February 20, 2024

When Doing Too Much Gets You Nothing?!

18 minutes

Have you ever felt like you're doing so much, but getting farther from your goals?

Today we delve into the dichotomy of starvation and gluttony in business, as well as life. This concept not only applies to corporate strategies but also mirrors a fundamental human tendency to oscillate between scarcity and excess.

Key Highlights:

Starvation vs. Gluttony in Business: Glazer's theory suggests that while businesses often fear starvation - a lack of resources and growth - it is gluttony, or excessive growth and expansion, that leads to their downfall. This notion challenges conventional wisdom about business growth and expansion.

Crumbs Cupcake - A Case Study: The story of Crumbs Cupcake serves as a cautionary tale, illustrating how fear-driven expansion led to its bankruptcy. This example underscores the perils of gluttony in business, as the company's rapid growth outpaced market sustainability.

Apple's Strategic Retraction: Contrasting with Crumbs Cupcake, Apple's success story under Steve Jobs' leadership highlights the effectiveness of strategic retraction. Jobs' decision to reduce Apple's product offerings significantly laid the foundation for its remarkable success.

Notable Quotes:

"The fear of starvation leads to actions driven by scarcity, while it is often gluttony, or excess, that seals a business's fate."

"Growth is essential, but it's the quality, not the quantity of growth that matters."

Action Step:

Reflect on areas in your life or business where you might be overextending. Identify where strategic reduction can lead to more focused and effective growth. Remember, it's not about doing more; it's about doing what matters most and doing it well.

Gluttony Vs Starvation by Bob Glazer

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