My Daily Emails

It’s that time again — Sunday morning. And for about 80% of professionals, the Sunday Scaries are already lurking. That sinking feeling that your brief taste of freedom is ending.

I just learned the story behind BoldHue — a new beauty device that creates custom foundation in one minute — and it perfectly illustrates something I call “the recognition moment.” This

The first time I saw a Dyson Cool, I had a strange reaction. The tall bladeless fan looked alien enough to seem innovative, but familiar enough that I could imagine using

I just read about a study that perfectly illustrates how companies can use neuroscience to reshape our perception of everyday products. Clorox recently partnered with neurotech company Emotiv to scientifically measure

I’ve been deep in positioning this week, thinking about a client’s new product. You know that feeling when a product team has 37 features they’re absolutely certain users need from day one?

I keep seeing celebs launching “their own” liquor brands — except they’re not really their own. Ricky Gervais with Dutch Barn vodka. Margot Robbie with Papa Salt gin. The Rock

Your tank brain freakin’ LOVES this saying. It feels wise. Safe. Fiscally responsible. It’s also a perfect trap. I wrote recently about the Einstellung Effect — how our brains get

Last week a few people unsubscribed from these emails. My first reaction? That familiar sting we all feel when someone opts out. I immediately dove into my latest messages, hunting

A Rolex Cosmograph tells time LESS accurately than the phone in your pocket. A Lamborghini Huracán is one of the LEAST convenient or efficient ways to reach your destination. A Mont Blanc Meisterstück won’t help you

Photo: Volkswagen Volkswagen just revealed a concept car that could finally solve the electric vehicle industry’s biggest achilles heel: price. The adorably-named “ID.Every1” showcases VW’s upcoming entry-level electric car, expected

IKEA just announced they’re expanding their second-hand furniture marketplace all across Europe. This is almost weird, because IKEA doesn’t NEED to do it. Their core business is thriving. Their margins on

I just released a new episode of Product: Knowledge that might save you from one of the most expensive mistakes product makers can make. Here’s the scenario I see over

This time last year, we took the kids to Disneyland. One resounding memory is how each day ended with an incredible parade and a fireworks show. That standout memory is

I was driving with my teenage daughter when she pointed out a Fisherman’s Friend billboard. “Those are big now,” she said. “All my friends know about them.” The last time I’d thought

Ever notice how the old Milwaukee Brewers logo isn’t just a ball and glove? Look closer: It’s an ‘m’ and ‘b’ cleverly combined into baseball gear. Once you see it, you never

The Fender Stratocaster hasn’t changed a bit since 1954. Think about how rare that is. With constant upgrades and innovations being the absolute norm, here’s a piece of technology that’s basically identical

Yesterday I wrote about embracing your haters. Here’s a real-world example of how that can work: I was running social media ad campaigns for a premium pillow brand when we

Tourists recently called Vienna’s famous Schönbrunn Palace “just a huge, boring, yellow building.” and “Dull as dishwater.” The Vienna Tourist Board loved that review so much, they made it the centerpiece of

IKEA dropped the perfect example of product marketing that aligns with both customer needs and values: Three steps. Twenty years. Dunzo. What they’re selling you isn’t a light bulb. It’s

I just read something that perfectly illustrates how innovative companies stay ahead of rapidly shifting consumer needs. Dawn dish soap has been totally reformulated because … Americans are eating SO much

If you buy digital ads, you know that feeling when you see a $0.12 average cost per click. For a brief moment, it feels amazing. Then you drill down. Almost

Seven lousy seconds. That’s all you get. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but how’s this: The process starts even faster. Here’s how your customer’s brain processes a new

Every successful rocket launch starts with tiny adjustments on the pad. Same with your product. I always remind clients how those first 100 sales are NOT focused on revenue. They’re

“If we get just 1% of this HUGE market…” I hear this constantly from product teams. Always have. Right now, I’m working with a client who initially calculated 100 million

I was at Starbucks yesterday, waiting for my Americano and browsing the merchandise wall. The prices stunned me. Not because they were high (though they were), or because I’m a cheapskate (I

When I was writing about Lush the other day in my post about Experience Design innovation, I was reminded how the brand did something in 2022 that most wouldn’t dare: They

Stopping by the grocery store closest to my home yesterday to grab coffee cream, something got my wheels turning. At the customer service desk near the checkouts, mixed in with

I play this fun game every time a delivery arrives: Guess what’s inside based on the box size. I’m terrible at it. Last week, a watch band arrived in a

A Keurig sits on our office counter. We use it daily. Quick, fresh coffee, one cup at a time. And often when I pop in a K-Cup, I think about John Sylvan.

Happy Saturday! Most people think product innovation means adding new features. But that’s just one of NINE main ways you can create meaningful differentiation. Let me show you all nine,

Standing in the card aisle yesterday, I watched last-minute shoppers face that familiar moment of sticker shock. Looking at card after card, finding one that seems ok. Flipping it over.

When I help product teams to eliminate friction, I expect to get some pushback. They may point to luxury brands, premium products, and companies that thrive despite — or because

Ever watch someone struggle with a new product interface because they’re stuck in old patterns? That’s the Einstellung Effect at work. You might recall that I referenced it a few

Starbucks doesn’t make the world’s best latte.  Jack Daniel’s isn’t the world’s finest whiskey. And McDonald’s? Let’s not even pretend about those burgers. Yet these brands absolutely DOMINATE their categories. Because perfect isn’t

Many B2B product companies I work with use battle cards. Basically, cheat sheets that outline competitive intelligence, pricing strategies, and objection handling. Consumer brands rarely create them. They should. Of

Ever walked through a department store (or a Sephora) and felt bombarded by celebrity-endorsed products? It’s a popular marketing strategy, and Thursday’s launch of Billie Eilish’s “Your Turn” fragrance is

Cheetos just went and launched a marketing campaign that 99% of its customers won’t fully understand. And THAT’S pretty much the point. They challenged professional font designers to create a typeface

I’ve never been a fan of “impossible” packaging. The ones that require scissors, a knife, and essentially minor surgery to open? (Or possibly stitches for me because of a slipped

SharkNinja makes the kind of products you probably have in your home right now. A robot vacuum cleaner. An air fryer. Maybe that amazing blender you got for Christmas. You might

You’ve seen them everywhere lately. Brown italic fonts. Shaky camera work. “Authentic” lookin’ steamy mess. Max cringe. The “ugly ad” trend started a while back and is still rampant. Meta

Ever think about Del Monte? You know — as in those cans of bland and squishy peaches your grandma used to serve? It’s okay. Me neither, until I came across a

Ever ask a kid why they want something? Their first answer is never the real reason. “Why do you want that toy?” “Because it’s COOL!” “Why is it cool?” “Because

I’ve been working with a client to name a piece of proprietary hardware technology. We need to call it something memorable. Something competitors can’t easily copy. Most importantly, we need

A few years ago, my wife bought me a pair of vivid blue On running shoes. I’d never really heard of the brand at the time, except for the beige Ons I’d

“Practice makes perfect.” What a load of crap. Yet it’s one of the most popular mantras ever in business, sports and learning. Not saying practice is anything less than essential.

Ever watched someone try your product for the first time? That moment when their eyes light up and you know they “get” it? It’s the instant when your product flips

TikTok is back after going dark last week, but on probation. (Will Microsoft buy it?) Truth Social lost 47% of its active users in a year. Twitter (or X) keeps changing rules about who sees

Tesla launched its first car in 2008. Now, 17 years later, global EV sales are expected to pass 20 million units in 2025. That’s more electric vehicles than the TOTAL number

BeReal is having an interesting impact on how businesses validate products. It’s showing up in the real world, not the Insta-perfect one. If you haven’t seen it yet, BeReal is

Did you know Google now answers 2/3 of searches without a click? The search engine has evolved to be that way more and more the past few years. They want