Knowledge informs action. Action shapes identity. Who we are is a reflection of what we consistently learn and do. At Lock 8, we treat learning as a continuous discipline - refining our thinking, evolving our approach, and sharing what we discover along the way.

Blog

Customer Effort > Customer Satisfaction? Not So Fast…

A prior post explored the concept of customer effort as a critical driver of customer loyalty. That piece referenced Gartner research / articles (here, here, and here)…
6 min read

Exceeding Customer Expectations is…the Wrong Goal?

“The key to customer loyalty is an effortless customer service experience.” These seemingly innocuous words caught me flat-footed and punched me right in the nose.…
4 min read

Operational Readiness: The Overlooked “Other Stuff”

A previous post on this blog shared observations about high-stakes SaaS product development initiatives; and a follow-on piece took a deeper dive into setting related cloud services strategies. Together…
7 min read

Variety is the Spice of Life When it Comes to Operator-Investor Interactions

This blog typically focuses on sharing observations from the twenty years I spent operating small-scale SaaS businesses. This post takes a different tack. It reflects…
5 min read

Who Should be on the Bus: A Shortcut to Getting There

It’s easy for leaders to get caught up in the day-to-day of running small-scale businesses. Particularly during challenging times, it can take all our energy…
7 min read

Just Say No to Being an “X-led” Company

People say it all the time, usually with great pride: “We are a sales-led company.” Or, in businesses with deep technical roots, it might shape-shift…
5 min read

8 Steps for “Making the Most of a Good Crisis”

There’s some debate about who first said, “Never waste the opportunity offered by a good crisis.” (N. Machiavelli, W. Churchill, R. Emmanuel). Whatever its origin, its meaning…
7 min read

They Can Handle the Truth: Communications Tips for Leaders during Crisis

In the 1992 legal drama film “A Few Good Men,” Colonel Nathan Jessep (Jack Nicholson) barks an iconic and scathing reproach to Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee…
4 min read