Innovation Underdogs

The Corporate Rebel Playbook

by Christine Pamela
Innovation Strategist • Entrepreneur • Builder

Book Release

This is an upcoming book. The manuscript is complete at 56,766 words, but the release process takes longer as I've chosen to pursue traditional publishing. Estimated release: 2026.

Book Overview

What happens when a breakthrough idea lands in a company that was never designed to change?

Innovation Underdogs shows how transformative ideas can thrive within large, complex, or traditional organizations. At its core is the Theta Framework, an original visual model that maps six types of innovation across three corporate zones: Core, Edge, and Beyond.

The book equips leaders with strategies to overcome resistance, scale new initiatives, and reinvent without breaking what already works. It combines storytelling, real-world case studies, and practical frameworks covering Core, Adjacent, Architectural, Disruptive, Transformational, and Frontier innovation.

Ultimately, it guides companies to scale transformative ideas deliberately, rather than forcing sudden upheaval, and by doing so, increases the chances not only to survive but also to thrive amid rapid technological disruption.

View Case Studies

Why This Book, Why Now

Since 2000, over half of the Fortune 500 have vanished. McKinsey predicts the average S&P 500 lifespan will shrink to 12 years by 2027. As digital disruption accelerates, most established firms struggle to reinvent fast or effectively enough, leading to rapid obsolescence.

Innovation Underdogs closes the gap between startup idealism and corporate reality by mapping a clear path that makes breakthrough innovation stick.

Who It's For

Leaders inside legacy companies trying to build what's next
Innovation managers, product teams, and intrapreneurs
Startup founders navigating partnerships with large corporates
Consultants, strategists, and anyone shaping change from the inside out

For large organizations, universities, and consulting firms focused on innovation, I welcome opportunities to explore how Innovation Underdogs helps teams and leaders build and scale transformational innovations deliberately, allowing change to unfold without forcing immediate disruption to core business.

Chapters

Innovation Needs Rebels
The Framework
Rules of Rebels
Can Anyone Innovate?
Unlearning Leadership
Customers Are Always Right... Or Are They?
The Simplicity of Sales and Marketing
Scaling Without Breaking

Why Me

I am an innovation strategist and growth consultant with 15+ years advising Fortune 500 companies and mid-sized firms (100+ clients), while mentoring 70+ startups on scaling innovation and growth. I specialize in go-to-market acceleration and transformational innovation, leading cross-functional teams to unlock new revenue streams.

As founder-operator of Mestrae, a fashion-tech startup scaled to 31 countries, I built global supply chains and in-house manufacturing. My career spans engineering at Agilent, product development, program management, strategy, and operations, giving me a holistic perspective on aligning business, technology, and execution.

My work has been featured in The Edge, BuzzFeed, The Star, SME Magazine, and BFM Radio. I have received multiple innovation and entrepreneurship awards and published research in business and technology.

Above all, I am passionate about building transformational growth and innovation strategies that help large businesses reinvent themselves and small businesses globalize. I’m driven by a belief that meaningful change happens when new ideas find the right systems, and that’s what I hope to create.

Market Potential

Comparable titles:

The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen
Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Working Backwards by Bryar & Carr
Range by David Epstein

Estimated global readership: Executives, consultants, innovation leaders, and entrepreneurial educators.

How Innovation Underdogs Stands Apart

Comprehensive: Covers all six innovation types other books omit.
Organizational zones: Maps innovation across Core, Edge, and Beyond.
End-to-end process: From ideation through scaling and reintegration.
Culture-centric: Tackles resistance and leadership agility.
People-driven: Focuses on innovators and practical team models.

Feature / Focus Area	Innovation Underdogs	The Lean Startup	Zone to Win	Ten Types of Innovation	The Invincible Company	The Innovator's Dilemma	Range	Working Backwards
Covers all 6 types of innovation	✅	❌	❌	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Maps innovation across Core, Edge, and Beyond zones	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌	✅	❌	❌
Guides full lifecycle: idea → prototype → PMF → scale → reintegration	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Designed for complex corporate environments	✅	❌	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅
Tackles cultural resistance and fear of change	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	❌
Emphasizes people: mavericks, skunkworks, open teams	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅	✅
Uses customer service to find early adopters	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Sales & marketing strategy for internal innovation	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Defines types of innovators and how to lead them	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌
Focuses on unlearning traditional leadership	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Reintegration strategy (spinouts, CVCs, open source, etc.)	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌	❌

Contact

Email: Get in touch
Website: christinepamela.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christinepamela
Medium: medium.com/@christinepamela