a consequence, corporations used metrics like return on net assets (RONA), return on capital deployed, and internal rate of return (IRR) to measure efficiency. In contrast, startups operate with speed and urgency, making decisions with incomplete information. Startups are unencumbered by the status quo.