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The Insider's Guide to Innovation by M&A S12 Ep36

Phil McKinney
Phil McKinney
— 1 min read
The Insider's Guide to Innovation by M&A S12 Ep36

There is an explosion in companies who are securing innovation by M&A (mergers and acquisitions). In the last 36 months, 57% of M&A deals were based on innovation.

When companies find themselves behind the market, "innovating by acquisition" becomes a quick way to catch-up through the work of others. At the same time, if an orgnization is not careful, they can put their own R&D and innovation efforts at risk.

In this weeks show, I shared my experiences in managing innovation by M&A. Topics covered include:

  • Is innovation by M&A  the "easiest way" to catch-up?
  • Isn't this approach a way to hide a corporate culture where failure is not tolerated?
  • Are the M&A teams within an organization ready for this shift?
  • Do these teams need to change their tools, methods and decision criteria to be successful?
  • Does innovation by M&A have an impact on R&D/innovation activities within an organization?
  • How do competitors respond?
  • What are the six elements/steps to having a market leading innovation by M&A capability?
    • Define your M&A/Innovation strategy
    • Think through your options
    • Develop a new approach to deal evaluation that accommodates "innovation value"
    • Negotiate and close the deal with innovation value in mind
    • Integration is harder than it sounds
    • Implementation doesn't stop on 'Day 1'
  • What are the most effective strategies for innovation by acquisition?
    • Having a clear road-map
      • Clarity of objectives
      • Defined product road map that is flexible to accept innovations from accusation
      • Go-to-market that flexible to accommodate new innovations from the outside
    • Strategic Integration
      • Team retention and integrations with a strong consideration for culture
      • Aligning the innovation by acquisition with long term strategic visions
    • Ownership by sponsors
      • High degree of involvement by the deal sponsors can greatly improve the success of the deal

Additional Resources:

Past ShowsStudio Sessionsacquiring innovationInnovation by acquisitionInnovation by M&Ainnovation by merger and acquisition

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Phil McKinney is an innovator, podcaster, author, and speaker. He is the retired CTO of HP. Phil's book, Beyond The Obvious, shares his expertise and lessons learned on innovation and creativity.


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