Thoughts on Brian Chesky: Handcrafted
The Masters of Scale series continues to blow me away. The stories are interesting, and it seems there’s just as much ‘luck’ or right-timing as there is preparation. There’s definitely a need for intuition as much as a willingness to take a chance.
What stuck out to me first is Brian Chesky’s willingness to work with his hands and create on his own. Or better put, as the narrator remarks, “To make something scaleable, you have to begin with things that do not scale”. To find the right solution, you may just have to make it on your own.
I’ve found this to be true with my own project when looking at custom packaging ideas. What I was looking to create just did not exist, at least not in single units able to purchase easily. I was hoping to find finished pieces to help me build a prototype, but it would seem I would need to build everything from scratch. I didn’t have the money to order hundreds of units, especially when I wasn’t sure exactly what I needed. That’s what prototyping is for. You can’t wait for a big investor to fund your project. Sometimes to get an idea off the ground, you have to start and make it all yourself.
The biggest message I got out of this podcast was the sentiment of having empathy for your user. Brian says, “The road map often exists in the minds of the users you are designing for”. I admire that they had the courage to meet their customers and speak with them. I also like his idea to talk about what the future of their project could look like. How could they wow their customers, and what would make them tell others about it? They did not limit their ideas or the ideas of customers. They would seriously consider these ideas and look at how they might work. In this context, the features that once seemed grandiose, now seemed much more feasible. They learned a lot about their customer base and the actual service they were providing. By meeting with their customers, they came to conclusions they never would have on their own.
I found this to be very true for my own research and project. After meeting with several craft beer consumers and fellows in the industry, I started to get a bigger picture of it all. I was able to relate with them on what we liked and disliked about beer and share experiences with breweries and other services in the beer industry. Beer people are very passionate, and they had plenty of opinions about what I was doing. There was a general sense of excitement about what I was doing, along with plenty of words of caution relating to Texas alcohol laws. Many of the people I spoke with ended up teaching me more about the industry, what services were out there, and even recommended organizations, individuals, and other services I should look into or reach out to. I set out to get feelings, opinions, and insight on experiences, but came back with an education, resources, and even a few friendships. I would never have gotten this designing in a silo, and I think I can create a better product because of it. It may be uncomfortable at times, but talking to your users really opens your eyes to how to design.
Lastly, I really appreciate how the founders focus on the individual experience. There are businesses and products for just about anything, but very few really focus on the experience of the product or service. The experience is what stays with you. How did you feel when you first engaged with it? What do you remember about it? I think these things resonate with us as human beings. I know I am more loyal to a brand that makes me feel good or leaves a lasting impression. That’s what motivates me to choose ‘this’ product or service over ‘that’ one.
Work with your Hands. Talk to your Users. Focus on the Experience.