To create a successful new product, find the balance between what consumers already know and what is new. If a product is too familiar, it lacks differentiation. If it's too novel, it becomes foreign and difficult for consumers to adopt, creating a high barrier to entry.
A core ideation technique is to ask, 'What if this but for that?' The key is to connect two concepts that are very far apart (e.g., Japanese architecture and hand soap). The greater the distance between the two, the more 'creative tension' and differentiation the final idea possesses.
A principle from fashion states that successful product iterations typically change only one core element at a time. Introducing two or three significant changes at once often fails because it overwhelms the consumer. This 'one egg' rule forces focus on the most impactful innovation.
The ideal company culture balances two opposing forces: the 'artisan' (creativity, innovation, imagination) and the 'operator' (predictability, efficiency, financial controls). Founder Eric Ryan strives to build teams that excel at both, creating a durable business that can innovate at scale, citing Apple and Nike as examples.
Founder Eric Ryan targets categories where competitors make products unnecessarily complex or take themselves too seriously. He views this as a sign of insecurity hiding a lack of real innovation. His strategy is to simplify the product and bring a playful, more human approach to the branding.
To name a brand effectively, first define the core emotional concept you want to convey. Founder Eric Ryan uses a 'jumping off word' to anchor the process. For his vitamin brand Olly, the word was 'friendly,' which provided a clear creative brief for an otherwise difficult task.
Eric Ryan's playbook involves identifying large, established product categories where all competitors look the same. He then capitalizes on a cultural trend the category has missed, like applying personal care aesthetics to home cleaning, creating immediate differentiation and a clear business opportunity.
When pitching partners, compress the feedback loop to create a 'wow' factor. Founder Eric Ryan takes partners on 'trend trips,' spots an idea, sends a brief to his remote design team overnight, and presents polished concepts the next morning. This rapid execution captures the initial excitement and emotion of the idea.
Radical innovation can be riskier than incremental improvement. Founder Eric Ryan shares a failure where a 10x concentrated laundry detergent was *too* novel; consumers, trained to see value in large jugs, couldn't believe the small bottle would be effective. He has failed more by being too novel than too familiar.