Digital Pulse

How Do Established Organizations Innovate Without Breaking the Core?

Rafa Jimenez, VP Digital Innovation (ELCA Group) Season 1 Episode 3

Your next growth engine isn’t a moonshot, it’s hidden in the assets you already own. In this episode of Digital Pulse, we explore how mature organizations can innovate without dismantling the trust and stability they’ve built over decades. 

Discover the Innovation Pillars Framework and why Pillar 2—Strategic Adaptation is the sweet spot for incumbents. Learn how leaders can recombine proven technologies, retain IP, and strengthen product management to escape the commoditization trap. From Nintendo’s Game Boy strategy to Amazon’s AWS pivot, history shows that lateral thinking beats chasing bleeding-edge tech. 

This is not a pivot. It’s an evolution built on assets you already have. Listen now to discover how pragmatic reinvention can turn operational excellence into scalable growth. 

Episode Highlights:

00:25 – Why established organisations struggle to reinvent themselves?

01:03 – The Three Pillars Framework: Balancing your "Cash Engine" with radical R&D.

05:24 – Escaping the IP Trap: Moving from service-based labor to owning branded assets.

09:21 – Setting the right KPIs and budgets for Pillar 2 growth.

10:54 – Solving modern problems with mature tech and the Game Boy strategy.

15:20 – How AI and Blockchain automate and secure your intellectual property?

20:12 – Shifting from a "spec-delivery" to a "product-owner" mindset.

28:04 – How traditional firms use unique data to beat platform giants.


Links:

ELCA website

ELCA on LinkedIn

Digital Pulse newsletter on LinkedIn

Rafa Jimenez on LinkedIn

ELCA on YouTube