The Category Creation Formula

Kevin Maney and Mike Damphousse compile a decade of practice in category design into an actionable guide that reframes category creation as context plus missing plus innovation.

The book provides frameworks, workshop tools, and case studies so founders and teams can identify unmet needs created by changing contexts and design innovations to fill them.

It emphasizes mobilization tactics—daily 'heartbeats' as well as launches—to build belief and drive category adoption, and addresses the accelerating role of AI and the adjacent possible.

Practical and prescriptive, it aims to let readers 'roll their own' category design work without hiring consultants.

The authors draw on their consulting experience and prior work (including Play Bigger) to teach how to create and win dominant designs in new markets.