EE204: Business Management for
Electrical Engineers and Computer Scientists

The Innovator's DNA

Read

  1. The Innovator's DNA (HBS course materials)
  2. An Entrepreneur's New Product Development Journey (HBS course materials)

Case Summary

This case tracks the new product development process undertaken by Gauri Nanda, the founder and CEO of Nanda Home, as she ventures to innovate beyond her initial product launches. Having achieved commercial success with her first product Clocky, a roll away alarm clock that owners interacted with in a way they found functionally and emotionally appealing, and after two extensions of the line, Nanda thought it was time to design, develop and market another item that would solve an everyday problem with lifelike charm. She wanted to create a clock that would appeal to children and their parents by facilitating kids' going to sleep and waking up routines. However, there were several factors Nanda had to grapple with before she could commit to final manufacturing design and development. Did she conduct sufficient market research to verify the desire for the ‘Clockiddie' concept and the features planned? Were her assumptions about parents and kids valid to suggest the product would be in high demand once launched? Could she keep a premium price point in a consumer market that was trending downward in willingness to pay? Should she cut back on differentiating features to reduce costs and price? Or could the product be engineered under current specifications to an acceptable cost of goods and retail price point? These decisions had to be made soon so that the product could be launched to meet the back to school buying period.

Discussion Questions

  1. What was Gauri Nanda’s design process like for the Clocky?
  2. Was the design process different for the Clockiddie?
  3. What factors does Nanda consider in the design process? Why?
  4. What are your predictions for the success of Clockiddie?
  5. How successful has the company been so far?
  6. Rate Nanda home on vision, strategy, execution, team, and results.
  7. What are your recommendations for Nanda Home's  continued success?