Start Within
How to sell your idea, overcome roadblocks, and love your job.
Karen Holst & Douglas Ferguson
About the Authors
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world.
Co-authors Karen and Douglas have spent the last 20 years in the trenches bringing new ideas forward within organizations. They have learned what it takes to launch innovation within a company and have covered the gamut of organizational types from state government agencies and military armed forces to startups and large public tech companies.
Reflecting upon these experiences, they noticed that while no one company or organization is like the other, there are common patterns that were almost universal.
Assembled from these observations and insights about innovation and bringing new ideas to life, the Start Within framework provides a way to assess your situation, how it relates to the unique nature of your company, and what tools and actions are appropriate for you to move forward.
Get Started!
Beware: This book removes all the reasons, excuses, and obstacles between you and launching your idea in your organization.
Start Within is the essential guide for anyone who wants to innovate within their company, develop their ideas, take ownership of their work, and find real purpose in their career.
Each chapter is packed with a one-two punch: it starts with stories from the trenches (from Amazon to the Department of Education, inspirational stories of what does, and doesn't work) and finishes with activities for the reader to roll up their sleeves and apply the lessons to their work.
To launch an idea from within a larger company will be challenging, which is why the book outlines the steps and process to:
Knowing when an idea is worth pursuing
Aligning to company's strategies and objectives
Turning a no into a yes
Prototyping the idea in stages
Start Within is your playbook to guide you through the process of launching an idea within a company while avoiding the corporate obstacles that are holding you back. It's not good enough to stand on the sidelines and wait for a play to be called by leadership - now is the time to "start within"
Chapter Overview
0 — Your Big Idea
1 — The Moment of Truth
2 — Assumptions & Mindsets
3 — Assess Organizational Preparedness
4 — Getting Organized
5 — Your Process
6 — Aligning with Business Objectives
7 — Getting Buy-In
8 — Getting Started - Prototypes
9 — Turning a No Into a Yes
10 — Building the A-Team
11 — What’s the Worst That Can Happen?
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