Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably used a product from SharkNinja sometime in your life. Like Menlo, they work across many industries, building everything from vacuums and hair dryers to the ever-popular Ninja CREAMi. They now operate in 37 distinct product categories! A recent video from The Hustle, titled “Why This Company Is So Good at Making Everything,” explores how SharkNinja has managed to expand so successfully across such diverse markets, with some interesting similarities to our own philosophies. 

Their story began with the Shark Steam Mop, launched after their parent company identified a gap in the floor-cleaning market. From there, they continued to expand into new segments like vacuums and blenders. As CEO Mark Barrocas puts it in an interview with The Verge, “We find problems that others don’t see, and we solve problems that others can’t.”

How do they do this? Similar to our High-Tech Anthropologists®, they identify end user's problems by observing them doing everyday tasks. Their new product launches achieve success after success because their products actually solve users everyday problems.

They also differentiate themselves through speed. With global design teams working across time zones, their work never stops. This reminded us of our pairing and rotation model. By regularly rotating pairs on and off projects, we ensure that no work stops simply because one person is out. There’s always shared context, and another Menlonian ready to step in. Over time, this makes a big difference in project quality and timing.

If you enjoy learning about innovative companies, definitely check out the full video below!
 

Expanding on the theme of innovation, we wanted to share the Harvard Business Review article, How Designing with Disability in Mind Sparks Innovation. This article introduces a process called design amplification, the idea that “innovations created for users with accessibility needs can be amplified to unlock universal value”. This means that instead of starting by designing a product for the average population, you start with designing for a specific disability, and look at these constraints as a way to increase innovation. From there, you can identify other types of users who can benefit from the solution, which allows you to eventually expand into mainstream markets.

The authors illustrate this through the example of walk-in tubs. Originally created for seniors with mobility issues, the product evolved to attract athletes, people recovering from injuries, and ultimately mainstream buyers seeking spa-like comfort. What began as an accessibility solution became a $750M+ market!

This is a great approach because it does two important things at once: ensures people with disabilities have products that are intentionally built to serve them, and creates a pathway for those innovations to become commercially successful. This also mirrors how we practice human-centered design. We intentionally design for one clearly defined primary persona, while also considering secondary and tertiary personas. Rather than creating something generic that sort of works for everyone, this approach allows us to build a solution that works exceptionally well for the primary user and still brings meaningful value to others!