The Advantage • Issue • June 02, 2025
🧋 Big Swings & Innovation Signals
Last week, McDonald’s quietly closed the doors on CosMc’s, its colorful side-project that blurred the lines between fast food and cosmic-themed coffee culture. The news arrived with a whisper, not a bang — no grand announcement, just the quiet fade-out of what had once drawn two-hour waits and $100 orders. Predictably, some called it a flop. Others, a failed experiment.
But I think they’re missing the point.
CosMc’s wasn’t built to last forever. It was built to learn. McDonald’s already has one of the most efficient operations in the world — they don’t need another franchise. What they needed was insight: Could they repackage their assets into an entirely different experience? Would customers show up, stay, engage? That kind of insight only comes from testing ideas at full fidelity — not wireframes, not pilots, but real, immersive experiences.
Too often we aim for “safe” innovation. Tiny bets. Minimal exposure. But those often lead to minimal learning. CosMc’s, on the other hand, was a swing big enough to generate real data, real reaction, real lessons. That’s a win in my book — not because it made money, but because it tried hard enough to matter.
McDonald’s New Chain CosMc’s Is Open With Two-Hour Waits in Suburban Chicago 🍔🪐
Back in late 2023, McDonald’s quietly launched a brand-new restaurant concept called CosMc’s — a nostalgic nod to a 1980s mascot and a bold step into coffee-and-snacks territory. Think less Big Mac, more bubble tea and cold foam. With its colorful design, space-themed branding, and drink-forward menu, CosMc’s aimed to carve out a new lane for the fast food giant. Early locations saw two-hour waits and plenty of buzz. Fast-forward to today, and the pilot is already shutting down — leaving behind questions about what McDonald’s learned from the experiment, and what might come next. (Read More →)
Take it a bit deeper with these…
🚀 Innovation
Building blocks of a successful venture factory — Corporate innovation isn’t just about ideas; it’s about infrastructure. McKinsey lays out how to build the systems that let big companies act like bold startups.
Use Design Choices to Prevent Imitation — When patents aren’t enough, design becomes your moat. This piece shows how smart design can be a strategic weapon in protecting innovation.
The #1 Reason Why Businesses Fail: It’s Not What You Think — Hint: it’s not bad marketing or weak sales. The true killer is poor cash flow management — and it’s more common than you’d think.
The Innovation Ambition Matrix | Roman Pichler — Not all innovation is created equal. This strategic tool helps you assess whether you’re playing it too safe — or swinging too wide without a plan.
👋 Sign-Off
Innovation is hard. If it was easy, everyone would do it with profound success. Although it’s not easy, it’s required. Innovate or die, as they say. Keep swinging big!
Until next time — test boldly, learn deeply, and don’t be afraid of cosmic ideas. 🚀
P.S. If you’re enjoying these, hit reply and let me know! I’d love to hear what’s resonating — or hey, what’s not. Your feedback helps me shape this into something genuinely useful for you.