Being an “Intrapreneur” and an Entrepreneur in the Optoelectronics Industry

Lebby, Michael S.

doi:10.1117/3.786604.ch5

Book: Engineering a High-Tech Business: Entrepreneurial Experiences and Insights

Editor(s): José Miguel López-Higuera; Brian Culshaw

Author(s): Michael Lebby

Published: 2008

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.786604.ch5

Abstract

The author discusses his experiences as both as an intrapreneur at Motorola and Intel and as an entrepreneur as the CEO of Ignis Optics. Intrapreneurship comes from founding projects, programs, and new technological directions within a corporation, while entrepreneurship is the process of founding technological programs in standalone companies. Early in the author’s career, he realized that there was reason to put long-term strategic goals in place; so that as opportunities arose, they could be evaluated from both an intrapreneurial and an entrepreneurial standpoint. The author discusses the virtues of knowing the strategy up front and worrying less about the tactics, but making sure the tactics align with the strategy as experience grows.