Jacob Dutton explains why corporate boards focused on quarterly results struggle with innovation. Venture-backed outcomes take years to materialize, not quarters. Leaders need to reset board expectations around timelines so teams can actually build something that lasts.
Chapters
The final principle really relates to the fact that the people on your board are probably used to seeing quite clear evidence of success or failure in a relatively short timeframe, right? But in the world of innovation, in the world of venture capital outcomes, you know, be that individual project profitability or portfolio returns, can take much longer to materialize. And I think when you're raising capital for this board to allocate, you have to take a multi-year view, right? Not a quarter-to-quarter view. They've got to get comfortable with the fact that meaningful progress in innovation projects takes time, and it's only really by embracing this long-term perspective that you can make better decisions about which projects to support and allocate resources in the right way. It's also going to help you to build an environment that fosters resilience and persistence over short-term thinking, because success in corporate innovation, as we know, is rarely overnight, right? It's a process of continuous effort, adaptation, and pivoting.
