The Illusion of Innovation

There's a problem with innovation inside of big companies. And it's not what you think. Corporations are better managed than ever, but they're less capable of delivering the breakthroughs that change our world for the better. Big companies are too often focused on efficiency instead of resiliency. They're optimized for safety and predictability, for maintenance of the status quo. Their focus on capital efficiency leads them to engage in an illusion of innovation: activity that feels like innovation but leads to value destruction, not progress.

This book explains why meaningful innovation naturally emerges from deliberate inefficiency and how large corporations can harness the power of small teams-startups-to drive radical change through systematic experimentation.

The Illusion of Innovation explores:

• What the Federal Witness Protection Program reveals about the power of individuals
• How the Amazon river basin relies on random evolution to build resiliency
• How the NBA's shift to the three-point rule demonstrates the importance of thoughtful experiments
• How one-thousand-year-old businesses survive crises

We need scaled corporations to recover their problem-solving capacity. This means questioning decades of embedded assumptions about why corporations exist and finding ways to run faster, cheaper, and weirder experiments. It's time to build again.

"A sweeping but down-to-earth manifesto on the promise and perils of trying new things." 

—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“Parker’s blend of interdisciplinary insights intoinnovation and real-world examples makes this a compelling guide for thoseready to explore new, creative approaches to solving the world’s greatestproblems.”

—SAMUEL ARBESMAN, Author of Overcomplicated and TheHalf-Life of Facts

“Business leaders must extend their gaze beyond theimmediacy of quarterly results. Parker offers a compelling road map fornavigating the uncertainties of tomorrow, offering strategic guidance on howvisionary leaders can future-proof their organizations and drive sustainedsuccess. This is essential reading for leaders who understand that long-termgrowth demands a visionary approach today.”

—MARK JOHNSON, Cofounder, Innosight, coauthor of Lead fromthe Future

“The relentless pursuit of capital efficiency dominatesboardroom discussions. The Illusion of Innovation serves as a wake-up call,revealing the potential pitfalls of this myopic focus while compelling businessleaders to evolve their strategies toward new opportunities for growth.”

—MIKE PETIT, SVP and CFO, Wabash

“The winners in this next phase of business evolution willbe what Elliott Parker dubs ‘optimistic contrarians’—and big rewards willaccrue to those who are bold enough to bet on ideas that don’t fit conventionalwisdom. His book is full of actionable insights and enlightening examples fromrecent (and also ancient) history. It’s a great guide to navigating what comesnext.”

—SCOTT KIRSNER, CEO and cofounder, InnoLead

“The Illusion of Innovation provides a fascinating,insightful, and interdisciplinary look at why large organizations struggle toinnovate, and what they need to do if they want to redefine their industry.”

—GAUTAM MUKUNDA, Author of Indispensable: When LeadersReally Matter and Picking Presidents: How to Make the Most ConsequentialDecision in the World

“An exhilarating read that highlights the opportunity forradical change through deliberate inefficiency—arguing persuasively that it’stime for organizations to find the courage to embrace the ‘weird’ and startanew.”

—KENNETH STANLEY, Computer scientist, entrepreneur, andauthor of Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned

“Elliott delivers a masterclass on how venture building canbe leveraged by corporations to foster entrepreneurial thinking and drivetransformative change.”

—SCOTT DORSEY, Managing partner, High Alpha

“Elliott does a masterful job breaking down what so manyknow but are afraid to say—the quest for safety and security puts companies atmore risk than they can imagine because it makes them resistant, and evenunable, to change. By busting the illusion of innovation, Elliott shows us apath forward, one that leads to resilient and enduring organizations.”

—ROBYN BOLTON, Founder of innovation consultancy Mile Zeroand assistant professor at Massachusetts College of Art and Design

“Elliott provides a thoughtful exploration of howenterprises can effectively address critical challenges in both business andsociety through experimentation. This is a must-read for aspiring entrepreneursand seasoned leaders alike.”

—TATE STOCK, Founder and CEO, Chirp

“The Illusion of Innovation provides a refreshingly honestperspective on corporate innovation, complete with an intuitive framework forimplementation and supported through exhilarating examples and personalaccounts.”

—MATT RUBIN, Founder and CEO, True Essence Foods

ELLIOTT PARKER is founder and CEO of High Alpha Innovation, a venture builder that partners with corporations, universities, and entrepreneurs to co-create startups that solve compelling problems. He built his career in strategy consulting at Innosight, the firm founded by Clayton Christensen, in corporate venturing, and as an entrepreneur bringing new ideas to market. To date, he has launched over 40 venture-backed startups. Originally from California, Elliott currently resides with his family in Indiana. He earned a B.S. in Finance from BYU and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.  ELLIOTT PARKER is founder and CEO of High Alpha Innovation, a venture builder that partners with corporations, universities, and entrepreneurs to co-create startups that solve compelling problems. He built his career in strategy consulting at Innosight, the firm founded by Clayton Christensen, in corporate venturing, and as an entrepreneur bringing new ideas to market. To date, he has launched over 40 venture-backed startups. Originally from California, Elliott currently resides with his family in Indiana. He earned a B.S. in Finance from BYU and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.  ELLIOTT PARKER is founder and CEO of High Alpha Innovation, a venture builder that partners with corporations, universities, and entrepreneurs to co-create startups that solve compelling problems. He built his career in strategy consulting at Innosight, the firm founded by Clayton Christensen, in corporate venturing, and as an entrepreneur bringing new ideas to market. To date, he has launched over 40 venture-backed startups. Originally from California, Elliott currently resides with his family in Indiana. He earned a B.S. in Finance from BYU and an M.B.A. from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. 

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