Governance of Ventures

In times of disruption, venturing becomes a key source of value creation. As new opportunities emerge and existing models fade, entrepreneurs, corporates and investors are eager to explore and exploit those opportunities. Venture governance, i. e. defining, implementing and following a fit-for-purpose model to provide direction and control in the best interest of all stakeholders, plays a crucial role in enabling and ensuring entrepreneurial value creation.

This book presents twelve perspectives on the governance of ventures, bringing together viewpoints from both practitioners and academics. It provides practical insights, introduces new perspectives and invites the reader - whether a member of a venture board, an entrepreneur or an investor - to reflect on their own approaches to venture governance.



Prof. Dr. Michael Hilb is Founder and CEO of DBP Group, a business group that develops growth platforms in Asia and Europe. He serves on various supervisory boards, including Klingelnberg and the Board Foundation, is Titular Professor at the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and lectures on issues of strategy, entrepreneurship and corporate governance at universities in Asia and Europe. Michael graduated from the University of St. Gallen with an MSc and a PhD in Management, was a Visiting Fellow at Harvard University and INSEAD and completed executive education programs at IMD, HBS and MIT.



Introduction 5

Section A: Foundations of Venture Governance 9

Venture Governance – The Hidden Driver of Entrepreneurial Value Creation (Prof Dr Michael Hilb) 11

The St Galler Startup Navigator as a Governance Tool (Prof Dr Dietmar Grichnik and Dr Manuel Hess) 24

Free-Energy Governance – An Approach to Effective Venture Governance (Bijan Khezri) 36

Leading and Overseeing Ventures – Fourteen Decisive Questions (Herman Arnold) 42



Section B: Governance of Founder-led Ventures 47

Venture Governance: How the Lean Startup Philosophy Changes the Work of the Board (Prof Dr Sebastian D Becker) 49

After a Financing Round means before a Financing Round – The Role of the Investor in Venture Governance (Dr Thomas Duebendorfer) 57

Ten Principles of an Effective Scale-up Board Member (Menno van Dijk) 64

Corporate Governance in International High-Tech Startups (Prof Dr Rico J Baldegger) 69



Section C: Governance of Corporate Ventures 77

Mastering Corporate Startups – Opportunities and Challenges (Dr Thomas Sieber) 79

A Principles-based Approach to Corporate Venturing (Jan Sedlacek) 86

Cracking the Collaboration Codes – How to Succeed in Ecosystems (Prof Dr Michael Hilb) 97

The Innovation Partnering Canvas – Getting Innovation Partners on the Same Page (Jan Paul Grollé) 107