Writing is something I find difficult despite the fact that I find inspiration for content everywhere I go. BUT I want to give this daily writing exercise some real effort.
With this concept exploration, I want to talk about a tweet I recently saw...
Background
Atoms is a shoe brand that I really like. In fact, they made an awesome chess move at the beginning of the pandemic to shift their supply chain to begin making masks. Not just any masks either. They were comfortable, stylish, copper-wire-lined, breathable.
To be honest, when I first heard of people buying masks over the price of a few dollars, I scoffed. When Atoms launched their masks, I immediately signed up to buy one for $10. Then my wife. Then my in-laws. Then my friends.
One thing I didn’t anticipate is that as I fell in love with the feel of their masks, I started to wonder how comfortable their shoes were. That’s when it hit me. The masks were just a taste of their design, style, customer experience, and supply chain efficiency.
I got shoes in December. They are the most comfortable sneakers I have ever owned.
Foreground
This brings me to another opportunity for Atoms. Now that they have proven that their supply chain and style can rise to the challenge, regardless of the field they are playing on, I want to see them stretch themselves.
Recently there was a Twitter user that posted a picture, proudly exclaiming how he had customized some Atoms. If I were them, I would immediately DM the user and work out a deal for a limited run of those designs.
They would send shoes to the creator. He would design them and ship the new customized shoes back to HQ. Then they would post to their website that they have “ten one of a kind” Atoms sneakers. Include some special deal like a buy one get one free and then sell the shoes for $500. Watch what happens.
If it works…then the magic really starts.
That means that you can create a “limited run collaboration lab” with any designer that wants to try their hand at it. You’ll make more money (the shoes retail at $129 - so they will make $240 in extra profit for each collab). This is just the start. If this takes off the designer will encourage their communities to buy the limited-run shoes which drive more people to Atoms, lowering their cost of customer acquisition.
Once they do it once, they can then house larger collaborations with celebrities, brands, influencers, whoever wants to play a part.
The at-large takeaway
There are so many areas where you can take a piece of your business, twist it around in a new way and offer it as a taste. Whether to flex your muscles, stress test your team, or delight your customers…there are opportunities everywhere. You just have to see them.
In the example for the “Foreground” section, I noticed an opportunity the moment that it fell onto my Twitter timeline. The more time that you take to think through and learn about other spaces/fields the more naturally you can spot opportunities in the wild.
It’s a great way to expand your reach and create an ever-desirable “moment.” These moments don’t come often, that doesn’t mean you should pursue them with brutal efficiency.
As they say the faster you learn what works and what does not, through experimentation, the better your company will fare.