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A Venture Capitalist’s view point, I have only one sentence to define
the book “Must read for entrepreneurs to avoid costly mistakes”.
The most liked chapter for me was “A Cheat Sheet to New Product Creation”
as it provides a complete framework with ample examples.
Kaustubh understands and addresses typical challenges an entrepreneur faces in
their journey to success with practical examples.
Sanjay MehtaFounder & Partner 100X.V, Mehta Ventures Family Office
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There are very few experts who are able to demystify Innovation and Dr. Kaustubh Dhargalkar is the foremost amongst them.
Innovation is what gives business ventures the growth that they desperately seek and in Kaustubh's book - It's Logical - Innovating Profitable Business Models - they will find all the answers they are seeking.
The style of the book is very conversational and simple, shorn of any jargon making the topic look so simple that you will end up asking : how come I did not think about all this before ?
But then THAT is the secret of a consummate practitioner of this craft like Kaustubh. There are examples given from real life situations which any entrepreneur can easily identify with followed up with the logical reasoning and process that has enabled the Innovation to come to life - the logic being detailed can be easily applied by entrepreneurs to their businesses to get them the Results.
I have found the book extremely enlightening on the different ways in which the User - for whom the Product has been created in the first place - should always be kept at the center of your business.
Something that should actually be a norm but ironically takes a back seat as businesses chase growth, often forgetting why the business was created in the first place. While this book would be useful for ALL enterprises, it should be made mandatory reading for all Start Ups so that they do not get bogged down by complex moves to gain product superiority.
Because, as this book teaches us, anybody can be innovative if they follow the logic !
I complement Kaustubh on his monumental contribution to building the spirit of Innovation by bringing out this book that is so timely and necessary.
I am sure that all readers will find it immensely satisfying and useful.
Dinkar SuriCo-chair: TIE Academy, CEO & Unconsultant: Retail Market Movers
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Dr. Kaustubh provides a practical guide to innovation
Dr. Vijay GovindarajanCoxe Distinguished Professor at Tuck at Dartmouth and NYT and WSJ Best Selling Author
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“Simple, lucid, engaging, insightful ….it gives a whack on the side of every head …opens up horizons of invaluable possibilities.
Kaustubh’s fantastic narration challenges every mind to seek beyond the constraints, opens up untapped reserves and follows through by actually showing how to make it possible.
It unleashes terrific unexplored value and potential !!”
Kush KamraChairman & MD – GOSC, Metlife Insurance
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"This book is a must read for all entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs. The case studies chosen are very relatable and insightful that bring out the nuances of Business Model Innovation. Provides a clear, non-jargonistic and applicable roadmap for creating breakthroughs.”
Dr. Abhay JereChief Innovation Officer (CIO), Innovation Cell, Ministry of HRD, Govt. of India
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“ With the convergence of an enviable demographic dividend, fast growing economy, and rapidly advancing affordable new technologies, the time is ripe for Indian talent to seize the growing opportunities in innovation and entrepreneurship to address various challenges of India and the world.
Innovation successes are based not just on the technologies being leveraged but also on a host of other factors like unique differentiators in the solutions being offered, business models being adopted, networks of relationships developed, financial strategies and having a clear road map to sustainable , profitable growth and expansion of the startups or ventures being created.
Dr Kaustubh’s book is a timely intervention to all the budding innovators and entrepreneurs be it from the MSME, Corporates or Universities that provides valuable insights and some thought provoking stimulation into developing such a clear but simple road map for themselves, both at a high level and breaking it down into smaller components. Breakthrough sustainable and profitable success of any venture is possible only when you also dive into the myriad details that need to be addressed.
The book helps the entrepreneur understand , deliberate and creatively adopt models that would be most appropriate for their innovation or business in a lucid manner.
R RamananMission Director Atal Innovation Mission, Additional Secretary Niti Aayog
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“Genius is simple. Innovation is simple. It lies at the confluence of selfish interest and selfless interest. Dr. Kaustubh Dhargalkar rightly calls it ‘Enlightened self-interest’.
Set precepts and theories of business are in a state of flux in times that are dramatically changing. Obsolescence is constantly snapping at the heels of innovation.
In such times, Dhargalkar propounds a path that unfolds like the layers of a simple onion peel, deeper, yet deeper, till, at the core we encounter the jewel of human connectivity. Empathy. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”.
Amish TripathiDiplomat, Columnist and author of bestsellers in the ‘The Immortals of Meluha’ The Immortals of Meluha, The Secret of the Nagas, The Oath of the Vayuputras, Ram: Scion of Ikshvaku, Sita: Warrior of Mithila and Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta.
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This book is very timely when “innovation” has become a buzzword in the industry , with every business trying to board the innovation bandwagon without much understanding of how to go about it.
Innovation as a topic has very fuzzy boundary and as the business environment is becoming more ‘Glocal’, there is an increasing need for literature that focusses on the local context.
Plenty of literature currently available advocating various approaches and methodologies of innovation mainly originates from economically developed economies which practitioners find it difficult to relate to in the local context.
This book attempts to bridge this gap through examples and case studies coming from author’s experience of working with Indian industry which makes it highly relevant in the Indian context.
The need of the hour is to move away from watertight boundaries of the fields and move towards more interdisciplinary approaches in every field.
This book sits at the intersection of management, design and innovation and merges the boundary between User-Centered Design (UCD) and User Centered business Innovation.
The book is an excellent primer on user centered business Innovation and strongly advocates “User first and technology later” approach throughout the book which is a very welcome move in a tech-dominated world and also debunks the myth that great innovation necessarily has to come from high-technology.
The book is written in a very lucid and storytelling format which makes it an interesting read. Dr. Kaustubh has done a great job of explaining the underlying technical concepts in a simple language which makes it easy to digest for practitioners.
Another strength of the book is its emphasis on a systemic perspective of looking at the situation considering needs of multiple stakeholders involved in the situation. This is a great addition to the innovation methodology since most of the innovation methods focus on solving problem for a specific user and may not take into consideration the holistic situation with multiple stakeholders leading to the poor adoption of the solution.
This is in accordance with a current trend in design field to unite systems thinking methodologies with design methodologies.
The author does not restrict himself only to what’s happening in the industry but also goes deeper in reflecting about the Indian education system and how it’s killing innovative minds and nurturing a lack of empathy, at an early age, which is an eye opener for educators.
Overall, this book is an excellent reference not just for innovation practitioners but anyone who needs to understand the value of being user-centric in today’s hyper competitive business environment.
Shrikant EkboteVP, Design Principal Barclays Technology Centre India and Research Scholar, Dept.of Design, I.I.T., Guwahati
