I have a long-standing argument that passes the test of time.
A product should do one main job and do it well. When it tries to do more, it often does none well.
It’s tough to do one thing exceptionally well, let alone two. If we consider the difficulty of doing one thing masterfully as 10 times more difficult than doing one thing moderately, doing two things exceptionally well is not 20 times more difficult, but instead 100 times more difficult. The difficulty and complexity grow exponentially.
Most people who build products don’t have enough time, resources, or energy and can’t afford to spend 100x. They usually can’t even afford 10x. They say “enough” after 7x. Hence, the world is filled with crappy products with subpar user experience.
Let’s take multi-functional, fully-automated coffee machines (like this one). The coffee quality of multi-functional coffee machines (like this one) is, at best, arguable. When a coffee machine grinds its coffee, tamps it, then brews an espresso shot, froths the milk on the side, mixes them, and dumps the used coffee into the bin, how can the maker reliably optimize every single step? They were trying to build multiple functionalities simultaneously. They were trying to stand out in the competitive coffee machine industry with innovation for convenience. While making a single operation in the process really well is notoriously difficult, they tried six.
That’s why the best coffee shops, and all those gurus, use an espresso machine that does only one thing (and does it really well): an espresso shot. That’s why they use separate grinders; the machine does nothing but grind coffee beans.
The moment I see a machine that can make espresso or cappuccino, I know I won’t get the best coffee, regardless of the quality of the coffee beans. That machine ensures getting a good enough coffee consistently, not the best.
Take Starbucks coffee machines, an art of innovation. It looks similar to those espresso machines in small coffee shops. But it also grinds the coffee and cleans up the grounds. It’s optimized for consistency and speed, replacing much of the work a barista puts in to make the best coffee.
Starbucks’ promise, although they claim, is not to offer the best coffee. Their promise is consistently good coffee. I get the same coffee in every Starbucks branch, even across continents. I still enjoy it from time to time, but it doesn’t give me the quality of a great coffee made by a great espresso machine that only does espresso.
It’s pure joy to use products that do one job and do it well. The product hides all the complexity and doesn’t distract me from the main purpose. It’s simple (not basic); I know what to expect. There are no hustles. No surprises. It. Just. Works.
