When Cultures Collide

Summary

A successful ideas business has to work on many levels. That is one good reason why a team with complementary skills is more likely to succeed than an individual. So why do ideas people and business people find it so hard to get along?

Key Concepts

1. There is often tension when ideas people and business people try to collaborate.
2. Part of the tension comes from deciding on priorities: to execute on the current idea, or to come up with new ideas?
3. Ideas people and business people have complementary cultures and they need each other.
4. Traditionally, Western ideas businesses like to think of themselves as disruptive whereas Eastern cultures strive for harmonious innovation.
5. Ideas businesses are almost always led by teams, including finders, minders and grinders.
6. Finding and minding are about execution, whereas grinding offers more scope for a stream of ideas.