In the traditional orthopedic playbook, the path from "napkin sketch" to "FDA clearance" was a straight line through the surgeon. To develop a new product or procedure, a company simply identified a clinical need, partnered with an influential Key Opinion Leader (KOL) to guide prototypes, and relied on that surgeon’s prestige to drive adoption.
But in today’s value-based healthcare environment, that model is dangerously incomplete. In the "old days," if the KOL liked the handle of a shift, the industry assumed the market would follow. Today, if your R&D team is only listening to the person...
