"Her eyes were bigger than her stomach."
When I was a child, my siblings used to joke about how one of our sisters, on the rare occasion when we ate at a restaurant (like McDonald's!), was well known for ordering way more food than she could eat. Later in life I heard the phrase "Her eyes are bigger than her stomach," which was a perfect way to describe it. She bought more than she could possibly consume because it all looked so good (yes, even at McDonald's).
I've seen a similar thing happen to associations when it comes to purchasing technology (e.g., new AMS, new CMS, etc.). The new technology promises so many great things that the organization winds up buying everything! After all, having everything is better than not having enough, right?
But very often, even if we buy all the things, we may not be able to implement them all right away. And in most cases, you'll have the option to buy less now, knowing you can add more later (e.g., licenses, modules, services).
So just like when we eat at McDonald's, we should pace ourselves, buying only what we need at that moment, knowing that we can always go back for more, if we need it. Don't let the allure of great technology make your eyes bigger than your stomach!
![]()
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
The “S” stands for “Standard”
The “S” stands for “Standard” In a conversation with a past client, we were discussing […]
Is that meaningless data?
Is that meaningless data? I’m not a big quotes guy, but one of the few […]
Be aware of unintended consequences
Be aware of unintended consequences I’ve written before that every decision involves a trade-off. When […]
Positive change is harder to see
Positive change is harder to see Humans are wired to see negative change because we […]
MVP: Minimum Viable Product
MVP: Minimum Viable Product In product development there is a concept known as MVP, or […]
You always need a reason for collecting data
You always need a reason for collecting data When you ask for data from someone […]
If you’re unhappy, speak up!
If you’re unhappy, speak up! My clients will often ask me something along the lines […]
Does it advance the mission?
Does it advance the mission? Because associations are mission-driven, everything you do should be seen […]
How should you start a new data project?
How should you start a new data project? When you’ve got a new data project […]
A Data Integrity Report…for Reports!
I’ve written elsewhere about the value of data integrity reports. But one of the most […]
