The sad truth is as difficult as the first mile can be for entrepreneurs, it is doubly tough inside most large companies as innovators can face some significant headwinds.

You still want to be thoughtful about what you do, no doubt, but you have to learn through trial-and-error experimentation as well.

Think about how much it costs to learn more. Sometimes you want to build confidence by knocking off the easy things.

Every great idea emerges out of a process of trial-and-error experimentation.

I've come to the conclusion that the core characteristic that separates companies that get innovation from those that don't is a simple word: curiosity.

Have a core concept, but wrap it in a full business model.

Another key role the CEO plays is to focus efforts.