The traditional way to invent new products (or services) is to look at the problems that you face on a daily basis, and then invent a solution for them. It’s an effective method, but it takes time and patience. There is another way. A way that is faster and easier.

Change Sizes

Take things that are already on the market and simply change the size.

Tide took their existing dishwasher detergent bottle, and made it way smaller. They created Tide Pods – dishing out (pun intended) the perfect amount of soap for each washing.

Mini Cooper took a normal station wagon and cut it in half. Then Smart Car took the Mini and cut it in half. The Hummer and the GMC Yukon went the other way. Big. All are fundamentally cars. All get you from point A to point B. But by changing the size, they all do the fundamentals very differently.

The Opportunity For Bacon

Bacon has been the same forever. Bacon strips. Then someone invented bacon bits. But bacon isn’t done yet. Why not make bacon chips (the picture of my prototype is below). Or better yet, bacon sheets.

Size Matters

Changing the size of something, changes the consumer perception. A car is not just a car after all. The size matters. Dish detergent is not just dish detergent. Size matters. And bacon may not just be bacon when you introduce a brand new size.

Odds Are In Your Favor

The wonderful thing about changing size is that you can work with something that is already successful in the market. You don’t need to invent something new, you just need to package something that is already working in a new way.

With size changes, use changes. A giant Hummer isn’t known for its ability to squeeze into tight spots, but a Mini can. The Hummer, though, can roll over the Mini and crush all the other little-itty-bitty cars in their tight spots. All while carrying a Smart Car on its back. Different sizes. Different uses.

Start inventing new sizes.