What is Intrapreneurship anyway?
Dona Sarkar
Chief Troublemaker-Microsoft #AI and #Copilot Extensibility 🦉#CopilotLearningHub⚡️TED/UN/Keynote Speaker 🍷Chief Wine Officer at #SideHustleTaps 👗Fashion Biz Owner at #PrimaDonaStudios 📚Published Author
I get a question almost every day: You seem like such a free-spirit. When are you going to go do your own thing?
My response is always the same: I do my own thing every day! I practice the art of "intrapreneurship"--being entrepreneurial inside an organization through a series of side-projects--which often become my day job. I've been doing this at Microsoft for over a dozen years (and stayed (mostly) out of trouble!)
The most recent example is when my partner-in-chaos, Jeremiah Marble and I created a fellowship program to help entrepreneurs in emerging markets start and run profitable business. We did this as a secret side-project at work and it quickly became core business. We ran our fellowship in Nigeria and then extended it to East Africa. This resulted in us writing a memoir/business lessons called Model 47: A Startup Storybook which is on sale now.
So, why do I do this? Why should YOU do this?
So many reasons, but a few of my faves are:
- Because you will gain experience in something outside your on-paper day job so you will learn those skills that technically "aren't your job". These could lead to an even BETTER job in the future--especially as you develop a strong passion and acumen for them.
- Because you will build a stronger network with others in your company (and outside!) and you will always be the one who "knows a guy/girl" in that org.
- Because you will develop a stand-out reputation as someone who has a broad skillset, a strong network and most importantly, an "entrepreneurial attitude" (manager speak alert!)
- Because a bad day on the day job won't get you down (and you know those bad days happen!)
- Because you will be able to be autonomous for at least one project and there is nothing like having total freedom
- Because it benefits your company to have free-thinkers who have creative ideas, because where do new ideas come from anyway?
- Because it's a great story--much better than "I finished my workitems and went home."
We'll dig into examples of each of these and so much more. Who's in to join in this journey of intrapreneurship?
<3 Dona
I'm a software engineer, an author, a fashion designer and a speaker splitting my time between Seattle and airplanes. Come hang out at http://donasarkar.com
Principal Group Software Engineering Manager@ Microsoft - Windows Server
5yAbsolutely love the idea and ur energy on this Dona! Glad intrapreneurship comes naturally to you! I think more than having these stories heard, it is imp if any of these people had developed their skills or how they changed themselves or how they convinced their team or management to find the time to do it. The higher we go in corporate ladder, the harder it is to find time to do such fancy passionate ideas that all of us have in our heart. But at times our day to day job may not leave time for these to many. Would love to share my stories. Will send to u offline!
Chief Troublemaker-Microsoft #AI and #Copilot Extensibility 🦉#CopilotLearningHub⚡️TED/UN/Keynote Speaker 🍷Chief Wine Officer at #SideHustleTaps 👗Fashion Biz Owner at #PrimaDonaStudios 📚Published Author
5yI'd LOVE to hear about your Intra adventures--me and Jeremiah Marble are writing a book on this!
Fun!
Sr. Recruiter - I build the teams that build the satellites. Recruiting Truth Teller & Mythbuster. Somehow, LinkedIn Top Voice 2022
5yLove love love this!!
Exploring human potential in the age of AI | ex-Microsoft, Amazon, Dell, MURAL, MagicLeap
5yReally cool! I get asked the same question all the time. I too am doing my thing every day and we are fortunate to have leaders that are asking for more as we drive innovation.