Break From the Pack: How to Compete in a Copycat Economy

7. Build a Defiant Pipeline

We know about the power of a great product, as demonstrated by the waiting lists for the newest models of the Toyota Prius and Apple iPod, or the quasi-blockbuster status of Danone's Activia (a yogurt that helps digestion) and Actimel (a dairy drink that strengthens the immune system). But what makes Toyota, Apple, and Danone successful is not one killer product, which will ultimately be imitated and commoditized, but steady pipelines of cool, compelling products. Their pipelines— "defiant" as in defying conventional wisdom and challenging what everyone else is doing—are more than a steady supply of ordinary, same-old-same-old products. Instead, those pipelines provide steady waves of breakthrough stuff.

In this chapter, ...