The Problem with Everyone

I saw Justin Timberlake in concert last week. So did a lot of other people. 

In fact, on this tour, he's sold out every show so far. Thousands of people chant and cheer and sing and dance at each concert. Pyrotechnics and highly choreographed lights and sounds add to the spectacle. It's the perfect experience to impress tens of thousands of people at once. For 100 nights in a year.

I also went to a house concert not too long ago. A handful of us gathered in a room and listened to someone sing and strum a guitar. No lights. No microphones. No merch table. Just raw songs delivered in a heartfelt way to a couple of folks. The next time it happens, it'll be completely different.

Two different experiences. Two different feelings. 

Intimacy doesn't scale. Anonymity does. That's why the house show was unforgettable and the arena concert was just like all the others. That's why your marriage is meaningful and Twitter is a headache. 

From a business standpoint, one isn't necessarily better than the other and they each have their profitability models. So the question isn't where you can make money. It's why you want to do what you do. 

Building for scale can lessen the room for error, but it also lessens the space for connection.