PRAISE

“This guidebook provides valuable tips for corporate heads and startup founders on how to collaborate for innovative gain and a better future. It includes engagement models like corporate accelerators, many of which have emerged in India. ”

“There is no doubt that this is an important book. It is very well researched and conceptually strong. I strongly recommend this book!”

“The book spans 15 years of research, and draws on 400 interviews with stakeholders as well as first-hand reports of site visits and conferences in numerous locations… this book is must read for corporate and entrepreneur communities, as well as government and NGO stakeholders looking for better innovation, productivity, and social impact.”

“This book is a brilliant achievement. I commend Shameen Prashantham on the abundance of invaluable information, insights, and counsel he provides. Of greatest interest and value to me is his concept of global coalitions.”

“With DeepTech quickly becoming the third wave of innovation and startups increasingly attacking fundamental topics beyond what we are used to expecting, Shameen Prashantham’s insights and practical examples are becoming more critical than ever for both corporations and startups. When everything blurs, cooperation is the best solution for the survival and prosperity of the species.”

“Professor Prashantham has studied Microsoft’s pioneering partnerships with startups for many years in advanced and emerging markets. His thought leadership in Gorillas Can Dance provides actionable insights on corporate-startup collaboration for companies that want to be entrepreneurial and innovative.”

“We have been featuring Shameen Prashantham’s work at Thinkers50 for a number of years. The relationship between large corporations and entrepreneurial upstarts has always been fascinating and a vital part of economic growth. Shameen’s insights and research shed vital new light on this.”

“I’ve spent much of my career in roles focused on helping startups and corporations prosper together. Shameen Prashantham has collected a massive breadth of experience and has boiled it down into this entertaining read. Save yourself years’ worth of grief and read this book.”

“Great to see Professor Prashantham’s focus on two of my passion areas — corporate innovation and social impact. The holy grail for any startup is to ultimately sell to an enterprise. Sounds simple, but it’s a journey. The beauty is to do matchmaking that is a win-win. Given the situation we are in with COVID-19, there has never been a better time to be a social entrepreneur, especially for SDG goals for Agenda 2030. Professor Prashantham has hit the nail on these two very important topics relevant in the startup ecosystem. Gorillas can dance indeed!”

“Shameen Prashantham, through his research over the years, has gained expertise on the topic of corporate-startup partnering. He has developed a global research program covering not only the United States, Europe, and Israel, but also Asia — particularly China and India — and, more recently, Africa. His insights in this book, based on knowledge-sharing with executives at CEIBS and public speeches, provide guidelines for corporations interested in partnering with startups. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in having a deeper understanding of corporate innovation and entrepreneurship.”

“There are so many things that lead to cultural and institutional change in large multinational organizations. Only a thorough longitudinal study can shed light on the effort required. This book does just that.”

“Shameen Prashantham has scoured the world, seeking the experiences of an impressive network of thought leaders across the entrepreneurial ecosystem. There is no set formula for how successful startup-corporate collaboration works; all we can do is keep learning from each other. This book provides both corporate innovators and game-changing startups the platform to do this.”

“A general pattern of organizational life seems to involve being nimble but inefficient in their youth, and lumbering but efficient as they age. How to keep the best attributes of both life stages has become a sort of holy grail for academics and consultants. Prashantham does a terrific job laying out what he has observed of partnerships between established and entrepreneurial firms as a mechanism that aims to hit this bliss-spot. Combining smooth prose with insightful observations, this book will be a great read for those who design and manage organizations as well as those who study them.”

“With ecosystem approaches to innovation gaining traction, ‘gorillas’ and startups now recognize that they need to work with, rather than against, each other. It’s not always going to be easy, but through a decade of keen observation, Professor Prashantham has uncovered the most important insights for both budding entrepreneurs and seasoned corporate executives.”

“Based on over 15 years of international research, Shameen Prashantham’s insightful work on partnering between established corporations and startups breaks new ground in identifying the why and how of effective alliance building. Rich in examples and practical advice, this work will be recommended reading for any corporate manager or startup executive looking to build scale and deliver innovation through partnerships.”

“Prashantham has paid particularly close attention to Microsoft, which is credited with reinvigorating its business in recent years through various collaborations, and has learned many lessons from both this and from other research among organisations and individuals around the world.”

“Gorillas Can Dance is a fascinating overview of collaborations between big corporates and startups. Based on more than a decade of research and observation, Shameen Prashantham’s insider view from an outsider’s perspective is filled with helpful examples and practical advice. An enlightening and engaging book that helps to lift the ‘mist’ around this space.”

“I am a passionate believer in the benefits startups and social entrepreneurs bring to the global economy and to society. Through my own work with Microsoft’s Global Social Entrepreneurship Program, and as founder of Live for Good, I know that this value can only be realized through close partnership, enduring mindsets, and effective collaboration with a broad ecosystem of organizations. Shameen’s framework reinforces that, when we connect startups with investors, enterprises, governments, and communities, amazing things can happen.”

“For over five years, I have been more than a close observer of how Professor Prashantham has transformed his skills and global perspective into a fruitful outcome in both research and teaching. I am also a witness of how he, as a typical CEIBS professor, has made a deep dive in China as an Indian British national to become a top-notch expert in Chinese enterprises management practices and theories. Therefore, on top of academic management knowledge, this book is also a must-read on the perspective of MNCs and startups in China that is solution-based and forward-thinking.”

“Startups are a severely underutilized competitive resource for corporations. Shameen Prashantham’s book is a most needed contribution to filling this gap.”

“Gorillas Can Dance is the essential playbook for entrepreneurs located in the office of a large corporation and for those hustling to make their big idea a reality from a small office. Through extensive interviews and research across several contexts, Shameen Prashantham is able to comprehensively lay out the unique set of opportunities and challenges for large corporations seeking to innovate through partnerships. More importantly, in many instances, including with Walmart, Shameen was there seeing it happen. This book is an absolute must-read for entrepreneurs at either end of the table.”

“Be it matured corporate players or newbies in the innovation ecosystem, looking to benchmark or understand its intricacies, the book provides the perfect prescription for everyone. Backed by years of research, including the most recent developments, this is a must-have reference guide for any innovation practitioner.”

“While most large organizations know that collaborating with startups should be a critical part of their innovation strategy, many will also admit that doing so effectively and on a global basis is a very different story. Shameen Prashantham’s book helps bridging this ‘knowing-doing’ gap by providing fresh insights on how and where today’s gorillas can dance with faster and more agile partners. A must-read for corporate innovators and entrepreneurs alike.”

“The major global challenges are simply too big for any company alone to address. It is imperative for the larger organizations to partner effectively with the more nimble startups to help create a better world for all. This book has some great insights on the how.”

“Having spent most of my career trying to dance with gorillas, and now as a gorilla learning to dance, I can safely say that Gorillas Can Dance is an important addition to the strategic partnership canon and should be required reading for entrepreneurs on both sides of the table.”

“Corporate innovation as we know it is dead. Current corporate innovation is delivered through skunkworks and through learning new dance moves with startups. In his book, Professor Shameen Prashantham has captured the fine details of dancing with gorillas and how to redesign modern large corporations to survive and thrive in this new world.”

“Shameen Prashantham is one of those rare academics who can combine theoretical rigor with in-depth company examples to yield highly practical insights and frameworks. Gorillas Can Dance is a great example of this combination and is essential reading for both large companies and their startup partners.”