{"id":12233,"date":"2026-01-12T20:23:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T00:23:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/not-trying-very-hard-seths-blog\/"},"modified":"2026-01-12T20:23:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T00:23:21","slug":"not-trying-very-hard-seths-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/not-trying-very-hard-seths-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Not trying very hard | Seth’s Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Profit<\/a>
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This is not the same as not working very hard. In fact, they\u2019re very different.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been indoctrinated to avoid trying hard (too risky and emotionally fraught) and to resign ourselves to working hard (held up as a virtue).<\/p>\n

People who work in productivity-focused jobs where they follow the manual work very<\/em> hard. If you buy a Subway franchise, you\u2019re buying years of hard work\u2013the more hours you put in, the better your profits. If you work on an assembly line\u2013making chocolate or writing code\u2013the boss pushes you to work harder and harder.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, there are projects where the outcomes are less certain and where the manual isn\u2019t as complete. In these sorts of projects, we need to use our judgment and insight. We do things that might not work. There are few prizes for longer work, but plenty of upside for better work.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re surrounded by businesses staffed by hard-working people who have been trained to not try very hard. So they stick with the policy and avoid innovation, customer delight and connection.<\/p>\n

Ironically, when it\u2019s our turn to be the customer, we often seek out precisely the opposite. Humans are drawn to folks who care enough to try a bit harder.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\tJanuary 12, 2026<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n