This is a summary review of New to Big containing key details about the book.

What is New to Big About?

New to Big by David Kidder provides insights and strategies for startups and entrepreneurs looking to scale their businesses. (Full Summary…)

New to Big Summary Review

“New to Big” by David Kidder and Christina Wallace presents a compelling and innovative playbook for revitalizing growth within established companies. Kidder, a seasoned entrepreneur and angel investor, along with Wallace, CEO of Bionic, delve into the fundamental challenges faced by legacy companies – the conflict between operational efficiency and the imperative for new growth.

The central thesis revolves around the authors’ conceptualization of a Growth Operating System (Growth OS), a proprietary blueprint designed to instill a permanent growth capability within any organization. Drawing inspiration from entrepreneurship and venture capital, the Growth OS adapts the best tools, systems, and mindsets to navigate the complexities of established companies, fostering a management approach suitable for an uncertain future.

The authors advocate a shift in focus from what consumers say to what they do, urging companies to celebrate productive failure, embrace a portfolio approach, and adopt a learning-from-the-outside-in mentality. This shift, they argue, enables any company to proactively shape its future and remain competitive in the ever-changing business landscape.

The book is not merely about one-off innovation but rather establishing a sustainable framework for continuous growth. Kidder and Wallace emphasize the importance of building a permanent ladder to the moon, signifying an ongoing commitment to innovation rather than sporadic moonshots.

The practicality of the Growth OS is demonstrated through real-world examples and case studies. The authors share their experiences working with large corporations, illustrating the transformative power of their approach. Notably, the book introduces the concept of a CEO-supported growth division, a segregated entity within the company empowered to function like a startup. This separation aims to mitigate the inherent challenges faced by large organizations when attempting to introduce bold and transformative actions.

While the book offers a comprehensive and well-articulated framework, it may get into the weeds for readers seeking a breezier read. However, the authors strike a balance by avoiding unnecessary jargon and providing relevant examples to illustrate the application of their principles.

“New to Big” challenges conventional management practices without necessitating a complete overhaul of existing structures. It advocates for a parallel approach that leverages the current workforce, making it accessible and practical for implementation. The authors draw on their extensive experience, providing valuable insights for those involved in innovation, strategy, new product development, and marketing.

Essentially, “New to Big” is a refreshing and original contribution to the business literature, offering a roadmap for large, established companies to embrace innovation, foster growth, and navigate the complexities of the modern marketplace. The book is recommended for enterprise innovators, change-makers, and anyone grappling with the imperative to innovate within a legacy organization.

Who is the author of New to Big?

David S. Kidder is a founder, investor, speaker, and author. His purpose in life and work is to ignite growth in people and organizations’ lives, empower people to discover who they are becoming, and, ultimately, solve our time’s grand challenges.

Christina Wallace regularly speaks, writes, and consults on a wide range of topics, ranging from failure to an interdisciplinary lens on innovation. She co-authored New to Big with David Kidder, published by Currency (Penguin Random House) in 2019 and is a Forbes contributor co-host of podcast The Limit Does Not Exist.

How long is New to Big?

• Print length: 288 pages

What genre is New to Big?

Business, Nonfiction, Leadership

What are good quotes from New to Big?

“Pursuing a rapid experiment and finding out you were wrong and changing directions isn’t failure. That is the road to success.”
“entrepreneurs innovate, customers validate.”

“if you closely observe the jobs they are trying to get done and the obstacles they face, and truly understand the pain they are feeling, you are now well positioned to create an innovative hypothesis to solve that pain.22”

“Simplifying the product offering doesn’t mean that you are taking away the customer’s choice; rather it sends the message that you know the customers so well that you are delivering the exact solution they are looking for.”

“The entrepreneurs who lack the resolve to run the NISI process properly usually fall into three buckets—models, packrats, and junkies.”

“The key difference in this early stage of innovation is not to just ask customers what they want but to deeply understand the customers—their motivations, their needs, and most important, the job they are trying to get done.”

“there is no shame in being good at creating something and handing over the reins to someone who is good at running something.”

“At the heart of it, to be a successful entrepreneur you have to learn to change and adapt.”

“Focus is the key to successfully running the NISI process and success as an entrepreneur.”

“You have to get into the field and actually talk to customers, which can be scary. But which would you rather do, talk to customers now and find out you were wrong, or talk to customers a year and thousands of dollars down the road and still find out you were wrong?”

“researchers who examined the semiconductor industry found that firms in growing markets were much more successful than firms in mature or emerging markets.”