⚙️ Operations
An "Experience Engine"
Mental model update...
I wrote to you a few weeks ago about an interesting framework I’ve been using with the chefs and restaurant owners I work with, related to building businesses that prioritize the right factors (and actually last).
But I don’t think a “Business Burger” is the right visual.
It had some parts right…
The multiple elements.
The customizability.
Building “in order”.
But being honest with you about naming, I've learned to follow a "meme first, explain later" method.
It's about deciding on language that gets an unfamiliar face to say “I want that”. I know I've really got it right when that person shares it to someone else.
Sorry to say, "Business Burger" ain’t it.
A specific moment helped me narrow down the idea when I used Charlie Munger’s “inversion” to flip the analogy for a chef I was coaching.
What does it feel like when these elements are missing?
His answer included language most of us are familiar with.
“It feels like such a push…”
“I’ve lost sight of the finish line…”
“It’s unsustainable…”
None of these lines are what comes to mind when I think of a poorly built burger.
That’s when it hit me - there might be a better analogy for the multi-part, interconnected machines that high-performing, profitable organizations have inside them.
The better way to think about it is an Experience Engine.
Not only does this include the best parts of the previous model (including the alliteration 😉) but it more accurately describes how it feels to get it right (and wrong).
Think of the business as the “vehicle”. Sure, a restaurant business has elements like:
- The materials of the chairs
- The music in the dining room
- The card stock used for the menus
- The lighting behind the bar
…but when the goal is having an Experience Engine, it’s like worrying about unrelated elements on a vehicle like paint color, seat material or brand of tires (eh hem, sorry, of course we only use Michelin).
Instead, a business with an Experience Engine has an interconnected system of 5 key “parts”:
- A point-of-view
- Something people want
- Relationships
- Scaling
- Profit
Just like engines in vehicles, there’s nuance that determines if you want a huge 18-wheeler or a state-of-the-art Formula One car. This can then factor into where you want to GO with that vehicle (presence in grocery stores, partnerships with other brands, online content, awards and accolades, etc.)
I’ve seen all 5 Experience Engine "parts" in every enduring restaurant/chef/food business I respect.
Do the same for yourself and give me some feedback on this - I read every reply.
After road-testing this analogy (pun intended), each “part” in an Experience Engine deserves priority over creativity, novelty, Instagram flexing, and even speed-to-accolades.
Without an Experience Engine, you’re behind the vehicle, pushing (and often hiring a team of people to push with you because you’ve failed to implement elements of an Experience Engine in your business).
Notice: I’m not saying success is impossible without an Experience Engine (chefs who have “pushed” their way to 3-star-Michelin-success prove this). I AM saying it’s a heck of a lot better to prioritize the Engine first, and be awarded your desired stars as a byproduct.
This way, having a well-oiled Experience Engine installed allows the owner(s) to step back, work on the business, and when guests are invited to take a ride, they want to tell their friends about the experience.
I plan to write more about this idea in the coming weeks (eventually turning it into a long-form piece). I figure defining terms is a great place to start.
