Opinion: Why boring products are good

A case for avoiding innovation and instead focusing on the basics, arguing that relentless “innovation” often leads to waste, added expense, confusion and ultimately the downfall of companies.

Sometimes, simple is better. In a world full of complicated products and too many options, sometimes all we need, all we want, is something that works.

Maybe I’m getting old and nostalgic, but others are saying the same thing.

The new Starbucks CEO, Brian Niccol, recently said that the company is returning to its core identity, simplifying the menu by removing drink options and focusing on what they were once known for: self-serve condiments and names written on cups. And guess what? This simplification will drive prices down.

As product managers, we can apply this thinking to our own products. We’re great at building new functionality and adding complexity, but we’re generally bad at removing things that aren’t working. As a result, our products become bloated, and our companies lose sight of the problem we were initially trying to solve.

This is a systemic problem that we can at least partially blame on the need for continuous and endless growth. To grow, you must increase market share. That means expanding into new customer markets. This requires new functionality, more complexity, and massive scale. This added cost perpetuates the need for even more growth, and the cycle continues.

I can’t prove it, but I think there’s a place for more companies that sell Seattle’s best coffee (in Seattle only) or donut shops that don’t also sell pizza.

I remember the original Tim Horton’s. In the 90s up until the early 2000s, they were actually good. They sold coffee, donuts and bagels, but that was it. Now they sell pizza! Their donuts and coffee are terrible, and everything is more expensive. What happened? Still to this day, 50% of their sales are in the morning, and of that, 60% is coffee. As with most things, the 80/20 rule applies here.

Too many companies are focused on expanding their capabilities to the detriment of getting the core things right. Complicated products are everywhere and end up being confusing for your company, as well as your users. They lead to a lack of focus and are difficult to manage. They add complexity to the company and organizational structure, they have future maintenance costs, and your core offering suffers.

Are you a CEO looking to expand your company offering, jump into a few M&As, or add gamification to your app? Go back to basics instead and perfect the essentials of your business and product. You wouldn’t add a second story to your house if you weren’t sure you had a solid foundation. And even if you think you have a solid core offering, remember, all of that additional stuff comes with huge costs, both financially and in terms of where your attention is going.

I’m calling it now. Over the next decade, we’re headed into an era where the companies that succeed will be those focused on doing one thing and doing it well.