By now, you've probably heard about (or tried) Voodoo Doughnut. If not: these doughnut shops, founded in Portland, Oregon - and now on Colfax in Denver, are where people literally line up around the block day and night to get in on what they are serving. There’s no end in sight to their long lines…or their nationally expanding business. What makes Voodoo Doughnuts so kick ass? Why are they killing it where so many other doughnut shops struggle? The answers to these questions teach us some key lessons about innovation.
The secret to Voodoo Doughnut’s success? They draw familiar, beloved ingredients from other walks of life and bring them to the world of doughnuts. Things like bacon. Oreos. Cap’n Crunch. Cocoa Puffs. Peanut Butter. Nutella. Etc. And now…you can love all those ingredients…in some extremely indulgent, unbelievably delicious, unexpected, totally original doughnut combinations.
Applied to innovation and new products, this technique is called Parallel Universe. It’s juxtaposition. It’s familiar and at the same time it feels totally fresh and new. Architects do it. Fashion designers do it. Ditto software, web and UI people. And so do some very sharp new product innovators. Do you?
