Innovation in large enterprises is usually a management problem, not an ideas problem. Bruno Pesec argues that leaders should look for the real signals of innovation, frustration, friction, slow progress, and hard tradeoffs, rather than mistaking polished innovation theater for actual change. He explains why disciplined innovation depends on vertical-slice governance, tranche-based funding, and the willingness to let evidence, not preference, decide what gets more support.
What You’ll Learn
◼️ How to tell early whether an organization is truly innovating or just performing innovation through restless but empty rhetoric
◼️ Why healthy frustration can be a sign that people actually care enough to do the difficult work of innovation
◼️ How to fund uncertainty in smaller tranches so leaders can kill weak ideas early before committing large amounts of capital
◼️ Why support functions like finance, legal, procurement, and IT should be treated as defenders and partners, not blockers
◼️ How portfolio thinking helps leaders stop pet projects, rebalance risk, and align innovation with business strategy
Key Discussion Topics
◼️ The difference between innovation theater and genuine enterprise innovation capability
◼️ Vertical-slice governance and why innovation boards should stay lean, direct, and cross-functional
◼️ Stage gates, evidence thresholds, and what leaders should look for before releasing the next tranche of support
◼️ Core, adjacent, and transformational portfolios as a way to map innovation risk and strategic balance
◼️ Bureaucracy as organizational defense against trauma, especially in regulated industries
◼️ The distinction between R&D, innovation, and corporate venture investing as separate organizational functions
◼️ AI, optionality, and why enterprises should remain pragmatic while staying alert to structural change
Guest Background
Name: Bruno Pesec
Bio: Bruno Pešec is the president of Pesec Global, where he advises senior leaders on building innovation capability in large organizations. His work focuses on governance, portfolio management, and execution, with particular attention to how enterprises fund and scale uncertain bets without losing discipline. His background in mechanical engineering, lean process improvement, and advisory work gives him a practical lens on why innovation efforts succeed or stall inside complex organizations.
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About Business Unbound
Every week, your host, Florian Haufe, dives deep into conversations with visionary global leaders to bring you insights, inspiration, and the real stories behind success.
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