Secret Sauce

Good things always have that "secret sauce" - the element that sets it apart from the pack and makes it better than anything else. The "secret sauce" takes something ordinary and makes it extraordinary. It's a Mac vs. a laptop. Disney World vs. a theme park. A Big Mac vs. a hamburger.

When I hear company execs talk about what sets their companies apart, it seems there's no real "secret" to the sauce after all. It boils down to hard work and a commitment to your customers. A commitment to a better user experience. A commitment to treating every guest interaction "special". A commitment to a good hamburger every time. There's not a magic switch you can flip... it's a commitment to excellence through hard work. Looking for a shortcut to this kind of success is a waste of time.

All too often I've seen software development teams look for magic switches rather than commit to the hard work of fixing the underlying problem. For instance, attempting to fix database problems through caching when the real problem is in the underlying schema. Changing the graphics on a website, while ignoring usability problems. Refusing to correct a broken architecture by continuing to throw more server resources to the application.

I've never seen one of these approaches work long term, and the time spent exploring these workarounds took time and resources away from fixing the actual underlying problem and long term success.

In each instance, the commitment to fixing the problem was abandoned in favor of the quick and inexpensive band aid to hide the flaws.

It's why these products struggle to achieve success while the Mac, Disney World, and the Big Mac continue shine as examples of truly great products.

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