Scale vs. Speed: Why Organizations Slow Down and How Users Read on the Web

Scale vs. Speed: Why Organizations Slow Down and How Users Read on the Web

In today's fast-paced world, organizations are constantly faced with the challenge of finding the right balance between scale and speed. As they grow and expand, they often find that their ability to innovate and adapt slows down. This can be attributed to a number of factors, including the shifting expectations of customers and the need to maintain credibility in the online space.

As organizations cross the chasm and attract a larger customer base, their focus must shift from solely providing innovation to meeting the demands of their customers. The bulk of new customers don't necessarily want constant innovation; instead, they value promises kept, reliability, reasonable prices, and efficiency. This shift in customer expectations makes sense, as trust and predictability become more important as organizations grow.

To maintain growth and reach more people, organizations must prioritize the shipping of improvements on a regular schedule. This brings predictability to their offerings and reassures customers that they can rely on the organization to meet their needs. By doing so, organizations can make a bigger impact and expand their reach.

However, the challenge lies in balancing scale and speed without sacrificing innovation. Organizations must find ways to continue pushing the boundaries and introducing new ideas while also meeting the demands of their customers. One approach is to refactor their code from scratch. By spinning off the cash cow and assembling a team to start something new from scratch, organizations can explore new avenues of innovation. While these new ventures may not work at first, the experience and persistence gained from pursuing them will eventually pay off.

It's important to note that many of the famous big companies we know today started with just a small team. Apple, Google, Slack, Instagram, and countless others began with a dozen full-time people. This serves as a reminder that scale and speed don't have to be mutually exclusive. It's possible to start small and grow while maintaining a focus on innovation.

Moving beyond the realm of organizations, let's explore how users read on the web. Credibility plays a crucial role in how users perceive and trust information online. The internet can be a vast and uncertain space, making it difficult for users to determine the reliability of the content they come across. To establish credibility, websites should prioritize high-quality graphics, good writing, and the use of outbound hypertext links.

When users see that a website has included links to other reputable sources, it demonstrates that the authors have done their homework and are not afraid to let readers visit other sites for additional information. This helps to build trust and credibility with users, enhancing their overall experience on the website.

Interestingly, users rarely read web pages word by word. Instead, they tend to scan the page, picking out individual words and sentences. Research on how people read websites has shown that 79 percent of users always scan any new page they come across, while only 16 percent read word-by-word. This scanning behavior is driven by the fact that web users are busy and want to quickly gather the essential facts.

When websites use promotional language and exaggerate their claims, credibility suffers. Users can clearly see through the hyperbole and it imposes a cognitive burden on them to filter out the exaggerations and find the actual facts. This can lead to a loss of trust and a negative user experience.

To address this, websites should prioritize providing straightforward and concise information. Users appreciate websites that present information in a clear and concise manner, without overwhelming them with unnecessary promotional language. By focusing on delivering the straight facts, websites can enhance their credibility and create a positive user experience.

In conclusion, the balance between scale and speed is a challenge that organizations face as they grow and expand. It's crucial for organizations to meet the changing expectations of their customers by providing reliability, predictability, and efficiency. However, this should not come at the expense of innovation. By finding ways to continue pushing boundaries and exploring new ideas, organizations can maintain growth and make a bigger impact.

Similarly, in the online space, credibility is essential to gain the trust of users. Websites should prioritize high-quality graphics, good writing, and the use of outbound hypertext links to establish credibility. Users rarely read web pages word by word and instead scan for the essential facts. By presenting information clearly and avoiding promotional language, websites can enhance credibility and provide a positive user experience.

Actionable Advice:

1. Regularly ship improvements: Prioritize a regular schedule for shipping improvements to your offerings. This brings predictability and reassurance to your customers, allowing you to reach more people and make a bigger impact.

2. Refactor and explore new ventures: Don't be afraid to spin off your cash cow and assemble a team to start something new from scratch. While the initial attempts may not work, the experience and persistence gained will eventually pay off, allowing for continued innovation.

3. Focus on clear and concise information: Present information in a straightforward and concise manner on your website. Avoid promotional language that exaggerates claims, as this can impose a cognitive burden on users. By providing the straight facts, you can enhance credibility and create a positive user experience.

Finding the right balance between scale and speed, as well as credibility in the online space, is crucial for organizations in today's digital age. By incorporating these actionable advice, organizations and websites can navigate these challenges and continue to thrive.