#30: Cooperating and Competing with Large Companies to Grow Your Startup

Brand marketer and venture capitalist Dave Knox is an expert in relationships between large companies and startups, as he has extensive experience working in both worlds. Knox began his career at Procter & Gamble, where he consistently pushed the envelope in terms of marketing and digital innovation, eventually spearheading the company’s development of digital business strategies. He left the company in 2010 to co-found The Brandery, a startup accelerator in Cincinnati, OH, leveraging his seven years of corporate experience to advise local founders on their entrepreneurial journeys. In addition to his work with The Brandery, Knox also serves as Managing Director of WPP Ventures and CMO of Rockfish Digital. Knox has an astute understanding of the ways startups and corporations affect each other. In our interview, he explains why startups must strategically compete and cooperate with large companies to improve their capacity for innovation and disruption—which can ultimately lead to acquisition and profitable exits. If this episode leaves you eager for more of Knox’s keen insights into corporate-startup interactions, you’ll want to pick up his new book, Predicting the Turn: The High Stakes Game of Business Between Startups and Blue Chips. Purchase the book through the publisher’s website and enter the coupon code “powderkeg” for an exclusive $10 discount on your order. As bonus, I’ll also be giving away a free copy of the book to one lucky listener who comments on this episode! In this episode with Dave Knox, you’ll learn: -- The key to building your network outside of a major tech hub -- How to avoid falling prey to large companies that can “disrupt the disruptor” -- Corporate venture capital is the new R&D -- The difference between outsiders and disruptors -- The ongoing transition toward fully digital business models -- Why startups need to engage with large companies from the beginning -- Reasons you might want to work with corporate VC organizations ---- Download show notes and transcripts at www.powderkeg.com This episode of Powder Keg is brought to you by DeveloperTown. If you’re a business leader trying to turn a great idea into a product with traction, this is for you. DeveloperTown works with clients ranging from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 companies who want to build and launch an app or digital product. They’re able to take the process they use with early stage companies to help big companies move like a startup. So if you have an idea for a web or mobile app, or need help identifying the great ideas within your company, go to developertown.com/powderkeg. Thanks again to everyone who has shared an episode of Powderkeg, subscribed to us on iTunes, or left us a review. It’s the only way we’re going to spread this message and reach new people and we could do it without you. We’re coming out with new episodes every Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe on iTunes or at powderkeg.co/itunes