By Christopher Hosford, editor-in-chief, HosfordGroup.

Last month I attended the Future of Business conference in New York City, sponsored by international software giant SAP. One of the featured speakers was Josh Linkner, founder and CEO of Detroit Venture Partners, whose company enables startups in the infamously dystopian town. But Linkner was not here to talk about bootstrapping Detroit. What he did talk about was an eye-opening presentation about how to bring the “startup mentality” to enterprise companies.

“The entrepreneurial journey is celebrated, of course, when it results in fame and fortune,” said the diminutive VC capitalist. “It’s a messy process, but by clawing and scratching you can achieve something special. It’s all about the mindset. All of us in the enterprise can embrace the same entrepreneurial spirit.”

Linkner cited a number of companies that once were dominant in their fields: Blockbuster, Sears, Kodak, Research In Motion (aka, BlackBerry), Borders, et alii. They’re all in varying degrees of trouble. These guys got complacent, Linkner claimed.

“Small companies embrace risk and urgency. They create new ideas from the bottom up. They’re nimble. They have fire in the belly,” he said. “Big companies, by contrast, avoid risk, are slow moving, protect old ideas, are top down, are rules-centric, are bureaucratic and complacent.”

Youch! Who would want to be a big, legacy company? Well, of course everybody would like to grow into a big, successful company—but with entrepreneurial spirit intact, according to Linkner. So, what’s the menu, Josh? How do you recommend maintaining that fighting spirit among the over-the-hill gang? Here are his recommendations:

• Eradicate fear. Focus on what’s possible, and create a culture that supports new ideas without judgment. Naturally, what occurred to me is the risk associated with everyone at the table judging you. That’s human nature, right? Forget that for a moment and you’re toast! But in theory, and in the company of respectful colleagues—especially if you’re the boss—it’s a good idea. 

• Shed the past. Embrace the future with new ideas, or at least always turn the page. Linkner admires Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewsk, who used to say to his players, “Next play.” Meaning, no matter if it was a goal scored or an air ball, just think about the next best thing. It’s a good idea, and keeps you focused.

• Embrace failure. One example Linkner cited was a celebration of “Failure of The Month,” because it recognizes experimentation. Naturally, this put me in mind of the first point, above, about eradicating fear. I can hear it now: “Yes, the campaign sucked, but at least it was a noble effort.” Maybe this idea is less good. Embrace failure a little too much and you better update that résumé.

• Get curious. “The more curious you are the more creative you become,” Linkner said. He urged, “Ask, ‘What if?’ and ‘Why not?’ ”

One intriguing concept Linkner presented was that, in a brainstorming session one might assume a sort of role-playing meme. So, when someone addresses an idea, he or she—in the guise of, say, the CEO or outside venture capitalist—can play the role and feel free to shoot it down, criticize it, pick it apart, or deconstruct it into something better. Thus, he/she is protected by this role-playing mantle, and doesn’t suffer internal opprobrium. This is cool, too, as long as others play along.

Entrepreneurs risk all because that’s all they have to risk. Enterprises marshal the weight of expertise and success to deliver value to the market and themselves. They are vastly different, but both can learn from each other. Overall, Josh’s philosophy about preserving that entrepreneurial spirit may be a little bit optimistic about corporate reality. But his ethos is pure idealism and I admire that. Otherwise, why would he be backing VC startups in Detroit?

Christopher Hosford is editor-in-chief and head writer at HosfordGroup LLC, a New York City-based content marketing agency. He is former East Coast Bureau Chief of Crain’s “BtoB” magazine, and former editor-in-chief of Nielsen’s “Sales & Marketing Management” magazine. He can be reached at chris@hosfordgroup.com.