In recent years, the concept of Ambidextrous Organizations has gained prominence. According to this approach, in order to be truly innovative, companies must master two complementary capabilities—much like an ambidextrous basketball player. With the “right hand,” companies must be highly competent at exploiting existing resources and assets, extracting increasing value. With the “left hand,” they must explore new growth opportunities, develop new capabilities, and constantly reinvent their core business.
The challenge of organizational ambidexterity
However, implementing organizational ambidexterity is much easier said than done. Large corporations—with thousands of employees and well-established revenue streams—face structural challenges that hinder or even prevent transformational innovation. These companies must ensure the continuity of the status quo and preserve the value built over time, which makes it difficult for them to behave like agile, experimental startups. After all, when there’s a lot to lose, every decision must be cautious and well thought-out.
Transformational innovation inside large enterprises
When it comes to transformational innovation, it’s common to hear that large corporations weren’t made to innovate. If we replace “innovate” with “transform,” the argument becomes even clearer. And yet, this type of innovation is crucial for long-term value creation. So how can today’s large enterprises remain relevant in the future? That’s a question every CEO must face.
The solution: VIA (Autonomous Innovation Vehicle)
After more than a decade helping corporations innovate, we noticed that most failures weren’t due to technical, market, or functional limitations—but rather to the absence of the mechanisms needed to launch or explore those innovations. Time and again, organizations would self-sabotage when faced with the challenge of transformational innovation. That’s why The Bakery decided to tackle the problem head-on.
VIA was created to solve exactly this challenge.
Unlike traditional models of corporate–supplier relationships, which are based on billable hours or project scope, VIA becomes the partner that enables all the innovation a large corporation can’t internalize. VIA is the ultimate solution to explore and scale transformational innovation in complex corporate environments.
It establishes a new external structure—either through a Special Purpose Entity (SPE) or an Investment Fund (FIP)—to manage the parent company’s transformational innovation initiatives. VIA brings in just the right talent for any type of initiative and applies the best innovation methodologies on the market (startup engagement, venture investment, venture building, R&D, joint ventures, and more), all delivered by a team of leading specialists focused on your success.
A success-aligned compensation model
VIA also offers a different compensation model. In traditional arrangements, external innovation partners are paid based on the number of people involved or the delivery of a specific scope. This encourages complexity and task completion—not innovation success. With VIA, The Bakery is responsible for the end-to-end execution of innovation initiatives, from idea to impact, and is rewarded based on the success of the initiative—not on increasing headcount.
Transform your organization with VIA
VIA is more than a solution—it’s a revolution in how large corporations can approach transformational innovation and secure their future relevance. If you want to explore and scale innovations that will reshape your business, get in touch to learn how VIA can help your organization achieve true organizational ambidexterity.
