Once you buy crap…

Once you buy crap...

"When you buy something cheap and bad, the best you’re going to feel about it is when you buy it. When you buy something expensive and good, the worst you’re going to feel about it is when you buy it." - grandmother of Sasha Aickin, former CTO at Redfin.

I love this quote because it can be applied to so much of what my clients experience when acquiring technology (and yes, consulting services!).

Too often I'll encounter associations that have technology that isn't serving them well because they bought what they "could afford at the time" rather than buying what they actually needed. Like the quote above, they felt good when they bought it, but that was probably the last time they felt good about it because it wasn't what they really needed!

I have a good friend in the construction business whom I often ask for advice when buying things for my home (products or services). He likes to remind me that if you buy cheap, "once you buy crap, you always have crap."

My advice is this: spend as much as is required to get what you need. And if you can't afford it, you might be better off waiting and "saving up" until you can afford what you need. Because like my friend says, once you buy crap, you always have crap.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Eyes wide open and affirmative decision-making

April 16, 2025

Eyes wide open and affirmative decision-making When I work with my clients on any type […]

Honoring an industry legend

April 9, 2025

Honoring an industry legend I’m taking a break from my usual data management tips to […]

Never burn a bridge

April 2, 2025

Never burn a bridge My children have reached the age where they have, or are, […]

You CAN compete with the big guys…

April 2, 2025

You CAN compete with the big guys… In my experience, associations often undersell their actual […]

Join (or start) your users group!

March 26, 2025

Join (or start) your users group! Today’s message is simple: If the AMS you’re using […]

They don’t care, until they care.

March 19, 2025

They don’t care, until they care. One of the more common questions I get from […]

Longfellow and data management

March 12, 2025

Longfellow and data management “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing while […]

Do you really need all that historical data?

March 5, 2025

Do you really need all that historical data? A question I’ll often get from my […]

AI actually requires thinking

February 26, 2025

AI actually requires thinking “I don’t think AI introduces a new kind of thinking. It […]

It’s not the mistakes, but how you respond

February 19, 2025

It’s not the mistakes, but how you respond Recently a client was complaining about a bug that […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top