Esther Gons is the CEO and co-founder of GroundControl, a software platform that specializes in measuring and de-risking innovation. GroundControl has worked with companies like Colgate/Palmolive, Euler Hermes, DHL, Enexis, and ABN Amro. Esther's expertise extends beyond her role at GroundControl. She is also the co-author of the award-winning book, Innovation Accounting, which offers practical guidance on measuring a company's innovation ecosystem. She co-authored another influential book, The Corporate Startup: How Established Companies Can Develop Successful Innovation Ecosystems. Her expertise and thought leadership has made her an in-demand international speaker, sharing insights on various topics including corporate innovation, innovation accounting, entrepreneurship, startups, lean methodology, business models, and customer development. Esther has mentored hundreds of startups and has served as a lead mentor in prestigious programs such as the Rockstart Accelerator programs, Lean Startup Machine, and Evolv weekends.
Today, Esther and I discuss innovation and her work as an entrepreneur, international speaker, author, and founder of Ground Control. She shares her experience writing her two books, The Corporate Startup and Innovation Accounting. We discuss the maturing of corporate innovation and why it must now be taken seriously. Esther underscores how innovation is a learning process and how it is necessary to make mistakes to understand what works. We talk about why innovation should be treated as a discipline and why the input of specialists who have the necessary skills is crucial. Esther also emphasizes the importance of understanding innovation to succeed and shares some great insights as to why innovation labs are often stopped after only a few years.
“Corporate innovation is maturing. We can no longer play around with innovation. The trend is that people are saying, ‘No, we have to take this thing seriously.’” - Esther Gons
This week on Innovation Talks:
- An overview of ISO Standard Certification
- Why companies are taking sustainability seriously in innovation
- The benefits of innovation in business
- The purpose and struggles of innovation labs
- Challenges in innovation
- The future of innovation maturity in corporations
- The responsibility innovation labs hold
- How open innovation affects corporate ecosystems
- Esther’s experience designing an online course
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Esther Gons:
- Esther Gons on LinkedIn
- Book: Open Innovation Works by Dr. Diana Joseph, Dan Toma, and Esther Gons
- Book: Innovation Accounting: A Practical Guide for Measuring Your Innovation Ecosystem’s Performance
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