Hey Reader,

Welcome to The Middle, your midweek rundown of the most interesting things we've read this week.

As Jay mentioned, we've got some rebranding to do, not to mention a website makeover. It's time for a few upgrades around here, and we're excited about that—it feels like a new beginning.

I've got an awesome Bill Gates story at the end; make sure you stick around to the bottom.

Let's get into The Middle.

Jeff

Don't let scope creep set in to product strategy

"Once you have a screen, you tell the time. Once you tell the time, you're a watch. I didn't want to compete with watches."

Boom. In one sentence, Will Ahmed nails why WHOOP's $3.6B-valued health wearable doesn't have a screen.

Scope creep isn't just about feature bloat.

It's about accidentally entering markets you never meant to compete in.

Think about it:

• Add a chat feature? Now, you're competing with Slack.

• Throw in project management? Hello, Asana and Monday.com rivalry.

• Sprinkle in some CRM functionality? Suddenly, you're in Salesforce's crosshairs.

WHOOP stayed laser-focused on being the best at health monitoring.

No screens, no time-telling, no watch market. Just pure, distraction-free health insights.

Sometimes, the best product strategy is knowing what you're not - and being okay with that.

Flipping the script on your customer journey

I loathe customer journeys. They're just a way to make us, as vendors, feel better. It's rarely followed and too rigid for the world we live in.

Well, I built one and shared it - it got some decent engagement, so I figured I'd expound on it here.

Maybe I don't like customer journeys because they rarely are followed, but more importantly, they don't allow me to tell the customer a story about why we've created certain moments.

If you look at building key moments around a feeling, you've got the building blocks of a story... something like:

1. Empower Me
   Key feeling: "Give me the tools to do it myself"

2. Lead Me ​
   Key feeling: "Anticipate my needs and be proactive"

3. Connect Me ​
   Key feeling: "Create platforms to connect with my peers

4. Know Me ​
   Key feeling: "Listen and respond to our changing needs

So, this might inspire you to dust yours off and see if it can't be revamped.

Your CEO will always check the details

Have you ever imagined Bill Gates struggling to download a file like an average user?

Well, it happened.

Tom Alder recently shared an email from Bill Gates detailing his frustrating experience trying to download Microsoft MovieMaker (yeah, I don't know that product either).

It got my wheels turning...

• Never be too big for the small stuff ​
  At the height of Microsoft's power, Bill Gates took the time to experience his product as a typical user would. He didn't rely on reports or second-hand information. He rolled up his sleeves and went through the process himself.

  Takeaway: Regularly use your product as your customers do. Experience the pain points firsthand.
  ​

• Direct communication to those responsible ​
  Gates didn't mince words or rely on a chain of command. He directly addressed the teams responsible for his issues, ensuring his message wasn't diluted.
  ​
  ​My Takeaway: Create channels for direct feedback within your organization. When issues arise, communicate directly with the relevant teams.
  ​

• The more detail, the better​
  Gates didn't just say, "It doesn't work." He provided a step-by-step account of his experience, including specific pain points and suggestions for improvement.
  ​
  ​My Takeaway: When you encounter issues, document them thoroughly. This specific feedback drives meaningful improvements.

In an era when CEOs can easily become detached from day-to-day operations, this was a powerful reminder to stay connected to your product, communicate directly, and never stop pushing for better user experiences.