Abstract

DJI, founded by 24-year old Frank Wang Tao in 2006, grew rapidly from an unknown startup in China to a leading global player in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) market for hobbyists within seven years. DJI saw its revenue soar 79 times in three years (2010-2013) and its staff grow 50 to 1,500 across Asia, Europe and the USA. The case describes how a tech entrepreneur started serving a niche segment moved towards a broader consumer market, by opening up new horizons for aerial photography and videos enabled by its innovative products.

The case outlines DJI’s product development strategy to establish its competitive advantage and the entrepreneurial process for taking a technology concept from initial idea to developing the prototype, and subsequently launching the new product in the market. The post-startup issues encountered by a growing technology venture and the challenges faced in an evolving marketplace.

Learning Objectives

After analyzing the case, students will be able to:

• Understand the process of new product development;
• Analyze an organization’s ability to match technological capabilities to market trends;
• Comprehend the complexities of innovation and commercialization; and
• Evaluate market viability of innovative high-tech products and services