The irony of where we pay attention at work

Mike Brown is the founder of Death Wish Coffee, billed as the world’s strongest (though technically they’re now the galaxy’s strongest, since their coffee is now found on the International Space Station). But before his success and his raving fans, from the outside looking in, it seems Mike didn’t know much about coffee or the coffee industry.

He used more robusta beans than is typical in North America, where arabica reigns supreme.

He built a brand with a jet black logo and a stark white skull-and-crossbones — a far cry from the muted reds and parchment browns and sunrise yellows of most coffee brands.

Mike’s decisions flew in the face of many coffee industry “best practices.” Yet he wasn’t trying to be a rebel. He was just paying more attention to his unique context than the general advice. (For instance, while robusta may not be as flavorful, it yields more caffeine than arabica — useful when your customers are blue collar workers who reach for coffee for the end result, not the sitdown, artisanal experience the typical brand evokes.)

From the outside looking in, it’s radical what Mike has built. It’s wildly different. But he didn’t build Death Wish by rejecting his peers or the conventional wisdom purely out of spite. Instead, he followed what was right in front of his nose: his own customers.

Some might say Mike didn’t know any better. I’d say, hold on a second, he did know better. He knew his customers better than anyone ever could. What if we did too?

See, Mike knows something powerful about building something exceptional:

When we pay more attention to the customer than to the industry, the customer pays more attention to us.

Ask yourself: Are we learning from industry experts … or our customers?

What is our version of the robusta coffee bean?

— — —

For the full Death Wish story, and more stories like it, consider a copy of my book, Break the Wheel: Question Best Practices, Hone Your Intuition, and Do Your Best Work.

Every sale helps me continue to create content that’s free for all to access. Thanks for your support.