How to be an intrapreneur
Updated 2024-10-03. Originally published 2015-12-03 on VocationVillage.com
Intrapreneurship is the act of behaving like an entrepreneur but within an established organization. In 2015, when I first wrote about intrapreneurship, there were so few articles about intrapreneurship that when I tried to research it, Google asked me if I meant “entrepreneurship.” Microsoft Word flagged the word “intrapreneur” as a spelling error. On my MacBook, TextEdit changed “intrapreneurship” to “entrepreneurship.” In 2024, there are lots of articles about intrapreneurship, so it is much easier to learn how to be an intrapreneur.
I appreciate intrapreneurship because there are ways in which it offers the best of two worlds: the financial support and resources of a large organization combined with the startup excitement of building something new. Here are some ideas about how to succeed as an intrapreneur:
If you have a job, explore whether there are gaps in the service or product offerings of your employer, and see if you can get approval to launch something new.
If you don’t have a job, search for employment in a company hiring someone to create a new department, program, project, product launch, etc. Look for opportunities with clearly defined objectives and metrics that will show whether you succeeded. It would be optimal if your work aligns with the overall mission and values of your employer.
Intrapreneurship is like entrepreneurship in that success depends on relationships. In both cases, your ability to influence people when you don’t have authority over them is an essential skill.
Intrapreneurship is both exciting and risky. When you are evaluating potential options, try to choose work cultures where your employer has a track record of encouraging innovation, even when the venture may fail.
Cautions
If what you really want is to operate unfettered by organizational complexity and you resent any corporate oversight or involvement in what you are doing, ditch intrapreneurship and go for entrepreneurship instead.
If you succeed, your employer may integrate your work into the larger organization. For an intrapreneur, this development can be bittersweet, so be prepared for some feelings of loss.
Intrapreneurship can be addictive. After you finish your first experience with it, you may want to choose your next business goals and start again.
Resources
Intrapreneurship: Definition, duties, and responsibilities
If you have questions about intrapreneurship, please send them to me, and I may respond to your question in a future article.
