From Rhino to Unicorn
By Victor Orlovski &Â Vladimir KorovkinÂ
All over the world, corporate executives are under increasing pressure to resist a new breed of competitors: the digital innovators disrupting long-established business models and capturing markets as a result. The old world is made up of enormous and incumbent market-leading companies known as “rhinos” while the new world is ruled by digitally native, innovative and disruptive companies known as “unicorns.” And the success of the unicorns doesn’t always make sense if you’re going by the old rules.
In the face of widespread “digital transformation” in virtually every industry, the question becomes, how can incumbent companies and executives keep their edge against their new competitors? In From Rhino to Unicorn, Victor Orlovski and Vladimir Korovkin combine their personal experience with analyses of more than 40 case studies to answer that question.
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Drawing on their decades of combined experience in both business and academia, Orlovski and Korovkin break down:
- The eight key areas where unicorns have an advantage over rhino companies
- Why most rhinos’ attempts at digital transformation fail
- The strategies successful companies use to navigate digital transformation
- The seven most common mental “traps” companies fall into when trying to transform
- The proven roadmap for rhino-to-unicorn transitions (used by major corporations like SberBank)
- And much more.
While many business books discuss innovation and disruption, few can match the depth of academic and economic analysis offered by From Rhino to Unicorn—and even fewer can offer actual strategies for established companies to thrive in the brave new world of digital transformation.
Authors' Bio
Victor Orlovski is a founder and managing partner at Fort Ross Ventures, a growth-stage fintech venture fund. He has previously served as Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Technology Officer at two of Russia’s largest banks, Alfa-Bank and SberBank, respectively. Orlovski was recognized with an Oracle Excellence Award for CIO of the Year in Europe, Africa and the Middle East and has won national recognition for contributing to the development of the Russian banking industry. Orlovski lives in Palo Alto, California. From Rhino to Unicorn is his first book.
Vladimir Korovkin is an author and business educator who teaches and researches digital transformation, innovation and emerging markets. He has taught at the International School of Management in Paris, France and at the Moscow School of Management SKOLVOVO. Prior to pursuing an academic career, Korovkin spent 20 years in business, including 17 in executive roles in marketing communications, retail banking, IT and management consulting. He has also consulted for the governments of Armenia and Turkmenistan on their national digital strategy. His writing has appeared in Harvard Business Review and Forbes as well as in academic and business journals. From Rhino to Unicorn is his second book.
ISBNs:
- 979-8985225303 (Paperback)Â
- 978-1951407988 (eBook)
Genre:
- Business
- Entrepreneurship
- Technology
- Innovation Startups
- Global Economy
Themes:
- Digital Transformation (how technology reshapes business models)
- Scaling (moving from traditional “rhino” companies to agile “unicorns”)
- Ecosystem Thinking (building value through networks and partnerships)
- Global Trends (understanding shifts in the 21st century economy)
- Innovation Culture (fostering experimentation inside organizations)
- Future of Work (adapting leadership and talent to new realities)Â
FAQs:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Q: What is From Rhino to Unicorn about?
A: From Rhino to Unicorn explores how legacy companies can reinvent themselves as innovative, high-growth enterprises by embracing digital transformation, agility and forward-thinking strategies.
Q: Who are Victor Orlovski and Vladimir Korovkin?
A: Victor Orlovski is a venture capitalist and entrepreneur focused on digital innovation, while Vladimir Korovkin is a researcher and educator specializing in technology and management. Together, they bring global expertise to business transformation.
Q: What makes this book different from other business or innovation guides?
A: Unlike standard business manuals, From Rhino to Unicorn blends global case studies, future-oriented research and practical frameworks, offering both inspiration and concrete strategies for transformation.
Q: Who would enjoy reading From Rhino to Unicorn?
A: Entrepreneurs, executives, innovators and anyone interested in the future of business, technology and organizational reinvention will find it especially insightful.
