TL; DR
Books and thought leaders prioritize working "on" a startup, obsessing about "traction," "PMF," and "Scale."
But if that's all they do, they skips major work. Ignoring the importance of working "in" the business, on topics like book keeping and inventory management, can blow up both startups and corporate innovation efforts.
In more mature scale-ups, the pendulum can swing the other way. Working "in" the business can rise to dominance. That too causes trouble if it's the sole focus.
Innovation work takes a conscious understanding and healthy balance of both.
