New to Big: How Companies Can Create Like Entrepreneurs, Invest Like VCs, and Install a Permanent Operating System for Growth by David Kidder Summary
Overview of New to Big
In "New to Big," Kidder and Wallace reveal how corporate giants can adopt entrepreneurial DNA, showcasing Microsoft's transformation and GE's innovation strategies. Featured in Soundview's top business books, it's the Growth OS blueprint that's revolutionizing how legacy companies compete in today's market.
- Replace "big to bigger" thinking with "new to big" to unlock disruptive corporate growth.
- Solve customer problems through market-making innovation, not internal corporate pain points.
- Install a Growth Operating System to embed venture capitalist agility in enterprises.
- Shift from "inside-out" product development to "outside-in" customer-driven problem-solving.
- Fund 20 ventures to secure one transformative winner, mirroring venture capital portfolios.
- Zombie projects drain resources—fail fast and reallocate capital to validated opportunities.
- Build non-conformist innovation teams to bypass legacy hierarchies and bureaucracy.
- Measure success through customer actions, not surveys, to uncover commercial truth.
- Instead of chasing efficiency, build for uncertainty with iterative experimentation.
- CEOs must adopt entrepreneurial mindsets to reignite stagnant corporate cultures.
- Merge proprietary company strengths with startup speed to dominate emerging markets.
- Permanent growth requires continuous reinvention, not one-off innovation moonshots.
About the Author of New to Big
David S. Kidder, New York Times bestselling author of New to Big: How Companies Can Create Like Entrepreneurs, Invest Like VCs, and Install a Permanent Operating System for Growth, is a serial entrepreneur and authority on enterprise innovation. This business strategy book draws from his decades of experience as co-founder/CEO of Bionic (acquired by Accenture) and angel investor in 70+ startups, blending venture capital principles with corporate transformation frameworks. A Rochester Institute of Technology graduate, Kidder revolutionized digital advertising as Clickable’s CEO and pioneered mobile ads via SmartRay Network. His expertise extends to authorship of the Intellectual Devotional series (2.5M+ copies sold) and The Startup Playbook, establishing him as a bridge between entrepreneurial agility and enterprise scalability.
Honored with Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award and a former Smithsonian National Board member, Kidder developed Bionic’s Growth Operating System® now used by Fortune 500 companies. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and keynote speeches at global business conferences.
New to Big distills his proven methods for installing perpetual growth engines in legacy organizations, reflecting his career-long mission to merge startup velocity with corporate scale. The book’s strategies are implemented by Accenture’s enterprise clients worldwide.
FAQs About New to Big
What is New to Big by David Kidder about?
New to Big provides a blueprint for established companies to reignite growth by adopting entrepreneurial strategies like venture capital-style portfolio management and agile innovation. It introduces the Growth Operating System (Growth OS), a framework blending startup creativity with corporate scalability to solve modern business challenges. The book emphasizes customer-centric experimentation, productive failure, and installing permanent innovation capabilities.
Who should read New to Big?
Business leaders at legacy companies, corporate strategists, and entrepreneurs scaling ventures will benefit most. It’s ideal for organizations struggling with stagnation or seeking to institutionalize innovation. The book also appeals to investors interested in enterprise transformation frameworks.
Is New to Big worth reading?
Yes—it’s a Wall Street Journal bestseller praised for merging startup agility with corporate discipline. The actionable Growth OS framework, backed by case studies from Fortune 500 companies, offers fresh tactics for overcoming bureaucratic inertia. Its focus on customer behavior analytics and risk-tolerant culture makes it a standout in business strategy literature.
What is the Growth Operating System (Growth OS)?
The Growth OS is a structured approach for enterprises to continuously generate new revenue streams. It combines venture capital principles (portfolio diversification, staged funding) with entrepreneurial experimentation. Companies like Cisco and Anheuser-Busch have used it to build innovation pipelines while maintaining core business stability.
How does New to Big recommend approaching customer research?
The book advocates the “voice of the customer” method, prioritizing observed behaviors over self-reported preferences. For example, instead of asking users what they’d pay for a dining app, analyze actual spending patterns. This reduces bias and uncovers unmet needs, a strategy successfully deployed by tech firms in the book’s case studies.
What is the TAP model in New to Big?
The Test-Act-Prove (TAP) model guides corporate innovation:
- Test: Validate ideas through small experiments
- Act: Scale validated concepts with incremental funding
- Prove: Transition successful ventures into core operations
This approach mirrors startup growth stages while maintaining financial discipline.
How does New to Big view failure in innovation?
It reframes failure as productive failure—a necessary step for breakthroughs. The book cites companies that allocate 15-30% of resources to high-risk experiments, treating setbacks as data-generating learning opportunities. This mindset shift helps enterprises tolerate risk without jeopardizing core operations.
What’s the difference between New to Big and The Lean Startup?
While The Lean Startup focuses on early-stage ventures, New to Big adapts agile principles for enterprises. Key distinctions:
| Feature | New to Big | The Lean Startup | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | | Audience | Corporate leaders | Startup founders | | Risk Management | Portfolio diversification | Minimum viable products (MVPs) | | Scale | Integration with existing operations | Building from scratch |
What criticisms exist about New to Big?
Some argue the Growth OS requires significant cultural change that may be unrealistic for highly regulated industries. Others note the framework works best in resource-rich organizations, though the authors counter with examples of midsize firms achieving incremental wins.
How does David Kidder’s background inform New to Big?
As a serial entrepreneur (Clickable, Bionic) and angel investor in 40+ startups, Kidder combines hands-on experience with Fortune 500 consulting. His work with Accenture Interactive’s Bionic team directly shaped the book’s corporate innovation strategies.
Can New to Big strategies apply to nonprofit organizations?
Yes—the Growth OS’s emphasis on portfolio thinking and iterative testing suits mission-driven entities. A healthcare nonprofit case study in the book shows how adapting venture capital-style pilots increased community impact while maintaining donor accountability.
Why is New to Big relevant in 2025?
With AI accelerating market shifts, the book’s focus on perpetual adaptation addresses contemporary challenges. Its 2024 case study of a legacy retailer using Growth OS to navigate AI-powered competitors demonstrates ongoing applicability to digital transformation trends.
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Key Themes in New to Big
Quotes from New to Big
Enterprises now face triple pressure: focus on customer value, contribute to society, and satisfy Wall Street's quarterly demands.
Leaders must become ambidextrous, operating core businesses while creating new growth.
Rather than fighting for market share, they create entirely new markets, experimenting cheaply and quickly with remarkable learning velocity.
This inside-out thinking persists because enterprises are hardwired for the "knowable" business but flounder with the "unknowable."
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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