On a recent road trip through Moab, Utah (a place we’ve been several times before), my 18-year old son was upset with some of the changes—new hotels, new (more) tourists, new restaurants. Some would call it progress. My son called it destruction. Destruction of what the city’s “product” used to be—small, remote, undiscovered.
Their product (the town culture) seems to change every time we go there—probably at a faster pace since the days when it was a dusty trading post in the early 1800’s—even though the population is only about 5,200 people. But in many people’s eyes, it has changed too much.
What about changes that some people think are improvements? Like new restaurants, or the elimination of the uranium mines? If the product stays the same forever, will it be a product people will want to continue to use? It’s a fine line!
If your iPhone never changed, would you ever buy a new one? If your car was still a horse, would your life be as productive? If your favorite vacation spot grew too touristy too fast, would you keep going back?
Certain products need to be updated to keep their clientele and some should stay the same. Remember the New Coke disaster? Before you make a change to your product, think first about your raving fans because they’ll promote you all day long if you make changes that will improve, not take away from their lives.