Change builds on change. New builds on new. When kicking off a new product project, I like to start by looking backwards. Looking to the past to know from where I can build. Looking back to know what OG features, attributes and product DNA need to hang around and just come to life with a different style.

Building on my philosophy that a brand manager is a DJ/Producer - I like to dig in crates looking for product samples. Nas’ Illmatic stays on my mind because it is endowed with the past, but doesn’t feel dusty for a minute. Rather the record has more texture, energy and most importantly relate-ability because the present is in dialog with jazz, pop and hip-hop icons.

Bandstand breaks down every sample, including NY State of Mind, and Genius takes it a step further with this Illmatic sample map if you want to get your Masters in the subject.

If not, here’s how I apply sampling to New Product Development -

1. Anchor in the category norms - The new product must fit within the category to ease customer trial. Why are so many cell-phones rectangles? Why are so many beers in a standard can/bottle? These norms fit into existing systems of distribution, retail and customer behavior. You may want to disrupt the system, but you need to make sure your customer has some way of understanding what you are and how to use you.

   • Nas samples Eric B. & Rakim and Kool & the Gang, nodding to hip-hop’s heritage and norms. He was paying respect and using these references to show he fits into hip-hop.

2. Pull from adjacent categories - The new product can stand apart from the competition if it embraces attributes from adjacent categories. The adjacent category may tap into a customer truth that can translate to your product. Apple famously sampled functionality from Xerox, and Surfing is pulling grabs, aerials and tweaks from skateboarding these days.

   • NY State of Mind samples jazz greats like Joe Chambers and Donald Byrd to put a new spin on hip-hop. Smooth piano was a new sound, but it fit into the architecture of hip-hop because both are American musical art forms that thrive off of improvisation, call and response and flow.

3. Bring your point of differentiation - You can launch a new product that folds samples together, but winning requires you introduce a new element. You must solve a new problem and create more value for the customer.

   • Nas revolutionized the lyric game in terms of complexity and structure. He added value to rap through a style that was highly narrative-oriented. Nas was one of the first rappers to incorporate quotes and dialogues into his verses. Paired with DJ Premier, Nas’ take made for one of the most iconic NY records around.

Some of the samples should be easy to identify, others buried, but when you combine them and layer on your special flow and style - you make something new.