244. Filling the gap between innovation and go-to-market, with AWS’s Jelena Joffe
Mar 28, 2025
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Jelana Joffe Weil, founder and global leader of the Venture Innovation program at AWS, discusses the vital link between innovation and market strategies for both startups and established companies. She highlights how AWS fosters transformative collaborations, especially with AI startups like PhysicsX, to enhance engineering processes. Joffe Weil also dives into the challenges faced by enterprises collaborating with startups, emphasizing the need for trust and understanding customer needs. Her insights shed light on empowering innovation across industries.
Balancing disruptive and incremental innovation is essential for organizations to build trust and create new revenue streams.
Establishing structured programs like the Venture Innovation Program fosters meaningful collaborations between startups and established enterprises for effective innovation.
Deep dives
Balancing Innovation Approaches
A crucial discussion revolves around the necessity of balancing disruptive and incremental innovation for organizations. Companies are encouraged to generate new revenue streams and customer experiences through disruptive methods while not neglecting incremental changes that can deliver immediate value. This approach is especially important for organizations in earlier stages of maturity, as it helps in building trust and gaining organizational support for new technologies. By integrating both strategies, businesses ensure a comprehensive innovation journey that can drive growth and stability.
Effective Collaboration Frameworks
The process of effectively bridging the gap between startups and established enterprises is emphasized as vital for fostering innovation. Startups often seek not just resources but meaningful collaborations with decision-makers within larger organizations. The establishment of structured programs, like the Venture Innovation Program, facilitates these connections, ensuring that startups have a platform to showcase their solutions. By addressing the specific needs of both startups and enterprises, organizations can cultivate a mutually beneficial ecosystem that propels innovation.
Identifying Customer Needs for Development
A key insight is recognizing the importance of identifying and prioritizing customer needs when initiating innovative projects. Enterprises are advised to work backward from customer challenges to effectively define the scope of their innovation efforts, which can sometimes require pushing back on superficial requests. This method ensures that the solutions developed not only align with strategic objectives but also deliver tangible benefits to end-users. By establishing a customer-focused approach, companies can create more relevant and impactful innovations.
Overcoming Challenges in Innovation Partnerships
The podcast addresses common hurdles faced by organizations in fostering successful innovation partnerships with startups. Challenges such as lengthy onboarding processes, misalignment in cultural fit, and difficulty navigating corporate structures can impede progress. By focusing on foundational aspects like organizational structure, innovation processes, and a culture of collaboration, companies can increase the likelihood of successful partnerships. Acknowledging and addressing these barriers is essential for organizations to realize the full potential of their collaborative efforts in innovation.
McKinsey innovation leader Erik Roth speaks with Jelena Joffe Weil, the founder and worldwide leader of the Venture Innovation program at Amazon Web Services, Amazon’s cloud computing arm, about how AWS works to close the gap between innovation and go-to-market for start-ups and large enterprises. The global hyperscaler is known for helping businesses grow and scale rapidly, but it also helps start-ups and established enterprises find each other to engage in open, or collaborative, innovation.