What does it take to build a truly independent, high-growth startup inside a 150-year-old financial giant and then spin it out?In this episode of Beyond the Core, Ben and Marcus sit down with Sharon Rodriguez, CEO of HighPeak Al. Sharon shares how she's building a nimble venture within the constraints of a legacy organization, and how she’s setting it up for long-term independence.From day-one infrastructure decisions, to managing governance and incentives, to building a playbook that’s now influencing Prudential’s broader innovation efforts, Sharon offers a rare, transparent look into what it really takes to turn a corporate venture into a standalone success.We cover:⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Building ventures inside legacy orgs01:00 – The origin of HighPeak: AI, data, and adjacent opportunity03:30 – Why Sharon took the job: Backing, challenge, and belief06:00 – The “tax” of corporate venture: Compliance, slowness, and trade-offs08:30 – Building a 5-person elite team with startup DNA10:00 – Fractional talent vs full-time hires in a regulated environment12:00 – Incentives without equity and the plan to spin out14:00 – Structuring for spin-out: LLC vs C-Corp, IP, and investor readiness17:30 – Building independent infra to stay nimble and credible19:00 – Governance, budget autonomy, and internal alignment22:00 – From longevity to retirement insights: broadening the product vision24:30 – Communicating enterprise value inside the mothership26:00 – Applying Series A/B benchmarks to a corporate venture28:00 – Playing the long game: Expanding the market vs just selling Prudential30:00 – Why this was always about adjacencies32:00 – Innovation vs stagnation: Why corporates need to build ventures34:30 – Challenging the status quo inside large orgs36:00 – The origin (and evolution) of the HighPeak playbook39:00 – Why static playbooks can’t keep up40:30 – What’s next: potential for multiple products or spin-in ideas42:00 – Sharon’s advice: Start with a blank sheet of paper🎧 Subscribe for more conversations like these#corporateinnovation #venturebuilding #startupstrategy #spinouts #prudential #highpeak #beyondthecore #venturestudios

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