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We are indeed living in an age where anybody with an internet connection has access to more information than the POTUS had just 15 years ago, but with that comes information overload and it becomes increasingly difficult to filter the good from the bad, especially insofar as ‘thought leadership’ on innovation is concerned.
If any field is awash with surface-level ideas from people merely getting content out the door quickly to their SEO rankings or jostle for a new job, it’s innovation.
Social proof is one way to find the diamonds in the rough. I often use tools like Buzzsumo to search for what’s trending and what’s getting a lot of shares on social for topics such as ‘corporate innovation’, however vanity metrics like these might be more a reflection of the publication’s ad spend and marketing skill more than anything, and how many of us like and retweet things purely based on the headline alone? Often, social prowess isn’t a perfect indication of content quality.
Over the past five years of working in the space of corporate innovation and entrepreneurship, I’ve not only published hundreds of articles and two books, but I’ve been inspired by countless writers across a number of publications that I still refer to today, on an almost daily basis, to keep sharpening my sword.
To save you from sifting through the several hundred articles and blogs posted in the last month alone on corporate innovation (according to BuzzSumo), I’ve prepared the following list of the top ten publications and blogs I’ve found to be the most useful and critical thinking.
The ‘godfather of Silicon Valley’ and former Future Squared guest brings with him decades of experience as an innovator and professor at Stanford has been penning well thought out pieces on the dynamics of corporate innovation and providing running commentary on happenings in the space, such as Jeff Immelt’s recent ousting at GE.
Perhaps the one publication here that needs absolutely no introduction. HBR’s innovation page is packed with insights and excerpts from newly released books by authors reputable in the dark arts of corporate innovation.
Home to thought leaders like Scott Anthony and the firm founded by Mr Disruptive Innovation himself, Clayton Christensen, one couldn’t write a list on the best blogs of corporate innovation without giving Innosight a mention. They go above and beyond just blogging and publish a number of concise reports based on their work in the field such as the ‘How Disruptive Innovation can Finally Revolutionize Healthcare’.
Strategyzer is home to influencers such as Alex Osterwalder, books such as Business Model Generation and tools such as the Business Model Canvas. You should be sold by now.
While not purely a corporate innovation blog, rather a resource for all things emerging technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation, this is perhaps one of the most in-depth sources of genuinely awesome content in the space. Shout out to Anand Sanwal who pens what are perhaps the most entertaining and engaging emails and has a tendency to take the piss out of (that’s Australian slang for make fun of) the charts consultants make. Get on their mailing list, you won’t regret it!
Our friends from Belgium’s Board of Innovation have been helping large organisations across Europe and other parts of the world innovate like startups. Check out their blog for countless insights and free resources to help you navigate change in your organisation.
The Swedes who brought us IdeaScale maintain a pretty solid blog with several pieces penned every other week. Above and beyond that, check out their library of resources and webinars.
While most company run blogs like these are merely a source of self aggrandisation, Cisco’s provides genuine insights from both inside and outside of the company.
I couldn’t write a post on the top innovation blogs without giving a shout out to the Collective Campus blog page. With over 200 articles on corporate innovation (and over 25 fresh posts added each month) that draw from our work with both corporates and startups and over 100 interviews with thought leaders on our Future Squaredpodcast, we deep dive into the subtleties of topics like innovation metrics, performance incentives and strategic alignment with startups as well as provide actionable frameworks to get you from inspiration to action.
Plus, it’s arguably the best designed and looking page of the lot — sorry, I had to say it!
The global corporate accelerator has been maintaining a long-running blog with fresh content released each week. Check it out for insights that go well beyond the surface to the nuances of ‘how corporate innovation teams can strengthen relationships with core business units’.
Steve Glaveski is on a mission to unlock your potential to do your best work and live your best life. He is the founder of innovation accelerator, Collective Campus, author of several books, including Employee to Entrepreneur and Time Rich, and productivity contributor for Harvard Business Review. He’s a chronic autodidact and is into everything from 80s metal and high-intensity workouts to attempting to surf and hold a warrior three pose.