June 18, 2025
There’s a lot of talk in the corporate world about culture, transformation, and intrapreneurship. But very few people have actually built systems that make those things real.
That’s why our conversation with Ed Essey felt so important.
Ed is the mastermind behind the Microsoft Garage Growth Framework, a cultural and operational engine that has supported over 20,000 innovation projects inside one of the world’s largest companies. He’s not just thinking about intrapreneurship—he’s designing it, teaching it, and scaling it with precision.
This episode wasn’t just about Microsoft. It was about what’s possible when companies take innovation seriously as a system—and what it takes to empower the “hidden intrapreneurs” inside your org.
Here are a few big takeaways we’re still thinking about:
What started as a small initiative inside Microsoft evolved into the largest corporate hackathon in the world. But Ed was clear: the hackathon itself isn’t the point. It’s how you use it.
Done well, a hackathon becomes a pressure cooker for experimentation, a signal to the org that bottom-up innovation matters—and a proving ground for ideas that might otherwise never see the light of day.
But to turn hackathons into a repeatable system, Ed realized they needed a structure—a framework that could help ideas move from prototype to real business impact.
A lot of internal innovation teams get trapped in the culture loop. They think their job is to inspire people, host workshops, run brainstorms. That stuff matters—but only if there’s a path to business impact.
Ed’s framework doesn’t just encourage ideas. It maps them to business goals, exec priorities, and real-world constraints. That’s why his title at Microsoft includes “Business Value.” It’s a signal—internally and externally—that innovation isn’t about flair. It’s about function.
As Ed put it, “If you focus only on culture, but not generating business value, you’ll lose the culture too.”
We were blown away when Ed shared this stat: teams that go through Microsoft’s internal coaching program have an 85% success rate of getting executive sponsorship—with just three hours of coaching.
That’s not a typo.
Why does it work? Because the coaching is focused, practical, and tailored to helping intrapreneurs understand the game they’re playing—inside a bureaucracy.
Ed calls it “sponsor development.” You’re not just validating the customer. You’re validating the exec. That’s a nuance too many corporate teams miss.
One of our favorite moments from the episode was when Ed talked about not pulling employees out of their day jobs. Even when people are granted “fellowship time” to work on ideas, they stay in their reporting chain. They stay grounded in the org. It’s a voluntary system—and that’s the point.
What matters is not a new team or a new budget. What matters is intrinsic motivation. People want to work on something meaningful. They just need a credible path, a little coaching, and a sense that it won’t be career suicide if it fails.
And when they get recognition? Like being invited to present to the CEO? That’s what flips the switch.
This was our favorite metaphor from Ed’s upcoming book: The Inside Job.
The best intrapreneurs aren’t just idea people. They’re orchestrators. They know how to:
They understand power dynamics. They time their moves. They speak the sponsor’s language. And most importantly, they only bring forward ideas that create true alignment between personal passion, organizational strategy, and customer need.
That’s the Venn diagram of sustainable innovation.
Ed closed with a powerful insight: “Winners don’t follow rules that don’t exist.”
So many intrapreneurs get stuck waiting—waiting for a new org chart, a new strategy, a new mandate. But the best innovation systems don’t start with permission. They start with a bias toward action.
If you’re a leader: give your people a hall pass. Create structures that make innovation less risky, less lonely, and more connected to the mothership.
If you’re an intrapreneur: assemble your crew, find your beachhead, and start moving. You don’t need a new job title. You need a system that gives your ideas a shot.
Big thanks to Ed for joining us. This was more than a conversation—it was a blueprint.
— Ben & Marcus
We always enjoy conversations about innovation and startup building so please get in touch.
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