How to Build Adventurous Products People Love
Why Pineapple Pizza is the new symbol of success 🍍
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The #1 reason why products fail is they lack traction. They don’t strike a chord with anyone. They make no lasting impression. Let’s change that.
If more products were more like pineapple pizza, more would have traction. Pineapple pizza is wild, controversial yet loved by a vocal niche.
Today, I’ll share with you why your products can benefit from being more like pineapple pizza.
The first people who put pineapple on pizza were pretty adventurous.
When I think of Pineapple, I think about Hawaii. Not Naples, Chicago, or New York — the pizza towns. When I think of Pineapple, I think of a sweet and sour tropical fruit, not mozzarella, tomato sauce or mushrooms — the pizza staples.
If you ask 100 people on the street if they like pineapple on pizza, you’ll get an even amount of yes and no. Some people love it, some people hate it.
Personally, I don’t like pineapple on pizza. But I’ll accept it.
Sam Panopolous and his brothers — the family credited with creating the first Hawaiian pizza in 1962 — must have debated relentlessly whether or not to sell the new creation at their restaurant. They enjoyed pineapple on pizza, but had to deal with the results if it flopped or people were upset. This is the kind of risk that could sink a restaurant with terrible word-of-mouth all over town.
Pizza is an inherently social product, sharing slices with others. If a family came into Sam’s restaurant and ordered the Hawaiian, it was a commitment to trying pineapple on pizza for the whole family.
I’m sure there were plenty of arguments just like this:
> “Pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza, that’s wild.”
> “I tried it. It’s better than you’d think.”
> “It’s a sweet fruit, dropped on top of meat, cheese, and tomato sauce. Those ingredients don’t go together. No thanks.”
The whole idea around pineapple on pizza is a powerful way to think about building products. Can you create a product that seems too crazy to work? What’s a product that blends two topics that go together in a way we haven’t seen before? Can these products achieve the goal your community is trying to accomplish?
The same is true for being a creator. Is there a YouTube channel you can create that doesn’t feel like it belongs in the space? Can you create in a way that nobody else is? As we turn the spotlight to different creators this year, you’ll see a key component in their success is a willingness — even a compulsion — to combine different elements of their personality and interests in a way no one has thought of before.
These ideas are risky. The danger of creating with risk is sometimes a new experience can make consumers feel “seasick.” A crazy new idea might make us dizzy, unable to focus or truly understand what’s happening. It feels kinda off.
In his book The Laws of Human Nature, author Robert Greene encourages people to combine their fascinations. These are interests and inclinations that only make sense to you, and thus will appear risky to others. So what’s your pineapple pizza idea — your combination of fascinations?
The benefit to executing on a risky idea is that it just might work. Each of the top 10 largest pizza chains in the US (by location) offer pineapple on pizza. A polarizing pizza from an Ontario family restaurant is now present in over 20,000 locations in the United States alone.
The takeaway?
Different is better than better.
Be well,
Greg Isenberg
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When you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:
If you’re looking for help designing, branding and building a pineapple pizza type product, my design agency accepts 1 new client per month. Email me at greg.isenberg@gmail.com with what you’re up to and what you need help with
Join the AI and productivity community here. If you’re looking to streamline building your pineapple pizza
Ham, cheese, and the tangy and slightly sweet kiwi = the new pineapple. Let's go.
Who knew I'd gain valuable perspective from pineapple. Great article Greg!