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Hidden WOMBAT: How Executives Innovate Without the Waste of Money, Brains, and Time
Good ideas are killing great companies.
A waste of money, brains, and time (WOMBAT) is guaranteed if your company thinks product first, market second.
Every late-stage failure, every “pivot,” is a testament to this. When you’re wrong about the market, you cannot be right about the product, so why is innovation done this way?
Needs-Driven Innovation—inspired by Stanford University’s Biodesign—turns the typical innovation process on its head. Instead of failing with product-market fit, NDI discovers market-product fit. Every time.
Reversing the accepted dogma, NDI eliminates hidden WOMBATs so that every great market finds its great idea.
A waste of money, brains, and time (WOMBAT) is guaranteed if your company thinks product first, market second.
Every late-stage failure, every “pivot,” is a testament to this. When you’re wrong about the market, you cannot be right about the product, so why is innovation done this way?
Needs-Driven Innovation—inspired by Stanford University’s Biodesign—turns the typical innovation process on its head. Instead of failing with product-market fit, NDI discovers market-product fit. Every time.
Reversing the accepted dogma, NDI eliminates hidden WOMBATs so that every great market finds its great idea.
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2023
12 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 4, 2026
So many applications of Needs Driven Innovation and I appreciate the humorous approach
I am participating in the Texas Biodesign Cohort and this book was a requirement of the course. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the reading. The authors are personable and the references set the context well. The humorous approach is not over done and the content is actionable. It got a few chuckles here and there and provides solid guidance towards needs driven innovation and hunting WOMBATS. If you are considering a different approach to looking at and developing solutions that address real world needs I highly recommend this book.
I am participating in the Texas Biodesign Cohort and this book was a requirement of the course. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed the reading. The authors are personable and the references set the context well. The humorous approach is not over done and the content is actionable. It got a few chuckles here and there and provides solid guidance towards needs driven innovation and hunting WOMBATS. If you are considering a different approach to looking at and developing solutions that address real world needs I highly recommend this book.
February 5, 2024
A much needed piece of advice!
I loved this book. Life is too short to fail at ventures when there’s a proved process to dramatically increase your chances of success: Needs-Driven Innovation (NDI). The book is a must-read for any entrepreneur.
I loved this book. Life is too short to fail at ventures when there’s a proved process to dramatically increase your chances of success: Needs-Driven Innovation (NDI). The book is a must-read for any entrepreneur.
December 27, 2024
An excellent book that creates clearly defined language for discussing product development. The ideas here are clear, thoughtful, and thorough, making the ideas seem clear and intuitive, even though they were not before reading the book (the “well duh!” phenomenon).
June 29, 2025
describes a detailed description of the process to generate ideas, weight options and decide which idea warrants pursuing. quick read, sometimes dry.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews