We had three to six months. After that, the full weight of corporate procedures would bear down on us, slowing our growth by a factor of ten.
This wasn’t my first corporate scale-up rodeo. Our wind turbine manufacturing project, funded by a Russian state corporation, had a clear expectation: return to the fold quickly. And while we eventually did, we made sure at least our manufacturing unit stayed out of the mothership’s reach. Why? Because once you're back under full corporate control, agility is a luxury you can’t afford.
Rosatom, a giant in nuclear energy, has tried its hand at non-nuclear ventures—wind energy, carbon fiber, municipal infrastructure, and even 3D printing. When I was there, they had backed 84 projects, but only four really took off: wind energy, turbine manufacturing, municipal energy infrastructure, and carbon fiber production. What did they all have in common? Most were born outside of Rosatom’s direct oversight.
This echoes what Clayton Christensen pointed out: disruptive innovation can’t thrive under corporate command and control. Startups need the freedom to experiment without constantly looking over their shoulders. Corporations that want to back innovation need to fund it—and then step out of the way.
So what about lithium-ion cell manufacturing, another Rosatom venture? Two 4GWh factories are in the works, but they didn’t get the same independence. Success here was a result of sheer effort. Yes, you can grow disruptive tech from within a corporation, but the odds aren’t in your favor. You need perfect timing, access to funds, a corporation willing to take risks, and—perhaps most importantly—a relentless project manager ready to go all-in despite the hurdles.
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