For decades, the narrative in spine has been dominated by the giants—big companies with deep pockets running roughshod over the little guys. We’ve seen a market filled with "startups" that are often just a few surgeons putting in cages for their buddies, hitting a few million in sales, but never actually building a sustainable company.
But the tide is shifting.
In our latest BoneChat, we had a discussion with Eric Milsbauer, CEO of NASS, to discuss the upcoming NASS Innovation Summit (INS). If you think NASS is just a massive, impersonal machine for academic surgeons, it’s time to update your mental model. Under Eric’s leadership, NASS is pivoting to become a true Spine Innovation Hub, and the INS is the tip of the spear.
The End of "Innovation Island"
One of the most refreshing takeaways from our conversation was the focus on intimacy. The INS is capped at around 125 people. This isn't about getting lost in a sea of booths; it’s about being in the room with the people who actually move the needle: engineers, regulatory experts, VCs, and the surgeons who are the ultimate end-users.
Eric is moving away from the "Shark Tank" fluff and toward what he ...
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