Stop Pleasing Everyone / 04.15.08
Yesterday I registered a domain that has a word in it that could be offensive to some. I knew though that the word would be taken as a positive instead of a negative to most. When I brought the domain up to Mike Rundle he was not quite sure if it would be well received and brought up the point that some people would be upset. My first thought was good, I don’t want everyone to like the domain name. In fact I would love a bit of controversy around the name if possible.
When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.
Just like in business you don’t try to hit every single market because then you have a product that nobody likes. You can’t try to please everyone. It just isn’t possible. If you are a good natured person this may be hard to accept. I had to learn the hard way because I didn’t want to make anyone unhappy or have them bad mouth me.
When we first launched 9rules there were a ton of “suggestions” from our members and we listened and applied every single one only to find that when we pleased one group, another group wasn’t so pleased with the change and wanted something different. In our efforts to constantly please everyone we never progressed forward. You simply have to accept that certain individuals will not be pleased with what you do.
That is a good thing.
Many times you will find that if you have a displeased group there is another group just as pleased if not more with what you are offering. Think of these examples of companies that have a divisive line between groups of people that either love them or hate them.
- Microsoft
- Apple
- Linux
- Nintendo
- American cars
- Foreign cars
- George Bush
- Dane Cook
- Yankees
- Red Sox
- Paris Hilton
- Gawker
- 37signals
Please note there is a difference between not trying to please everyone and intentionally trying to piss certain groups off. Put your ego aside and know that pleasing everyone is bad for business. Do what is not only best for you, but for your company as well and you will be much happier. Let the competition worry about making everyone happy.