Non-Obvious
The Non-Obvious Company is a privately held advisory and media firm founded by Rohit Bhargava that helps enterprise leaders develop non-obvious thinking through keynote engagements, custom workshops built around the proprietary Haystack Method, bestselling books (including Non-Obvious Megatrends and Non-Obvious Thinking), a 100K+ subscriber weekly newsletter, a podcast, and an annual book awards program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersOakton, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Non-Obvious does
The Non-Obvious Company is a privately held, founder-owned advisory and media business founded by Rohit Bhargava (a former Ogilvy and Leo Burnett marketing strategy executive and current Georgetown University adjunct professor) and headquartered in Oakton, Virginia. The company's stated mission is to help leaders be more open-minded, see what others miss, and be more interesting, delivered through a portfolio of integrated content, live-experience, and advisory products. Its intellectual property centers on two proprietary methodologies — the Haystack Method for trend curation and the four-step SIFT method (Space, Insight, Focus, Twist) — which underpin its keynote talks, custom workshops, and published works including the decade-long Non-Obvious Trend Series (10 editions, 2011–2020), the WSJ/USA Today bestselling Non-Obvious Megatrends, the bestseller Non-Obvious Thinking, and the forthcoming Future Words (October 2026). The company also operates the annual Non-Obvious Book Awards, a no-entry-fee curation program honoring 800+ non-fiction business books across a decade with media partnership from Inc. Magazine, plus a 100K+ subscriber weekly Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter, The Non-Obvious Show podcast, and signature live experiences such as the 7 Minute Meetup. An adjacent wholly-owned subsidiary, Ideapress Publishing, vertically integrates book publishing.
The business model is a hybrid of professional services and one-time content sales with no recurring software or SaaS layer. Primary monetization comes from premium-priced enterprise keynote speaking engagements and customized workshops built around the Haystack Method, delivered to executive audiences at Fortune 500 firms, governments, and major institutions (Microsoft, American Express, JPMorgan Chase, NBC Universal, Warner Bros, World Bank, L'Oreal, Nestle, Dell, SAP, Hilton, Vodafone, NASA, Disney, Schwab, SXSW, Coca-Cola) across 32 countries. Secondary monetization comes from book sales through Amazon, bookstores, and publisher channels, plus indirect revenue via newsletter/book-awards referral paths. The Book Awards program is run as a not-for-profit venture with no entry fees, functioning as an ecosystem and brand-building asset rather than a direct revenue stream. GTM combines event-driven credibility (high-profile keynotes, awards) with enterprise field sales targeting executive audiences. The company is self-funded with no institutional investors and operates with 11–50 employees from a virtual Oakton, Virginia mailing address.
Non-Obvious firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Non-Obvious
- Legal name
- The Non-Obvious Company
- Website
- https://nonobvious.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Non-Obvious Company is a privately held advisory and media firm founded by Rohit Bhargava that helps enterprise leaders develop non-obvious thinking through keynote engagements, custom workshops built around the proprietary Haystack Method, bestselling books (including Non-Obvious Megatrends and Non-Obvious Thinking), a 100K+ subscriber weekly newsletter, a podcast, and an annual book awards program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Non-Obvious industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Consulting & Professional Speaking
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Author Business Tools & Analytics (Royalty Tracking, Pricing, Keyword/Market Research) (MPAJAJAO)
Keywords
Where Non-Obvious is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Non-Obvious business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Keynote Speaking: High-energy keynote presentations delivered by Rohit Bhargava at corporate events, conferences, and conferences. Customized for each client audience. Premium pricing for enterprise clients.
- Custom Workshops: Hands-on workshop sessions on trend curation, innovative thinking and storytelling, built around the Haystack Method. Delivered in person or virtually for leadership offsites and team trainings.
- Book Sales: Revenue from bestselling books including the Non-Obvious Trend series (10 annual editions), Non-Obvious Megatrends (Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller), Non-Obvious Thinking, and Future Words. Sold through Amazon, bookstores, and publisher channels.
- Non-Obvious Book Awards: Annual book awards program run as a not-for-profit venture. No entry fees charged. Reviews physical book submissions and curates annual lists of best business books. Generates value through media partnerships and brand awareness.
- Newsletter Subscription: Free Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter delivered weekly to 100K+ readers, featuring curated stories and book recommendations. Generates indirect revenue through book sales referrals and speaking engagement leads.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Non-Obvious Book Awards Entry - Free |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Non-Obvious product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Non-Obvious Company publishes bestselling trend and innovation books, delivers keynote speaking engagements and custom corporate workshops built around the proprietary Haystack Method, and operates the annual Non-Obvious Book Awards along with a weekly newsletter and podcast. Revenue is driven primarily by premium-priced keynote presentations and customized workshops for Fortune 500 clients, supplemented by book sales through Amazon and publisher channels. Supporting content properties—the newsletter (100K+ subscribers), The Non-Obvious Show podcast, and live experiences such as the 7 Minute Meetup—feed the funnel into the paid service offerings.
Product overview
The Non-Obvious Company offers a suite of content, media, and live-experience products centered on non-obvious thinking, trend curation, and innovation. Its core offerings include the Non-Obvious Trend Series (annual trend reports, 2011–2020, culminating in the #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling Non-Obvious Megatrends), the Non-Obvious Book Awards (an annual curated award program for non-fiction books with no entry fees), keynote speaking and workshops (built around the Haystack Method), the Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter (100K+ subscribers, every Thursday), The Non-Obvious Show Podcast, and live experiences including the Non-Obvious 7 Minute Meetup. Books authored include Non-Obvious Thinking and the forthcoming Future Words (October 2026). The portfolio forms an integrated editorial and events ecosystem around trend forecasting, business book curation, and innovation consulting.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Non-Obvious Book Awards: Annual curated book awards program recognizing the best non-fiction business books of the year
- Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter
- The Non-Obvious Show Podcast
- Non-Obvious 7 Minute Meetup
- Ideapress Publishing
Quantifiable outcome
- Non-Obvious Megatrends became a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Non-Obvious
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Non-Obvious technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Non-Obvious partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Inc. MagazinecoreFull media partnership with Inc. magazine to present the Inc. Non-Obvious Book Awards, sharing the best books of the year with millions of Inc. readers.
- Entrepreneur MagazinecorePartnership with Entrepreneur magazine spotlighting the big ideas from each year's winning books, extending reach to Entrepreneur's business audience.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Non-Obvious competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TED Conferences: Ideas-focused events and media platform built around curated talks and thought leaders. Comparable in monetizing thought-provoking speakers through conferences, content distribution, and a global audience.
- Poptech: Conference and network for innovators and thought leaders. Comparable as a boutique ideas platform built around high-profile speakers and innovation programming for corporate and institutional audiences.
- The School of Life: Education and media company offering talks, workshops, books, and events around ideas for personal and professional development. Comparable blend of publishing, live experiences, and curated ideas programming.
- Sparks & Honey: Cultural trend forecasting and strategy consultancy that combines trend reports with corporate workshops and keynote presentations. Direct peer in combining trend curation with paid speaking and training engagements.
- Trend Watching: Subscription-based trend forecasting agency publishing monthly trend reports for global brands. Closest comparable in business model — research-driven content marketed to enterprises and built on a proprietary curation methodology.
Broad incumbents
- Hay House: Large-scale book publisher and media company in personal development, operating a roster of authors who also speak and host events. Comparable in combining book publishing with author-led speaking and live events, but at much larger scale.
- Mintel: Global consumer research publisher producing trend reports, category forecasts, and insights subscriptions. Comparable in selling research-driven trend content to enterprise clients, though at much greater scale and breadth.
- Gartner: Dominant subscription research and advisory platform publishing trend and forecast content for enterprise buyers. Adjacent comparable in monetizing curated insights through content, events, and advisory.
- Wunderman Thompson (JWT Intelligence): Global agency network whose JWT Intelligence unit publishes trend forecasts and consumer insights for enterprise clients. Comparable trend-curation capability embedded in a much broader agency portfolio.
Others
- Berrett-Koehler Publishers: Independent business book publisher with a mission-driven catalog in leadership and innovation. Adjacent comparable as a publisher of business/trade nonfiction titles with author-led marketing and event support.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Non-Obvious social profiles
Digital presenceNon-Obvious financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Non-Obvious leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Non-Obvious subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Non-Obvious funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Non-Obvious M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Non-Obvious
What does Non-Obvious do?
The Non-Obvious Company publishes bestselling trend and innovation books, delivers keynote speaking engagements and custom corporate workshops built around the proprietary Haystack Method, and operates the annual Non-Obvious Book Awards along with a weekly newsletter and podcast. Revenue is driven primarily by premium-priced keynote presentations and customized workshops for Fortune 500 clients, supplemented by book sales through Amazon and publisher channels. Supporting content properties—the newsletter (100K+ subscribers), The Non-Obvious Show podcast, and live experiences such as the 7 Minute Meetup—feed the funnel into the paid service offerings.
Is Non-Obvious a public or private company?
Non-Obvious is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Non-Obvious founded?
Non-Obvious was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Non-Obvious based?
Non-Obvious is headquartered in Oakton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Non-Obvious make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Keynote Speaking is the primary driver. The others are custom Workshops, book Sales, non-Obvious Book Awards and newsletter Subscription.
Who are Non-Obvious's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TED Conferences, Poptech, The School of Life, Sparks & Honey and Trend Watching. Broad incumbents are Hay House, Mintel, Gartner and Wunderman Thompson (JWT Intelligence). Berrett-Koehler Publishers is listed as an others.
Does Non-Obvious have an API?
No public API is recorded for Non-Obvious.
What industry is Non-Obvious in?
Non-Obvious's product category is Business Consulting & Professional Speaking. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAJAO, Author Business Tools & Analytics (Royalty Tracking, Pricing, Keyword/Market Research). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.