Steven Hoffman, Chief of Founder's Space--one of the world's leading incubators and accelerators, gives prescriptive advice on how to master the art of business innovation by learning from Silicon Valley's hottest start-ups.
Almost every major company today has made innovation its number one priority. Yet fewer than one in four executives believe their organizations are effective innovators. The pressure to innovate and the price paid for failure keeps rising, while most companies haven't progressed at all. They are still using the same antiquated techniques pioneered decades ago. This is why some of the biggest corporations in the world manage to lose entire markets to startups they've never heard of.
In today's world, everyone will need to innovate to stay competitive. It doesn't matter if you're a startup founder, corporate executive, small business owner, freelancer or professional, there's a technology out there that's going to upend your industry. And if you aren't able to harness it to your advantage, someone else will. Innovation is no longer an option--it's the price of admission into the business world.
Making Elephants Fly is designed to help you implement the same innovation methodologies and processes as Silicon Valley startups. It will teach you:
- How startups come up with breakthrough products and services.
- How to structure innovation teams.
- The best ways to identify and vet new ideas.
- What it takes to foster a culture of innovation.
- How to establish a process of innovation throughout your organization.
By the time you've digested this book, you will have the tools needed to take your impossibly big idea and make it fly!
About the Author
Steven Hoffman is the Captain and CEO of Founders Space, where he has educated and trained hundreds of startup founders and corporate executives in the art of innovation. Founders Space works with entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and investors in 22 countries to create innovations that rock the world! It was ranked a Top 10 Incubator in Inc. and the #1 Accelerator for startups coming to Silicon Valley from overseas in
Forbes. Always innovating, Hoffman has tried more professions than cats have lives, including serial entrepreneur, venture capitalist, angel investor, mobile studio head, computer engineer, filmmaker, Hollywood TV exec, published author, coder, game designer, manga rewriter, animator and voice actor.
Industry Reviews
This is a comprehensive, very readable book that examines both "tiny changes" as well as radical innovations - hence the intriguing title. It is full of practical ideas, tools, guidance, advice and insight, offering something to every manager and leader. I will definitely make use of this winning book -- Philip Crisp, CMgr FCMI CMC FIC, Founding Director, Development Professionals Ltd
Hoffman's insights come from many years working with startups in Silicon Valley and around the world. It's essential reading for business leaders and aspiring entrepreneurs -- Matthew Stepka, Angel Investor and former VP of Business Ops and Special Projects at Google
This is a must-read for anyone who wants to imagine what it is like to have all the brains in Hoffman's enterprise innovating while they work -- Tim Draper, founder of DFJ
As an experienced entrepreneur and coach of many startups, Hoffman provides a roadmap and set of tools that can help both entrepreneurs and executives master the art of innovation -- Gil Penchina, Partner at IDG Ventures
With so much going against you as an entrepreneur, prep for the adventure by first reading Hoffman's Make Elephants Fly to gain key insights and increase your chances of success -- Howard Hartenbaum, General Partner at August Capital
Hoffman's Make Elephants Fly takes complicated concepts and makes them easy to use. . . It's like having Hoffman whispering in your ear at critical decision moments -- Carol Sands, Founder of The Angels' Forum and The Halo Fund
Hoffman's book breaks new ground, teaching entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and anyone with a business how to innovate like successful startups in Silicon Valley -- Jerry Kaplan, Author of Artificial Intelligence: What Everyone Needs to Know, and founder of GO Corporation
Hoffman reveals the black arts of how Silicon Valley startups innovate. An investment in this book will pay a thousand returns! -- Andrew Romans, Author of The Entrepreneurial Bible to Venture Capital and founder of Rubicon Venture Capital
Hoffman is one of the few real deals out there, who is surprisingly generous enough to share his wealth of wisdom -- Rocky Chan, Partner at Mind Fund
Anyone who wants to look around the bend should grab his book to avoid the failures of the past and best plan how to lift off -- Jon Littman, Co-author of The Ten Faces of Innovation and founder of SmartUp.life
Every entrepreneur must read this book before embarking on his journey -- Kim Nguyen, Berkeley Angel Network, South Bay Angels
Hoffman's Silicon Valley experience will give you all the necessary tools to successfully grasp the innovation mindset required to launch your startup and make it fly -- Guillaume de Dorlodot, founder and CEO of Startup Basecamp
Hoffman's Make Elephants Fly shows you the most effective ways to make the impossible possible -- Toshitada Nagumo, CEO of Fenox Venture Capital
