How a mature firm fosters intrapreneurs

It's a deeply held belief that the small entrepreneur develops new businesses better than big companies. A more recent notion suggests that if big companies set up “intrapreneurial” ventures, both the big company and the new venture can have the best of both worlds. However, it's been my experience, after 20 years of working with companies to help them diversify through new ventures, that it isn't all that easy.