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Marginally Better

Marginally Better

By: Joe Taylor Jr.
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 Marginally Better is a thought-provoking business podcast from Joe Taylor Jr., a Master Certified User Experience consultant and customer service veteran. It explores how investing in exceptional customer experiences drives sustainable growth and profitability.

Join Joe as he explores the intersection of business performance and customer satisfaction, revealing how companies can achieve what seems impossible: improving their margins by investing in customer experience.

Each episode explores triumphs and cautionary tales in customer experience, from industry giants to emerging disruptors. Through deep-dive analysis and compelling storytelling, Marginally Better examines how businesses navigate the delicate balance between innovation and customer needs in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.

Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or passionate about excellent customer experiences, Marginally Better delivers actionable strategies and thought-provoking perspectives on building businesses that truly put customers first. Thoughtful, engaging, and always focused on practical insights, Marginally Better is essential listening for anyone interested in the future of business, innovation, and customer experience.
2025 Economics Management Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • The Community Currency

    The Community Currency
    Apr 23 2026
    A productivity app on the brink of collapse rebuilt itself in a small apartment in Kyoto—and a decade later became an $11 billion company with 100 million users. What changed? Not the product alone, but the people around it.In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the rise of community as currency—why companies like Notion, Figma, and Discord are growing without massive marketing budgets, while others spend billions trying (and failing) to manufacture connection. It’s a deep dive into what real community looks like, why it can’t be forced, and how businesses can create the conditions for customers to become something more: collaborators, advocates, and builders.Episode Links:Meta burned $19 billion on VR last year, and 2026 won't be any betterMeta's Reality Labs posts $6.02 billion loss in fourth quarterMeta Plans 30% Cut to Metaverse Budget in 2026Meta Metaverse Layoffs 2026: Inside Reality Labs MeltdownThe 5 Phases of Figma's Community-Led GrowthCommunity Growth at FigmaFigma's Community Ecosystem: From Plugins to Proof PointsDiscord Statistics 2026Discord Statistics 2026: Users, Revenue & MoreBranded Discord Community Building Guide 2026LEGO Ideas Blog — 146 Product Ideas Qualify for Second 2025 ReviewLEGO Ideas Case StudyCommunity Growth at LEGONotion's lost years, its near collapse, staying small to move fast (Ivan Zhao)Ivan Zhao: "In 2015, we were weeks away from shutting down"The Kyoto Reboot: How Ivan Zhao Rebuilt NotionNotion CEO Ivan Zhao: Augmenting Human IntellectHow Notion Does Marketing: Community, Influencers & Growth PlaybooksTemplates, Creators, and Power Users: Notion's MAU FlywheelNotion Community Led Growth Case StudyHow Notion Used Community to Scale to 20M+ UsersNotion's Growth Strategy: From 0 to $10 BillionHow Notion Built the Perfect SaaS Brand Ambassador ProgramNotion at $11 Billion: A Masterclass in PatienceNotion Statistics 2026: Growth, Revenue & ImpactNotion Valuation: How a Bootstrapped Startup Hit $10 BillionSephora's Secret Sauce: Exclusive Experiences over DiscountsSephora's loyalty SVP shares tips on creating a best-in-class loyalty programSephora Loyalty: 4 Reasons It Disrupts the MarketUltimate Guide to Community-Led GrowthThe Complete Discord Marketing Strategy for 2026Ravelry — About Our SiteKnit Like Granny — Ravelry Reveals: 79+ Statistics
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    21 mins
  • The Transparency Tax

    The Transparency Tax
    Nov 12 2025
    Everyone says customers want transparency — open salaries, open supply chains, open decision-making. But when does sharing become oversharing? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. examines the transparency trap: how brands like Buffer and Everlane learned the hard way that revealing everything can erode trust, fuel criticism, and even cost millions. We also explore the surprising power of strategic mystery — and why the companies winning today aren’t hiding the truth, they’re choosing what not to say.Episode Links:Indeed - Why Business Transparency is ImportantWhat Consumers Really Want to Know About Your Business Things Customers Want to See on Your Local Business Website Does Transparency Benefit or Harm Your Company?ThoughtLab - The Truth About TransparencyThe Pros & Cons of Organizational TransparencyMartha Lane Fox: Transparency is Overused and It's Not an OutcomeMcKinsey - Leading Off Newsletter July 2022Everlane: Radical Transparency in FashionThe Everlane EffectTransparency Mechanisms in Ethical Consumerism Brutal Honesty in Sustainable Marketing Buffer: Where Transparency ReignsBuffer's Transparent Approach to SalariesEmbracing Pay TransparencyWhy These Companies Share Employee SalariesWhat Supply Chain Transparency Really MeansBenefits and Challenges in Supply Chain TransparencyWhy Overcompensating Supply Chains BackfiresSupply Chain Transparency PressureWhy Full Transparency is ImpossibleTransparency in Public RelationsBalancing Transparency with Client Discretion5 Ways to Balance Discretion and TransparencyThe Power of Transparency in LeadershipData Privacy and Customer ExperienceMaintaining Transparency When You Can't Share Everything Starting and Sustaining: Transparency
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    22 mins
  • The Senior Surge Opportunity

    The Senior Surge Opportunity
    Oct 1 2025
    By 2030, all 73 million U.S. Boomers will be 65+—and they control the majority of household wealth. So why do so many products, stores, and apps ignore them? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. breaks down the trillion-dollar gap between who has the money and who businesses design for—spotlighting winners like Best Buy and CVS, common “youngsplaining” mistakes, and simple UX fixes that boost conversions for everyone. If you’re serious about growth, the senior surge isn’t a niche—it’s your biggest opportunity. Episode Links:AARP - Census Data on Baby BoomersNational Council on Aging - Facts on Older Americans Generational Divide in B2B Decision Making Debunking Baby Boomer Myths Best Buy's Health StrategyFuture of Aging at Home SXSW Reinventing Care for a Generation CVS Health Social Care Network CVS Competitors in Senior Living CVS Healthy Aging Initiative Drugstore Closures Hit Seniors Hardest Impact of Font Pairing on UX Nielsen Norman Group - Glanceable Fonts Font and Interface Research Interface Design for Older Adults Interaction Design Foundation - Design for All Designing for Different Generations Cambridge University - Youngsplaining and Digital Ageism Preventing Ageism in Design ResearchGate - Ageism and Second-Level Digital Divide Digital Ageism Research Active Agers Driving Post-Pandemic Sales Generational Targeting Multi-Generational UX Interface Design Best Practices Ageism and Social Mobility Digital Accessibility Strategies
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    23 mins
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