Bring me new business models.”

Those five words from Satya Nadella aren’t just a leadership challenge, they’re a blueprint for the future. For most businesses, innovation means new tech, new campaigns, or new features. But if you’re serious about sustainable growth, the most valuable innovation is this:

Business. Model. Innovation.

That’s right – rethinking how you create and capture value, not just what you sell.

At AskDavid, I’ve seen this play out with entrepreneurs, consultants, and senior execs alike. Some are stuck in old models. Others are trapped in the product development hamster wheel. But the real breakthroughs?

They happen when you step back and ask:

• Could we monetise differently?
• Could our delivery model evolve?
• Could we learn from other industries and borrow winning patterns?

One of the best tools I’ve seen is the Business Model Navigator – a set of 55 tried-and-tested models that work across sectors. You don’t need all 55. You need 5–10, practiced well – that’s what Satya Nadella said.

👉 Right now you should be using AI not just to automate tasks – but to build new revenue streams.

💡 The real game? It’s not building better products. It’s designing smarter business engines.

So here’s my question to you: Is your current business model helping you grow, or holding you back? If you’re not sure how to answer that – let’s unpack it together.

This article was inspired by a LinkedIn post from J.D. Meier who worked at Microsoft.
Written by David Wilson (human), accelerated by AI (the precision) March 2025.