Venn Diagram MedTech Success – Aligning Product and Business Strategy
In this episode of MedDevice by Design, we explore how the Venn Diagram MedTech Success model helps early-stage companies align product design with commercial strategy. Mark Drlik and Ariana Wilson share how this triple Venn framework, focusing on feasibility, viability, and desirability, can diagnose the strengths and weaknesses of a MedTech product or startup.
What Is the Venn Diagram MedTech Success Model?
The Venn Diagram MedTech Success framework consists of three intersecting pillars:
- Feasibility: Can we build it? Do we have the technical and engineering capability?
- Viability: Can we sell it? Will it generate economic value in a competitive market?
- Desirability: Will users and payers want it? Does it meet clinical and user needs?
Mark emphasizes that while most teams focus heavily on feasibility, overlooking the business and market context can derail an otherwise brilliant product.
Applying the Venn Diagram to Real-World MedTech Devices
Mark uses intravascular lithotripsy—a device designed to break up calcified plaque in arteries—as a real-world example. This innovation checked all three boxes:
- A strong business strategy and regulatory plan (viability)
- A differentiated product that improved safety and effectiveness (desirability)
- A feasible, proven technical path with clinical precedent (feasibility)
By mapping success factors in each area, teams can assess risk early, validate commercial potential, and focus their development investment where it matters most.
Why This Matters in Early-Stage MedTech
The Venn Diagram MedTech Success model is especially useful for startups navigating limited budgets and uncertain markets. It helps founders:
- Prepare for investment pitches
- Avoid over-engineering a product no one wants
- Prioritize features that drive adoption and reimbursement
Whether you’re aiming for acquisition or full commercialization, this framework offers a repeatable, cross-functional approach to building successful medical technologies.
Enjoying MedDevice by Design? Sign up to get new episodes sent to your inbox.
Related Resources
The FDA agentic AI is making headlines after the agency announced its own internal AI review tool. In this episode of MedDevice by Design, Ariana and Mark discuss what this could mean for medical device submissions and regulatory efficiency.
The sandwich ELISA assay is one of the most common ELISA formats used in diagnostics. Nick and Nigel walk through the method step by step using simple visuals and plain language.
For manufacturers of novel devices that can make a significant impact to patient health, the goal of the program is to offer a path to streamlined and potentially faster market entry without sacrificing the rigour around ensuring safety and performance.
When I was starting out in medical devices, the discussion focused on the possibility of an internet of things and the promise of “big data” about everything.