Shameen Prashantham - Gorillas Can Dance: Lessons from Microsoft and Other Corporations on Partnering with Startups

1. Prologue
2. Chapter 1
3. Chapter 3
4. Chapter 4
5. Chapter 5
6. Chapter 6
7. Epilogue

Gorillas Can Dance comes at a vital moment in corporate history. With the lifespan of Fortune 100 companies decreasing rapidly, there's never been a more important time for large organizations to embrace the agile approach of their entrepreneurial disruptors. The great thing is that entrepreneurship is contagious and Professor Prashantham's insights allow corporates to get close to their startup counterparts.

Jeremy Basset, founder, Unilever Foundry, and CEO, Co-Cubed

Shameen Prashantham picked up on the corporate-startup collaboration trend very early, and he has tracked its evolution across industries and across continents for more than a decade. Combining thoughtful analysis with practical application, his insights into the why, how, and where of corporate-startup partnering will be valuable to companies that wish to be more agile and resilient in the digital era.

Julian Birkinshaw, Deputy Dean, London Business School

With DeepTech quickly becoming the third wave of innovation and startups increasingly attacking fundamental topics beyond what we are used to expecting, Shameen Prashantham's insights and practical examples are becoming more critical than ever for both corporations and startups. When everything blurs, cooperation is the best solution for the survival and prosperity of the species.

Franois Candelon, Global Director, BCG Henderson Institute, and Senior Partner Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group

Gorillas Can Dance is a fascinating overview of collaborations between big corporates and startups. Based on more than a decade of research and observation, Shameen Prashantham's insider view from an outsider's perspective is filled with helpful examples and practical advice. An enlightening and engaging book that helps to lift the mist around this space.

Celina Chew, former PresidentGreater China, Bayer

Professor Prashantham has studied Microsoft's pioneering partnerships with startups for many years in advanced and emerging markets. His thought leadership in Gorillas Can Dance provides actionable insights on corporate-startup collaboration for companies that want to be entrepreneurial and innovative.

James Chou, CEO, Microsoft for StartupsNorth Asia

I am a passionate believer in the benefits startups and social entrepreneurs bring to the global economy and to society. Through my own work with Microsoft's Global Social Entrepreneurship Program, and as founder of Live for Good, I know that this value can only be realized through close partnership, enduring mindsets, and effective collaboration with a broad ecosystem of organizations. Shameen's framework reinforces that, when we connect startups with investors, enterprises, governments, and communities, amazing things can happen.

Jean-Philippe Courtois, EVP and President, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing, and Operations

We have been featuring Shameen Prashantham's work at Thinkers50 for a number of years. The relationship between large corporations and entrepreneurial upstarts has always been fascinating and a vital part of economic growth. Shameen's insights and research shed vital new light on this.

Stuart Crainer, cofounder, Thinkers50

For over five years, I have been more than a close observer of how Professor Prashantham has transformed his skills and global perspective into a fruitful outcome in both research and teaching. I am also a witness of how he, as a typical CEIBS professor, has made a deep dive in China as an Indian British national to become a top-notch expert in Chinese enterprises management practices and theories. Therefore, on top of academic management knowledge, this book is also a must-read on the perspective of MNCs and startups in China that is solution-based and forward-thinking.

Yuan Ding, Dean, CEIBS

I've spent much of my career in roles focused on helping startups and corporations prosper together. Shameen Prashantham has collected a massive breadth of experience and has boiled it down into this entertaining read. Save yourself years' worth of grief and read this book.

Dave Drach, Vice PresidentInnovation Sales, Techstars

Great to see Professor Prashantham's focus on two of my passion areas corporate innovation and social impact. The holy grail for any startup is to ultimately sell to an enterprise. Sounds simple, but it's a journey. The beauty is to do matchmaking that is a win-win. Given the situation we are in with COVID-19, there has never been a better time to be a social entrepreneur, especially for SDG goals for Agenda 2030. Professor Prashantham has hit the nail on these two very important topics relevant in the startup ecosystem. Gorillas can dance indeed!

Shaloo Garg, Global Lead, Microsoft Global Social Entrepreneurship Program

Startups are a severely underutilized competitive resource for corporations. Shameen Prashantham's book is a most needed contribution to filling this gap.

Gregor Gimmy, founder, BMW Startup Garage, and CEO, 27pilots

Gorillas Can Dance is the essential playbook for entrepreneurs located in the office of a large corporation and for those hustling to make their big idea a reality from a small office. Through extensive interviews and research across several contexts, Shameen Prashantham is able to comprehensively lay out the unique set of opportunities and challenges for large corporations seeking to innovate through partnerships. More importantly, in many instances, including with Walmart, Shameen was there seeing it happen. This book is an absolute must-read for entrepreneurs at either end of the table.

Ben Hassing, Chief Executive, Ecommerce, Coles Group

Shameen Prashantham, through his research over the years, has gained expertise on the topic of corporate-startup partnering. He has developed a global research program covering not only the United States, Europe, and Israel, but also Asia particularly China and India and, more recently, Africa. His insights in this book, based on knowledge-sharing with executives at CEIBS and public speeches, provide guidelines for corporations interested in partnering with startups. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in having a deeper understanding of corporate innovation and entrepreneurship.

Dipak Jain, President, CEIBS, and former Dean, Kellogg School of Management

Be it matured corporate players or newbies in the innovation ecosystem, looking to benchmark or understand its intricacies, the book provides the perfect prescription for everyone. Backed by years of research, including the most recent developments, this is a must-have reference guide for any innovation practitioner.

Sruthi Kannan, Head, Cisco LaunchPad

There are so many things that lead to cultural and institutional change in large multinational organizations. Only a thorough longitudinal study can shed light on the effort required. This book does just that.

Dan'l Lewin, CEO, Computer History Museum, and former Corporate VP, Microsoft

While most large organizations know that collaborating with startups should be a critical part of their innovation strategy, many will also admit that doing so effectively and on a global basis is a very different story. Shameen Prashantham's book helps bridge this knowing-doing gap by providing fresh insights on how and where today's gorillas can dance with faster and more agile partners. A must-read for corporate innovators and entrepreneurs alike.