What if failure wasn’t something to fear, but the foundation of breakthrough innovation?
At SharkNinja, we don’t just develop products. We push boundaries, challenge assumptions, and create possibilities that didn’t exist before. That mindset lives in the work of people like Ellie Saunders, an Advanced Development engineer in our Battersea office, where the path to innovation is anything but linear.
Ellie’s work exemplifies what it means to operate at SharkNinja’s cutting edge: she tests, iterates, and explores uncharted territory. Her role isn’t about following a roadmap; it’s about creating one.
The Power of Failure to Inspire
“Advanced development is not a linear path,” Ellie explains. “You have to fail to learn.”
That philosophy is embedded in how we work at SharkNinja. Ellie has internalized this mindset through a unique personal practice: a bingo card of 25 annual goals. Some are ambitious. Some feel impossible. But that’s the point.
“You create the card thinking, ‘Yeah, I’ll achieve that,’ but you don’t really believe it. And then you do,” Ellie says. The bingo card is more than a goal-setting exercise. It’s permission to explore, to try, and yes: to fail. “If you don’t get the bingo, nothing happens. It’s just a fun game.”
This approach has transformed how Ellie shows up, not just in the lab, but in life. She started journaling to reflect more intentionally, and she prioritizes flexibility: time on her bike, yoga, moments that keep her grounded while she’s building the future.
Community as Catalyst
For Ellie, creating community is a key part of innovation. Connecting with others is her number one driver, and she’s actively cultivating a strong community in and out of work.
As co-leader of WeLead, SharkNinja’s women in engineering group in London, Ellie is working to shift the trajectory for women in STEM. “We often see a lack of women entering the engineering field or staying in leadership roles,” she notes. “We want to highlight to women that this is a space for them, and their diversity is what makes products great.”
That sense of community extends beyond formal programs. It’s the safety net that allows Ellie to take risks in her work, giving her the confidence to explore new ideas without the pressure of failure.
The Building Blocks of Breakthrough
Ellie’s bingo card philosophy mirrors the work she does in Advanced Development. Each goal is a building block. Some will become the foundation for the next innovation. Others will teach invaluable lessons. All of them move the work forward.
This is how SharkNinja operates: bold, adaptive, and unapologetically ambitious. We see failure as a stepping stone, not a setback, where community fuels creativity, and where the impossible becomes routine.
Ellie’s work is a powerful reminder that innovation isn’t just about what we build, but it’s about how we build it, and who we empower to lead the way.
To learn more about career opportunities at SharkNinja, visit, www.careers.sharkninja.com.