Linn, the Glasgow-based maker of upscale audio equipment, was written about in The Economist (15th Dec edition) in an article called Streaming Toddler.

I don’t own a Linn product but I do know of the quality of their products and that they have a loyal customer and fan base.

Linn make high value, high quality, hand-made and very specialised audio products for a very particular market, the audiophiles. The firm is growing, makes healthy profits and is continuing to innovate to ensure the future success of the firm. All of this, despite the tough economic conditions of the last few years.

So, when I read comments like:

“If Linn has a fault, it is its modest scale.”

and

“But 40 years on hi-fi makers like Linn are battling for relevance.”

….such comments annoy me.

Why?

Because, the writer seems to think that bigger is better. Better for who? Better for Linn? Better for Linn’s customers? I’m not sure.

Also, the writer goes on to suggest that that Linn is battling for relevance right now. Relevance for who? The mass-market? Perhaps.

But, I wonder what Linn’s customers would say. Apparently, David Bowie and Sir Mervyn King are fans of Linn’s equipment. Maybe, we should ask them. Does anyone have their number?

Here’s the lesson for me: Often there is too much talk and emphasis on scale in business. This can come at the detriment of quality and, also, what your customers want. We might be better suited to concentrate, like Linn, on producing great products for our customers and let much of the scale take care of itself.

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Thanks to 27147 for the image.