Innovation Capital

"Innovation is an act of love—or at least it should be. Always. It is a gesture of empathy, respect, generosity, of one human being’s devotion to another,” writes Mauro Porcini at the beginning of this extraordinary book. It is in part a memoir by one of the world’s leading designers—the first chief design officer at both 3M and Pepsi. But even more, it is a manifesto for a genuine, authentic, and deeply humanistic approach to design, one that aims to create personal and social value first and financial and economic value afterward.

In recent years, dreams about our technological future have soured as digital platforms have undermined privacy, eroded labor rights, and weakened democratic discourse. In light of the negative consequences of innovation, some blame harmful algorithms or greedy CEOs. Behind the Startup focuses instead on the role of capital and the influence of financiers. Drawing on nineteen months of participant-observation research inside a successful Silicon Valley startup, this book examines how the company was organized to meet the needs of the venture capital investors who funded it.

It’s not the iPhone, but VC, that is Silicon Valley’s greatest export—it’s the key ingredient of innovation and provides the toolkit for inventors and start-up founders around the world to become powerful, multibillion-dollar companies.

Two market experts deconstruct the drivers and inhibitors to innovation in the digital economy, explain how large tech companies can stifle disruption, assess the toll of their technologies on our well-being and democracy, and outline policy changes to take power away from big tech and return...

When Brigadier General John "Dragon" Teichert took command of legendary Edwards Air Force Base, it was characterized by a choking complacency. It was operating on autopilot when it needed to be in afterburner.

The Internet didn't even exist 30 years ago, and now billions of people are connected to the web every day, and remarkable new technologies are being invented every day. This emerging playing field is not well understood and not everyone who was successful in the past will be able to benefit. Silicon Valley insiders Matthew C. Le Merle and Alison Davis provide insights, based on 30 years of leading, investing in, and advising new technology companies, on the rules of this game, and outline options for how listeners can participate and prosper in the coming Fifth Era.