Evaluating Intrapreneurs

Venture Capitalists say I'd rather have a class A entrepreneur with a class B idea than a class A idea with a class B entrepreneur. Companies tend to put to much weight on the quality of the idea, which will probably evolve or even pivot as it is implemented, than on the team of intrapreneurs who are going to make the venture work. You can greatly improve your innovation success weight by putting more emphasis on the selection of the lead intrapreneur and the quality of the team and less on the quality of the idea. 

This is how most corporate innovation works. A management sponsor or small number of sponsors build a close relationship with the intrapreneur and the team and decide to trust them. They protect the intrapreneurs and help them navigate the corporate approval system. They support the team's ability to make rapid decisions and redesigns as they experiment and learn. They bet on the team knowing the idea will change. 

How can you identify class A intrapreneurs? Here is some hints.

Criteria	Characteristics
Collaboration	Digital innovations usually interpenetrate many functions and business units. Collaboration with other functions, even if they are initially hostile silos, is a core intrapreneurship requirement. Does the intrapreneur collaborate effectively.
Deep involvement with the steps to implementation	Real intrapreneurs are visionary about the pathway to success as well as the vision of the end state. Are the intrapreneurs thinking clearly and in detail about how to implement their idea?
Honesty	Honesty is a core character trait of successful intrapreneurs. Intrapreneurs may bend the rules or even break them to get something done, but with you, their potential sponsor, they will be open and honest. And they won’t lie to others, though at times they may hold their cards close to their chest. If they are not honest and open with you, they are probably not honest with themselves, which means they will ignore data that does not fit with their dream. The result will be almost certain failure. Are they honest with you?
Long and short-term goal setting	Intrapreneurs set goals and measure their progress against them. If they are missing their targets, they want to know why. This helps them to stay focused, experimental and real. Are they interested in measuring their own  performance?
Moderate risk taking	Successful intrapreneurs take on challenging initiatives, but then do everything possible (including early tests of rapid prototypes) to reduce the risks. They are not gamblers, but it is also true that security is not their prime motivator. Real intrapreneurs’ sense of security comes from a deep place. They believe they and their team have the ability to handle whatever problems arise. Are they managing risk well?
Motivation	Real intrapreneurs are intrinsically motivated – motivated from inside by their values, vision and purpose. And though, like anyone else, they like to be well paid, that is not why they are driving a new idea. They are doing it because they think their innovation matters above and beyond money. Money is a way of keeping score on how well they are doing in pursuing their vision, not the reason for pursuing the innovation. This does not mean that they don’t need to be well paid. They, particularly the talented ones born after 1980, will leave if they find themselves paid substantially less than their peers who are just rising up the traditional management ladder at a leisurely pace. Is their motivation deeper than money or promotion?
Optimistic, inspirational leadership	Intrapreneurs don’t have the resources to build their vision. They must inspire others to volunteer to help build the dream. Then, when there is a big setback, which is almost inevitable in every innovation, they may not claim that they know the solution yet, but they project a belief that the team will find a way around the problem. If they can’t maintain that optimism, they will lose their followers. Do they attract voluntary followers?
Persistence	A predominant characteristic of both intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs is deep persistence. If a senior executive puts a stop to their idea, a promoter will shift to another idea to get back in the exec’s graces. Real intrapreneurs are not in the game to please executives, so they don’t give up. They find support elsewhere or build a plan to change the executives mind. Treat persistence as a positive indicator.
Team building	Intrapreneurship, particularly digital intrapreneurship, is not a solo sport. The innovations generally require a team. Just in a technical innovation alone you probably need a systems architect and a coding manager. The team also needs a sales and marketing person. And that is just the beginning. Can the intrapreneur attract a team and run it effectively.
Technical capability Adapted From Digital Intrapreneurship by Gifford Pinchot III and Mariusz Soltanifar in Digital Entrepreneurship (Springer Publishing)	The digital intrapreneur does not have to be a star technical talent, in fact many will have more balanced skills, but they are usually comfortable with the new technologies and capable of understanding and working with those who excel in the details. Does the team have the technical skills needed?