secret sauce
Proprietary success formula
Secret sauce is the special ingredient or method that makes something successful, especially when kept proprietary or mysterious.
The term comes from fast-food marketing—a burger chain's distinctive condiment—but now applies broadly to any competitive advantage: Their secret sauce is the algorithm that matches buyers with sellers.
Often used with slight irony, acknowledging that the "secret" may be more marketing than substance.
Supernatural or illusory power
- mojoMystical personal power
- je ne sais quoiIntangible appealing trait
- charmAttractive personal quality
- allureAttractive, tempting quality
mystique · spark · intangible · enigma · aura · mystery · alchemy
Favorable position or circumstance
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- differentiationRecognizing meaningful differences
- strategyPlanned approach to goals
- innovationCreating something original
competitive edge · value proposition · niche · branding · leverage · scalability · uniqueness · proprietary
magic
Supernatural or illusory power
- mojoMystical personal power
- je ne sais quoiIntangible appealing trait
- charmAttractive personal quality
allure · mystique · spark · intangible · enigma · aura · mystery · alchemy
advantage
Favorable position or circumstance
- edgeBoundary or sharpness
- differentiationRecognizing meaningful differences
- strategyPlanned approach to goals
innovation · competitive edge · value proposition · niche · branding · leverage · scalability · uniqueness · proprietary · formula
condiment
Flavor-adding table sauce
- recipeCooking preparation instructions
- flavorCharacteristic taste quality
- seasoningSubstance improving food taste
spices · ketchup · mayonnaise · mustard · Thousand Island · relish · tangy · creamy · aioli · sriracha mayo
- fast foodMcDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Taco Bell, KFC
- family recipesheritage recipe
- secret menusFlying Dutchman, hidden items
- Homemade Recipesapple pie, banana bread, biscuits, casserole, chili
- cure-allspanacea, cure-all, nostrum, snake oil, miracle cure
secret sauceopen source
Publicly accessible code
public knowledge · common knowledge · open book · open standard · public domain
secret saucecommodity
Fungible traded good
standard practice · boilerplate · conventional wisdom · same old thing · vanilla
secret, sauce, secrets, secrete, secreted, secreting, secretion, secretive, secretively