Slow degradation

Small steps, in aggregate, can amount to quite a lot.

Which is to say that consistently (and patiently) working towards a goal is how you build an asset, whether it’s a Fortune 500 company, a 401K, or a marketable skill.

But it also works in reverse. Small steps in the opposite direction are how an organization can go from excellent to good to mediocre to worse.

Consider the long line of compromises Panera has made to quickly and efficiently scale their operations.

On the surface, there’s nothing inherently wrong with these decisions. Far from it. They allow their staff to get their food out the door faster, which means less time waiting for your food, and more time to spend serving more customers.

More customers means more profit, which means more stores, which means more profit.

But it also likely means more scripts and more productivity-hacks to keep up with the demand, and to scale allthat business. Small compromises that slowly and steadily diminish the customer experience.

Which means that, over time, you start to notice things. Imperfect bread. Weak coffee. Subpar sandwiches. Automated ordering (less time talking to a real human). Hey…where’s the carmalized onion on the frontega chicken?

It’s when all those effeciencies compound that people begin to take notice. Slowly at first, and then all at once. Inevitably encouraging droves of people to opt for a better/tastier/friendlier/more personalized alternative.