The Grocery List That Explains Why Systems Fail

00:00 - Opening

Hey, welcome to Slow Builds.

Earlier I talked about how productivity systems often fall apart after a few months.

And it got me thinking about systems in general.

I think I finally understand why.

It has less to do with the system itself and more to do with human behavior.

And weirdly, the thing that made that click for me was our grocery list.

00:35 - The Analog System

For years we had a grocery list stuck to the fridge.

Just a piece of paper anyone could write on.

It was visible.
It was always in the same place.
It was simple.

And honestly, it did work.

Mostly it worked because I was the one getting most of the groceries.

At that point it was just me and my wife.

But now there are four of us.
Any one of us could go get groceries.
Any one of us could add something to the list.

And once that changed, the system did not work the same way anymore.

Like most systems, it worked... for a while.

01:20 - When The Friction Starts

Then the cracks started showing up.

Someone would already be at the store and someone else would go to add something to the list.
Now the list is not with the person at the store.

So you call or text.

Or someone realizes we are out of something right after you leave.

Same thing, another call or text.

Sometimes the paper just disappears.

Maybe it fell off the fridge.
Maybe it got moved.

None of this is a big deal.

But it is friction, and it starts to build.

02:05 - When The System Stops Working

The worst one is when you get to the store and realize the list is not with you.

Or someone calls because something was missed.

But the real worst one is when you come home and realize someone forgot to add something, or you missed something on the list.

And then you have to go back to the store.

After a while there is so much calling, checking, and missing things that people stop trusting the system.

At that point the system is not helping anyone.

You just go to the store and call home and ask what we need.

02:55 - The Usual Fix: Tools

When systems start failing, most people reach for better tools.

Better apps.
Smarter devices.
Automation.

You see this all the time at work, especially in tech.

There is always another tool you can buy or subscribe to.
Another platform that promises to fix everything.

I have been at too many companies where this happens.

Everyone convinces themselves this new tool will fix all the problems.

Sometimes the system quietly gets abandoned.

One or two people keep using it, but everyone else stops.

Updates stop happening.
Check-ins stop happening.

And the one person still using it starts sending emails asking people to update the system.

When the truth is everyone could have just said the same thing in the meeting.

04:00 - When Systems Become Forced

Sometimes it is worse than abandonment.

Sometimes people keep paying for the tool even though no one is using it.

And sometimes leadership forces everyone to keep using it.

Not because it works, but because they paid for it.

They invested time setting it up.

So now everyone has to follow the process whether it makes sense or not.

But tools only help if you actually understand the real problem first.

You have to understand the friction and the pain points before choosing the solution.

04:45 - What Was Actually Broken

Eventually I realized something about our grocery list.

The problem was not the list.

The list itself is actually the perfect solution.

Write items down.
Check them off.

You cannot really improve on that.

The problem was the process around it.

There were too many little rules.

Add things before someone leaves the house.
Make sure the list stays in the same place.
Remember to check it when you are at the store.

And the more people involved, the harder that becomes.

These systems only work if everyone follows the process.

The moment someone decides to go get groceries suddenly, the whole system breaks.

So the real problem was not paper.

It was access at the moment you needed it.

05:50 - Trying Digital

Once that clicked, the solution seemed obvious.

Make the list digital.
Share it.
Access it from anywhere.

But even that did not fully solve it.

And honestly, I was not about to start paying a subscription to solve a problem people have had since grocery stores existed.

So I started with the simplest options.

First I tried a shared Google document or spreadsheet.

Then we tried Apple Notes with a shared checklist.

But those still had friction.

People had to have their phones.
They had to open the note.
Type something in.
Clear items out afterward.

Sometimes people were not logged in.

Sometimes the list got messy.

It worked... but it still felt like work.

06:55 - The Unexpected Solution

Then one day the obvious solution appeared.

I was in the kitchen and used Alexa to announce dinner.

And it clicked.

We already had Alexa everywhere.

In the kitchen.
Living room.
Cars.
Phones.

We use it for announcements, lights, reminders, music, everything.

So I tried something simple.

"Alexa, add bananas to the shopping list."

And it worked.

Now anyone in the house can add items just by saying it out loud.

Kids downstairs can add something.
Someone cooking can add something.
Someone remembering something in the car can add something.

No phones.
No typing.

Just say it.

The system stayed the same.

But the friction disappeared.

08:05 - Reflection

I notice this pattern everywhere now.

Systems rarely fail in dramatic ways.

They fail in small, ordinary moments.

And most of the time it is not the idea that fails.

It is human behavior.

Nobody wants to add more work to their day.

When a system adds extra steps or forces people to change how they already do things, it slowly stops getting used.

New systems usually only succeed in two situations.

Either people need them badly enough that they are willing to completely change their behavior.

Or the system fits so naturally into what people already do that it barely feels like a change.

The Alexa solution worked because it did not change behavior.

It fit into behavior that already existed.

09:10 - Think Digital, Act Analog

Years ago I read a line in a book by Guy Kawasaki that stuck with me.

Think digital. Act analog.

The more systems I see fail, the more that line makes sense.

It is also why when I build something new, I start extremely simple.

Sometimes with paper.
Sometimes with spreadsheets.
Sometimes just a rough process.

Not because those tools are better.

But because they help reveal patterns.

You start seeing the real needs.
The real friction points.
Where systems actually break.

And once those things become clear, then it makes sense to build something better.

10:00 - Closing

So I am curious.

What systems do you use that actually remove friction and make life easier?

Let me know.

I am also planning to do a few videos about some small tools I am building for myself.

Most of them are simple things that help remove pain points in my own workflow and daily life.

And I am starting to think some of them might help other people too.

Thanks for watching.