Beyond Eureka!: The Rocky Roads to Innovating

A radical new perspective on innovation to help aspiring entrepreneurs avoid common pitfalls

One of the biggest problems faced by entrepreneurs and corporate executives alike is the conflation of entrepreneurship with innovation. The quest for innovation is often misguided by a variety of mantras, clichés and proclamations, often infused with notions of disruption and delusions of grandeur. Beyond Eureka! debunks the myths and conventional wisdom surrounding innovation, revealing its complex, non-linear nature and identifying ways to avoid common pitfalls. Serial entrepreneur Delbourg-Delphis first defines innovation as the implementation of something new that is developed for and commercialized in a marketplace. She uses various case studies---both smaller scale and well-known--to unpack the common misconceptions surrounding innovation and guide entrepreneurs through the uncertainty of innovating in a potential market rather than a pre-existing one. Beyond Eureka! brings a new perspective to understanding the nature and practice of innovation based on the author's extensive experience, historical knowledge, and conceptual analysis. Innovators, whether entrepreneurs or the strategic leadership teams of established companies, will benefit from the insights and guidance.

Marylene Delbourg-Delphis is one of the first European women to have founded (with Guy Kawasaki) a technology company in Silicon Valley. The CEO of three additional companies in succession, she has also helped over 30 companies (so far) as a "shadow" CEO, board member, and strategy advisor. A graduate of l'Ecole Normale Supérieure in France, she holds a PhD and earned minors in mathematical logic and history of sciences, which she studied under the tutelage of French academician Michel Serres. In 2018, she was awarded the Legion of Honor, the highest French order of merit for military and civil accomplishments.