The present study based on a sample of US and Italian private firms confirms that resource orchestration is crucial in the creation of innovation. Structuring and bundling resources are important processes for all firms, especially for the development of innovation. Adopting a resource-based logic, we employed the technique of policy capturing to examine the relationship between resource orchestration and the creation of innovation by firms at different stages of their life-cycle. Our results show that early-stage (start-up and growth) firms attempt to acquire and accumulate resources and to enrich existing capabilities and pioneer new ones to develop novel innovations. This emphasis shifts to divesting resources and stabilizing existing capabilities during later (maturity and revitalization) stages to achieve more incremental innovations. This research contributes to our knowledge of innovation, resource orchestration and the firm life-cycle stages.