How innovation succeeds with Kory Marchisotto [Uncensored Renegades]

Relying solely on data for 'go/no-go' decisions is a mistake. The best innovation decisions balance quantitative analysis (science), narrative and problem-solving (art), and an experienced leader's intuition (gut instinct) as a final override switch.

New ventures succeed through obsessive customer focus. As businesses scale, leaders often turn inward to focus on internal metrics, processes, and stakeholders. This shift away from the customer is a leading indicator of failure. Success is a function of customer proximity.

Facing new regulations, zero budget, and no sales team, a juice brand created an "entrepreneurs program" in schools. It trained students to run the drinks business themselves, effectively turning the target audience into a highly motivated sales and distribution force.

An analysis of the 20 most successful soft drinks of a decade revealed it took an average of seven years to be considered a success. However, most corporations only give new products a year, or even a single quarter, to prove themselves, killing them prematurely.

e.l.f. thought it had met all customer needs for its primer, but direct interaction at DragCon revealed a new dimension: surface area. A drag queen explained the small bottle was insufficient for her needs, leading directly to the creation of a 3X jumbo version.

When TikTok users started emptying Halo Glow bottles to make custom lip glosses, e.l.f.'s leadership immediately joined a TikTok Live to participate. Within one week, they launched a "do-it-yourself" kit with an empty bottle, rapidly institutionalizing the organic trend.