Embracing Change: The Case for Fixing What Isn’t Broken

Growing up, I often heard the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” For many years, this mantra guided my decisions, ensuring I didn’t waste time or resources on unnecessary changes. However, as I ventured into the world of product development, I realized that this approach can lead to stagnation. By not actively seeking improvements, we miss out on opportunities for innovation and growth. From a product management perspective, understanding when to embrace change and when to maintain the status quo is crucial for driving success.

The Pitfalls of Stagnation

While adhering to the idea of not fixing what isn’t broken may seem practical, it can discourage progress. Consider the evolution of transportation: there was nothing inherently wrong with horse-drawn carriages, yet the invention of cars revolutionized travel, vastly improving it and fuelling further progress, leading to the development of airplanes. Similarly, typewriters functioned perfectly well, but the advent of computers and word processors significantly enhanced productivity and efficiency.

In the realm of product management, relying on existing features without seeking improvements can create a competitive disadvantage. For example, a software product might work well, but without regular updates and new features, it could quickly fall behind competitors who are continually innovating. Just look at the battle of AIs: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Google’s Gemini or Meta’s Llama, and how they have been rapidly improving their models, in competition with each other (admittedly these products can be a bit faulty at times)

The Necessity of Innovation

Innovation often requires us to challenge the status quo and seek improvements, even when things seem to be working fine. This doesn’t mean making changes for the sake of change, but rather identifying areas where enhancements provides substantial benefits. The key is to ensure that any modification has the potential to make a meaningful impact.

Evaluating the Need for Change

To determine whether a change is worth implementing, consider the following steps:

1. Identify Potential Benefits: Assess the possible improvements that a change could bring. This could be in terms of efficiency, performance, user experience, or cost savings.
2. Identify the Resource need and estimate the Cost: Evaluate the resources required for the change against the potential benefits. This includes time, money, and effort.
3. Consider ROI (Return on Investment): Calculate the expected return on investment, based on the identified benefits and costs. If the benefits outweigh the costs, the change is likely worth pursuing.
4. Consider the Big Picture Impact. Estimate the impact of the change on your overall goals. If the company’s survival depends on it, or it gives the ability to provide a significant competitive advantage, then consider pursuing the change.

Let’s Consider a few Practical Examples

Upgrading Software Architecture

When it comes to upgrading software architecture, assume that your current software architecture is fully functional, yet it’s starting to show signs of aging. Although it isn’t broken, its limitations could become more apparent as your user base grows and technological advancements continue. Implementing a new software architecture can provide significant benefits, such as improved scalability to accommodate future growth, enhanced performance to meet the demands of increased user load, and the ability to seamlessly integrate new technologies. However implementing the new architecture would consume the majority of your resources for months, and involves a significant amount of risk. With this investment, it may well prevent potential future issues but also positions your product for sustained success in the long term.

Changing to a Subscription Model

Consider the scenario where your product is currently sold as a one-time purchase, which inherently limits the potential for generating recurring revenue. Although this model is not broken and serves its purpose, it restricts long-term financial growth and stability. Switching to a subscription model presents a compelling opportunity to establish a steady, predictable revenue stream while simultaneously enhancing customer loyalty. By transitioning to a subscription-based approach, you can ensure continuous revenue, which provides a more stable financial foundation. Additionally, this model opens up new avenues for offering additional services or features that can further engage customers and increase their lifetime value. Even though the one-time purchase model functions adequately, adopting a subscription model is a strategic decision that aligns with long-term business growth and sustainability goals. The cost of implementation might be easily justified if the company’s survival depends on it.

Enhancing User Experience (UX)

In the scenario where your application boasts a decent user experience, user feedback has highlighted areas ripe for improvement. Although the existing user experience is adequate, investing in enhancements based on this feedback can yield substantial benefits. By prioritizing UX improvements, you can achieve higher user satisfaction, which in turn reduces churn rates (that might be a considerable problem) as users are more likely to continue using an application they find enjoyable and intuitive. Furthermore, a superior user experience fosters positive word-of-mouth marketing, as satisfied users are more inclined to recommend the application to others. Therefore, even if the current user experience isn’t problematic, dedicating resources to enhance it can significantly elevate user engagement and retention, driving long-term success and growth for your product.

So, while the adage “don’t fix things that aren’t broken” has its merits, it shouldn’t be followed blindly, especially in product management. Embracing change and seeking improvements can drive innovation and prevent stagnation. By carefully evaluating the potential impact and benefits of changes, product managers can make informed decisions that lead to meaningful advancements and sustained success.