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I bear in mind sitting on the ground of our condominium, surrounded by packing containers, writing notes to folks I had by no means met. We had simply shipped a few of our first orders. No programs. No automation. No playbook. Only a perception that if somebody trusted us sufficient to attempt what we have been constructing, the least we might do was acknowledge it.
So we began together with Polaroids and handwritten notes in each first-time order. It was gradual. It was messy. It made no sense from a conventional effectivity standpoint. And it ended up turning into some of the necessary issues we did. Not as a result of it instantly drove short-term outcomes. As a result of it constructed a connection — and connection is what offers a enterprise an opportunity to matter.
I assumed scaling was the purpose — I used to be mistaken
Early on, I assumed the target was easy. Develop quick. Be environment friendly. Determine easy methods to do extra with much less. That’s what most recommendation reinforces. And it’s not mistaken — it’s incomplete. As a result of if you happen to optimize too early for scale, you danger eradicating the very factor that makes folks care within the first place. Connection is just not environment friendly. It takes time. It takes intention. And it’s tough to measure.
Which is strictly why most firms deprioritize it.
The element that modified every part
What began as one thing small grew to become one thing a lot larger over time. Our mom joined the enterprise and took possession of this expertise. She has personally handwritten near 1,000,000 Polaroid notes to our prospects. Not as a marketing campaign. Not as a short-term activation. As a constant a part of how we present up. Over time, she even constructed a staff round it to assist proceed the hassle. Right now, we nonetheless do it.
We don’t take photographs each single day the best way we did within the very starting. We run photograph shoots, plan forward after which these photographs are paired with handwritten notes that exit to prospects. It’s not probably the most environment friendly system. But it surely’s intentional. And that small contact continues to make a significant distinction. Not due to the format. Due to what it represents. Somebody took the time.
What these “unscalable” moments really do
When somebody receives one thing private, one thing clearly created with effort, it modifications how they expertise your model. It shifts the interplay from transactional to human. They don’t simply see a product. They really feel like there are actual folks behind it. That feeling is tough to duplicate — and it’s even more durable to interchange as soon as it exists.
Trying again, these Polaroids have been by no means concerning the photograph. They have been about signaling one thing easy: “We see you.” In a world the place most interactions are optimized for velocity, that sign stands out.
The place some founders lose the thread
As quickly as one thing begins working, the intuition is to optimize it. Automate responses. Standardize communication. Take away friction. That intuition is smart. However right here’s what I’ve realized over time: In the event you take away all of the friction, you typically take away the sensation. And the sensation is what folks bear in mind. Not the velocity. Not the system. Not the method. The expertise.
The shift that modified how I construct
In some unspecified time in the future, I ended asking: “How will we scale this?” And began asking: “The place will we keep human, at the same time as we develop?” That query compelled us to be extra intentional. Not about doing every part manually. However about defending the moments that truly matter. As a result of not every part must be optimized — some issues must be preserved.
Why this issues much more immediately
We’re transferring right into a world the place automation is turning into the default. Responses will be generated immediately. Experiences will be streamlined end-to-end. Communication will be scaled with out human involvement. That creates effectivity. But it surely additionally creates sameness.
So the chance isn’t just to maneuver quicker — it’s to know the place to decelerate. As a result of the extra predictable interactions grow to be, the extra folks discover what feels actual.
Easy methods to apply this with out slowing down your small business
You don’t must do every part manually, however you do should be deliberate about the place you make investments human effort. Right here’s what I’d recommend:
1. Determine one second that defines your buyer expertise
Select a single level in your journey the place you’ll be able to create a significant interplay.
2. Add effort the place it’s seen
Individuals can really feel when one thing required time and intention.
3. Keep in direct contact together with your prospects
Even at scale, discover methods to take care of proximity.
4. Don’t take away every part that feels inefficient
A few of the highest-impact actions gained’t make sense on paper.
5. Shield the intention, not the precise tactic
It’s not about Polaroids particularly. It’s about creating moments that make folks really feel acknowledged.
The benefit many individuals overlook
Most firms compete on issues which are simple to check. Worth. Options. Distribution. These issues matter —however they’re not often sufficient on their very own to create a long-lasting connection. What’s more durable to compete on is the way you make somebody really feel over time. And that’s constructed by means of actions that don’t scale cleanly.
Last thought
If I might return, I wouldn’t attempt to be extra environment friendly earlier. I’d double down on the issues that felt small, gradual and tough to justify, as a result of these have been the issues folks remembered. The issues that created tales.
The issues that constructed a connection earlier than we had anything. Programs allow you to develop. But it surely’s the human moments that give folks a purpose to care. And in the long term, that’s what really scales.
I bear in mind sitting on the ground of our condominium, surrounded by packing containers, writing notes to folks I had by no means met. We had simply shipped a few of our first orders. No programs. No automation. No playbook. Only a perception that if somebody trusted us sufficient to attempt what we have been constructing, the least we might do was acknowledge it.
So we began together with Polaroids and handwritten notes in each first-time order. It was gradual. It was messy. It made no sense from a conventional effectivity standpoint. And it ended up turning into some of the necessary issues we did. Not as a result of it instantly drove short-term outcomes. As a result of it constructed a connection — and connection is what offers a enterprise an opportunity to matter.
I assumed scaling was the purpose — I used to be mistaken
Early on, I assumed the target was easy. Develop quick. Be environment friendly. Determine easy methods to do extra with much less. That’s what most recommendation reinforces. And it’s not mistaken — it’s incomplete. As a result of if you happen to optimize too early for scale, you danger eradicating the very factor that makes folks care within the first place. Connection is just not environment friendly. It takes time. It takes intention. And it’s tough to measure.