Sometimes the secret to success isn’t about building perfectly scalable systems—it’s about doing things that don’t scale. I first encountered this idea in Reid Hoffman’s Masters of Scale, and it’s one of the more insightful ideas I have read. Hoffman talks about a crowdfunding company where teachers raising money for class trips and projects would be able to advertise what they needed for funders to consider. When these funders decided to part with their money on these school projects they would receive handwritten thank-you notes from all of the kids in the class they helped support.
It was a small, labor-intensive gesture that created an incredibly unique selling point. Sure, when that company grew, the admin nightmare of tracking which class had to send notes to which funder would have been overwhelming—but that personal touch was priceless. Removing it would’ve stripped away a key element of their brand.
It’s a reminder that while efficiency and automation are important, sometimes the magic happens in the messy, unscripted moments that simply don’t scale. When you add a human element that makes your customer feel special, it creates loyalty and distinguishes you from the competition. That’s why if you have a unique idea and a solid “why” behind it, you should do it—even if it means extra work and expenses at scale. The value isn’t just in the task itself, but in the way it forges a connection with your audience.
I experienced a similar revelation during a recent visit to London in December of 2024. I stopped at a sit-down restaurant that had an entirely automated ordering system—scan a QR code, open a digital menu, add items to your cart, and then order and pay. At first glance, it sounded efficient. But as I watched, I saw customers struggling with the checkout process (myself included), fumbling with their phones, and ultimately having to call a waiter for help. The experience was far from seamless. It struck me that some aspects of customer service shouldn’t be automated; sometimes, the personal touch and simplicity of human interaction are irreplaceable. It’s a perfect example of how stripping everything down to efficiency can sometimes rob us of the experience that truly makes a brand memorable.
The moral of the story is simple: do it anyway. Even if an idea doesn’t scale, it might still be the most effective way to make your brand stand out and create a lasting impression. Whether it’s handwritten thank-you notes for a small crowdfunding campaign or maintaining a personal touch in a high-tech world, these unscripted, “unscalable” actions often define your relationship with your customers. They’re the things that set you apart from competitors who rely solely on efficiency and automation.
At the end of the day, success isn’t about having a flawless, scalable system from day one. It’s about experimenting, failing fast, and iterating until you find what truly works. Every entrepreneur will tell you that the idea in your head rarely matches what actually materializes.
You can’t wait for perfection; instead, you need to embrace the messy process of doing things that might not scale, and then refine them over time. Those initial, labor-intensive efforts might seem inefficient, but they build the foundation for a deeper connection with your audience. And once you’ve established that connection, you can start thinking about scaling without losing the essence of what made you special.
So, whether it’s that extra effort to handwrite thank-you notes to customers or choosing not to automate every aspect of customer service, remember that doing things that don’t scale can be your competitive edge. If your idea has a potent “why” behind it and you’re committed to making it work, those unscalable features can transform your brand and leave a lasting impact.
Embrace the imperfections, take risks, and let your authenticity shine through. The magic is often in the details that don’t fit into a neat, scalable box—but that’s where real innovation happens.
