The Science of Serendipity (PDF)

Innovation. The word might make you think of Silicon
Valley. But innovation isn't the sole province of start-ups.
They didn't invent it, and they're not always the ones
from which we can best learn.

As Matt Kingdon argues in The Science of
Serendipity, it's corporate innovators battling
within large, established organisations who are the field's
real heroes. Tapping into 20 years of experience on the front
lines of innovation--bringing new products and services to
market and helping organisations become more creative--Kingdon
dissects the ways in which corporations are continually reborn. He
looks at the anatomy of innovation, asking: How do time-pressed
executives go about taking risks? How do they prepare to
see--and seize--opportunity? And how do you place humans,
with all of their fears and foibles, at the heart of commercial
success?

In a conversational, jargon-free style built on a
practitioner's observations and anecdotes, The
Science of Serendipity traces the dilemmas that executives
in a wide variety of firms face. It details the steps taken to
overcome the issues and get great ideas across the finish
line. If you're looking for a guide in your fight
against the corporate machine, this is the business book for
you.

Matt Kingdon is the Co-founder, Chairman, and
Chief Enthusiast of What If! Innovation Partners. For 20
years, What If! has partnered with the world's most
successful, forward-looking companies--businesses such as
Barclays, Four Seasons, Google,
PepsiCo, Pfizer, and Virgin--to galvanise
innovation and deliver impact. Its 250 inventors work across
the Americas, Europe, and Asia.