Bigger Is Almost Never Better

When it comes to business, schools, clubs, churches and just about anything I can think of – bigger is almost never better.

I read a book a while back which explores this idea way more completely than I could ever do. It’s called The Downsizing Of The USA. I really enjoyed it. And I think about the concept, a lot.

All my favorite things are small.

Sure, there are a few exceptions. But we’re not talking about the exception. Small food places, for example. Almost always better. Small menu. One specialty item (ie. burgers, pizza, cupcakes, etc.). Usually the bigger the menu, the less quality the food and experience is. This one reason why food trucks are so popular. I think we live in an age with too many choices. Sometimes we just want to have things narrowed down a bit. There’s a lot of things that could use a lot of narrowing!

Never get excited for mergers at your workplace. They almost never result in making things better. More people, more confusion. More middle managers. More red tape. More problems. Why do you think so many entrepreneurs build businesses and then sell them or move on to other gigs? Because everybody knows it’s the best when it’s smaller.

The first few years I went to Warped Tour it was awesome. 2 main stages rotating and 1 side stage. And only about a dozen vendors + band merch tents. Now when you go, it’s a circus. In the beginning I saw bands like Quicksand, CIV, Hot Water Music, Social Distortion, etc. at the fest. Now (with deference to any friends and colleagues who may or may not have been on said tour) there are a lot more “popular” bands like Blood On The Dance Floor – who nobody should be listening to…ever.

I know I’m coming across as one of those snobs who years for the old days when his favorite bands weren’t popular and when coffee wasn’t $6 and named something weird. That’s not what I’m saying.

I wonder how many mega-churches who started as small Bible studies with a close knit group of people think having thousands of people now is better? I doubt very many do. Sure, the tithe must be nice. But it’s all a wash because the expenses are so much higher. And now we have Churches that are so big that they broadcast to audiences in movie theaters in different cities. Is that really what we want? Isn’t small group of people who can interact with their pastor better?

And just look at the dismal state of our country. Name a problem. Anything. Most of them are at least contributed to by having too much stuff, too many people, too big of a system. Smaller is better. Smaller is easier to manage. Smaller costs less.

All the money that was given to the Red Cross for Haiti has been tied up in committee and politics. Most of the money is not even getting to the people. Meanwhile a friend of mine and some others flew to Haiti, rented a truck, got some rice and fed a bunch of people. Even charity is better when it is smaller. Lots of small specific groups working together toward one purpose is great. Several big monopolizing monoliths – never good.

We should all attempt to do more with less. As much as is possible I try to support small local businesses with my money. But further than that I hope that I can encourage people to run their operations (whatever you’re doing) in a more sustainable and small way. Bake a loaf of bread, sell the bread, bake another loaf. Does everybody have to franchise? Does everything need to be everywhere? No, it does not.

I love this quote by Ian Mackaye (of Fugazi and Dischord Records) which sums this up perfectly…

“American business at this point is really about developing an idea, making it profitable, selling it while it’s profitable and then getting out or diversifying. It’s just about sucking everything up. My idea was: Enjoy baking, sell your bread, people like it, sell more. Keep the bakery going because you’re making good food and people are happy.”

Keep it small. Keep it local. Keep it simple.

Further Reading:
Small Is The New Big by Seth Godin
Ian Mackaye Salon Interview