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
  • The Waiting Game Winners

    The Waiting Game Winners
    Sep 24 2025
    Americans spend 37 billion hours a year waiting—about 118 hours per person—but smart brands are turning that dead time into delight. In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. breaks down the psychology of waiting (why underpromising and overdelivering works, why occupied time feels shorter, and why fairness matters), and shows how Disney, Trader Joe’s, Apple launch lines, and a Melbourne bakery with a 45-minute croissant queue convert waits into community, anticipation, and loyalty. If you can’t always shorten the line, you can always make it worth it—here’s how. Episode Links:Harvard Business Review - When Providing Wait Times, It Pays to Underpromise and OverdeliverThe Psychology of Waiting Lines Customer Experience and Perceived Wait Time Study Scientific Research Publishing - Queue Psychology and Social Behavior INFORMS Operations Research - Perspectives on Queues Exploring the Science of Waiting Waitwhile - Consumer Survey: Waiting in Line 2023 Waitwhile - Consumer Survey: Waiting in Line 2024 Faster Lines - The Science of Waiting Lines How Improper Queue Management Affects Financial Results Queue-it - Disney Queue Psychology Disney Patent Dynamic Management Virtual Queues ResearchGate - Disney's Virtual Queues: A Strategic Opportunity Top Disney World Queues That Are Fun to Wait In The Best Queues to Wait In at Walt Disney World Wharton Women - Trader Joe's Strategy 5 Lessons Trader Joe's Can Teach Lines, Queuing Theory, and Small Business Why Do Humans Queue? Why Long Lines Can Be Good for Business How Artificial Waiting Enhances User Anticipation Behind the Scenes Marketing Tricks Application of Queuing Theory to Fast Food Waiting Line Effect in Technology-Enabled Restaurant Ordering Queue-it - Psychology of Queuing Qminder - Queue Psychology: Reduce Time Make Waiting More Bearable CX Journey - The State of Waiting in Line Disneyland to the DMV: Why We Hate Waiting
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    23 mins
  • The Ghost Kitchen Customer Catastrophe

    The Ghost Kitchen Customer Catastrophe
    Sep 17 2025
    Ever ordered from three “different” restaurants and gotten the same fries, same sticker, same address? This episode of Marginally Better digs into the ghost-kitchen gold rush—and the trust crisis it sparked. Joe Taylor, Jr. unpacks how virtual brands multiplied behind a single line, why customers feel duped when the story doesn’t match the kitchen, and how even big chains are retreating from the experiment. Then we spotlight a better model—radically transparent, food-hall-style operators like Wonder—and share practical signals consumers (and operators) can use to rebuild authenticity. If convenience killed connection, here’s how to bring it back. Episode Links:San Francisco Pizzeria Virtual Brands on DoorDash Burger Shop Revealed as Ghost Kitchen for 17 Restaurants News.com.au - Oporto's Dark Kitchens Revealed Multiple Menus and Brands, One Restaurant Kitchen Marc Lore's Wonder is Reinventing the Meal How Wonder Differentiates from Food Hall Concepts The Insatiable Billionaire Building the Amazon of Food Delivery How Wonder Became a Food Delivery Super App A Billionaire-Backed Food Hall Launches in DC Wonder Opens Inside Walmart Will Marc Lore's Ghost Kitchen Concept Work Inside Walmart? Why Ghost Kitchens Failed to Sustain Their Hype Everything You Need to Know About Cloud Kitchens Ghost Kitchens and the Restaurant Industry The Problem with the Ghost Kitchen Business Model Why Do Some Nice Restaurants Use Different Names? Avoiding Virtual Restaurants on DoorDash Master List I've Launched 4 Ghost Kitchen IPs How Ghost Kitchens Market Themselves Without Physical Locations
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    24 mins
  • The Repair Renaissance

    The Repair Renaissance
    Sep 10 2025
    What if telling customers not to buy is the smartest growth move you can make? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the Repair Renaissance—from Patagonia’s “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ethos and Minnesota’s nation-leading right-to-repair law to the global rise of Repair Cafés saving millions of pounds from landfills. We unpack how durability becomes a moat (hello, Vitamix and Le Creuset), why the “IKEA effect” proves the right kind of friction builds loyalty, and how AI is reshaping the real jobs of designers and developers—from pixel pushers to problem framers. If you care about circular economy wins, customer retention, and products that outlive trends, this one’s for you.

    Episode Links:
    • AI is Flipping UX Upside Down
    • AI is Eating Frontend Development
    • Design Tools Are Holding Us Back
    • Patagonia's Worn Wear: What Fashion Brands Can Learn
    • For Profit and Plant: How Recycling Has Changed This Retailer
    • Minnesota Attorney General - The Right to Repair in Minnesota
    • New Law Gives Minnesotans More Power to Fix Their Electronics
    • Digital Fair Repair Act is Important to Farmers
    • The 'Repair Café' Movement is Building a Fix-It Culture
    • Repair Day 2024: A Birthday, a Wasted Opportunity and the Growth of Repair
    • Circle Economy Foundation - Patagonia Boosts Its Incentive to Repair
    • Why Vitamix? Durability
    • 75 Brands With the Best Warranties
    • UX Lessons from the Very Intentional Design of IKEA
    • Happy or Not - A Complete Guide on How Customer Feedback Enhances UX
    • Wall Street Journal - CVS Wants to Help You Spend Less Time in CVS
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    23 mins
  • Designing for Trust: Inside the Privacy Economy

    Designing for Trust: Inside the Privacy Economy
    Sep 3 2025
    Do customers really value privacy—or will they trade it for a coupon code? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. unpacks the “privacy paradox” where 86% of people claim to care about data protection, but most will hand over personal details for even the smallest convenience. We’ll explore why privacy is becoming a luxury good, how small businesses are winning with trust-first strategies, and the economic realities behind “free” services. Plus, practical tactics for delivering user research that challenges leadership’s pet projects—without killing your career. It’s an eye-opening conversation about trust, transparency, and telling the truth in business.

    Episode Links:
    • Design in a World of Change: Why UX is Not Enough Anymore
    • Designing AI User Interfaces That Foster Trust and Transparency
    • Your Customer Experience Isn't Broken – It's Just Unclear
    • Your Online Privacy Is Not a Luxury, It's a Commodity
    • Meta's Overpriced Ad-Free Subscriptions Make Privacy a Luxury Good
    • Online Privacy Is a Right, Not a Luxury
    • Why Privacy Is the Real Luxury in Our Modern Era
    • Why Stakeholders Don't Vibe with User Research
    • It's Incredible How Many Bad User Experiences Are Still Out There in 2025
    • How Design Leaders Win Over Organizations That Don't Trust UX
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    24 mins
  • The Death of the Phone Call (And Why That's a Problem)

    The Death of the Phone Call (And Why That's a Problem)
    Aug 7 2025
    In a world where Gen Z would rather lose a finger than make a phone call, how do businesses keep real human connections alive? In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the rising “telephobia” reshaping customer service, why voice calls still convert better than any other channel, and how leading companies are bridging the gap between digital fatigue and high-touch connection. Plus: how micro-experiences are redefining personalization, why AI-powered interfaces may be too “natural” for some users, and what it really means to communicate in the age of intent-based design. If your customers won’t call—and your employees won’t pick up—this is the episode you need to hear. Episode Links:How Micro-Experiences Are Building Loyalty in an Over-Saturated MarketCustomer Experience Strategy Framework Leverage Customer-Centric Innovation to Improve Loyalty Gen Z Developing Fear of Phone Calls Call Declined: Why Gen Z Won't Pick Up the Phone Gen Z Phone Anxiety Importance of Customer Experience Socially Awkward Generation Won't Pick Up the Phone UX That Feels You: How to Design for Emotional Intelligence Will 2025 Be the Year for Immersive CX First New UI Paradigm in 60 Years Generative AI on Its Own Will Not Improve Customer Experience Welcome to the Era of "MEH" Additional Research Sources:Customer Experience Examples: How Leading Brands WinThe Secret Behind Nike's Martech Stack U.S. Chamber of Commerce - How the Micro-Experience Trend Fuels Customer Engagement Harvard Business Review - Using Technology to Create a Better Customer Experience Phone Call Anxiety: Simple Ways to Overcome Telephobia Gen Z is Afraid of Talking on the Phone Millennials vs. Gen Z: How Their Customer Service Expectations Compare AI Chatbots in Healthcare Conversational AI Insights from Gartner and Forrester 3 Wishes for AI UX AI-Powered Success Stories
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    26 mins