Most founders try to innovate by creating something new.
The smartest founders?
They innovate by adapting what already works, somewhere else.
In Your Business Growth Playbook, you’ll see this theme: don’t force breakthroughs; adapt winning ideas from outside your lane.
Examples to steal from:
Southwest Airlines
Borrowed bus-route simplicity for the skies: short, point-to-point hops, one aircraft type, fast turnarounds. Durable profitability in a brutal category.
Starbucks
Schultz adapted Italian espresso bar rituals and wrapped them in an American “third place.” He didn’t innovate caffeine; he innovated context.
Warby Parker
Studied Zappos-style customer delight, try-at-home + online convenience, and applied it to glasses. Different product. Same playbook.
From the Playbook
A B2C e-commerce client created a VIP Membership, ala Zappos, for top customers. These loyal customers were now locked in and became hyper buyers. Not a new product; a new lens.
Somewhere outside your industry, your next growth move already exists, wearing a different uniform.
🧠 Key Takeaway
If you’re plateaued, stop staring at competitors. Study outsiders: loyalty, efficiency, pricing, packaging. Ask, “How would that work here?”
The next big move rarely needs to be a breakthrough.
It’s a remix.
Which company outside your industry has inspired one of your best ideas?