Frito-Lay sells $600 million per year in Doritos® corn chips, and they have a Research and Development team of 230 people.  You’re probably thinking– what do 230 scientists do, researching a corn chip? Their biggest responsibility is developing a flavor bigger and better than Cool Ranch.  They think about it in test kitchens, laboratories, and market research focus groups.  They’ve been working on that lofty goal for 12 years, and although Frito-Lay has launched at least 20 flavors since then, they still haven’t developed anything that tops Cool Ranch.

So let’s face the facts.  Big ideas don’t come from great big committees.  Great ideas come at crazy times,  when you’re laying awake at night, when you catch a view of yourself in the rear view mirror, and when you’re talking to your best friend.

I thank my many patients  who have shared their ideas.  They’ve told me what they’re concerned about, what works, what doesn’t, and what keeps them awake at night.  They’ve inspired some great ideas, and shared their own  random thoughts.  The patients that I have met over my 30 years in practice have been the biggest and best think-tank in the world.

Zein Obagi, MD