Never be an incumbent: Lessons from the company and re-defining what “boat” means. (The Creativity Explorer. Episode 109)
How often do you get to visit a start-up rewrite the definition of a whole industry? Well, today I got to visit Candela – one of the coolest companies I have come across in 25 years of studying innovation.
Their boat is nothing less than a revolution. It’s a boat that flies (!) above the water. Absolutely silent, with superior seakeeping, fully connected, maintenance-free, 95% cheaper to drive and sporting the longest electric range of any boat in history.
While most people said “electric boats will never happen”, Candela rewrote the rules for what a boat should be. In just a few years, Candela is now one of the largest boat builders in Northern Europe and their journey has just started.
Traditional boatbuilders were so stuck in the idea of what a boat “should” look like, they did not realise that new technology had made old boatbuilding techniques, well, “old”.
The boat is built on Lidingö, just outside my island, and today, I had the privilege to take the boat for a test spin. (Will post video later).
Stay safe and creative,
Fredrik Haren- The Creativity Explorer
p.s. Click on the link to see a photo of the boat in action.
28
Nov