Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
What does it take to back a decision that may take years to prove itself?
Soon after becoming CEO of Stryker, Kevin Lobo backed a $1.6 billion acquisition of Mako, a loss-making robotics company many customers, investors and industry experts believed was unnecessary. The deal would reshape both orthopedic surgery and Stryker’s growth trajectory.
Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company as Kevin explains why he saw asymmetric upside in robotic-assisted surgery, how he sustained his conviction through disappointing early results, and how one bold bet became the foundation for a repeatable acquisition model spanning more than 60 deals.
Kevin and Jimmy also explore the tension between autonomy and scale. How do you capture the advantages of size without inviting bureaucracy? What should remain decentralized, and where can shared capabilities create a real edge?
This is a conversation about repeatable growth, the cost of complexity, and the CEO’s role in helping leaders think like founders.
bain.com/founders-mentality
EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
01:35 The potential in robotics that no else saw
02:27 Taking the $1.6 billion proposal to the board
03:28 Why Stryker had to act immediately
05:48 The hard part begins after the board says yes
06:36 Telling Wall Street about the slow first quarter
08:05 Leading through the time lag
08:32 Winning over employees and building M&A credibility
09:37 Cold-calling Larry Culp, former CEO of Danaher, for advice
10:18 Turning mistakes into an integration playbook
11:16 Discovering the "Stryker way”
13:09 Are you the right parent for the company you acquire?
15:12 Building a repeatable acquisition machine
17:09 The outer game and inner game of growth
18:14 Preserving autonomy across 22 business units
20:21 Good complexity versus bad complexity
21:00 What is the CEO's job in a decentralized company?
22:52 Creating a team of entrepreneurs
24:18 The real meaning of conviction
LINKS
Ask for Help - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://shorturl.at/qvzxe]
Bain & Company LinkedIn [linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]
Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]
Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]
Kevin Lobo LinkedIn [linkedin.com/in/kevinalobo/]
What does it take to back a decision that may take years to prove itself?
Soon after becoming CEO of Stryker, Kevin Lobo backed a $1.6 billion acquisition of Mako, a loss-making robotics company many customers, investors and industry experts believed was unnecessary. The deal would reshape both orthopedic surgery and Stryker’s growth trajectory.
Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company as Kevin explains why he saw asymmetric upside in robotic-assisted surgery, how he sustained his conviction through disappointing early results, and how one bold bet became the foundation for a repeatable acquisition model spanning more than 60 deals.
Kevin and Jimmy also explore the tension between autonomy and scale. How do you capture the advantages of size without inviting bureaucracy? What should remain decentralized, and where can shared capabilities create a real edge?
This is a conversation about repeatable growth, the cost of complexity, and the CEO’s role in helping leaders think like founders.
bain.com/founders-mentality
EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
01:35 The potential in robotics that no else saw
02:27 Taking the $1.6 billion proposal to the board
03:28 Why Stryker had to act immediately
05:48 The hard part begins after the board says yes
06:36 Telling Wall Street about the slow first quarter
08:05 Leading through the time lag
08:32 Winning over employees and building M&A credibility
09:37 Cold-calling Larry Culp, former CEO of Danaher, for advice
10:18 Turning mistakes into an integration playbook
11:16 Discovering the "Stryker way”
13:09 Are you the right parent for the company you acquire?
15:12 Building a repeatable acquisition machine
17:09 The outer game and inner game of growth
18:14 Preserving autonomy across 22 business units
20:21 Good complexity versus bad complexity
21:00 What is the CEO's job in a decentralized company?
22:52 Creating a team of entrepreneurs
24:18 The real meaning of conviction
LINKS
Ask for Help - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://shorturl.at/qvzxe]
Bain & Company LinkedIn [linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]
Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]
Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]
Kevin Lobo LinkedIn [linkedin.com/in/kevinalobo/]
