You start with a clear idea…

You know who you’re serving, and why it matters. Then your membership launches with intention and resonates with your people.

And the feedback starts rolling in.

Someone wants more content. Another wants less. One asks for a forum while another says they’ll cancel if you don’t add live calls.

You start tweaking. Stretching. Adjusting the experience just a little to keep everyone happy…

But here’s what quietly happens in the background:

Your message softens. Your positioning shifts. And the sharp edge that once made your product stand out starts to dull.

Soon, the people who loved you most aren’t sure what you stand for anymore.

The new ones show up, but don’t stick. And the soul of the thing you built starts to feel…vague.

I’ve watched this play out with so many operators - smart, thoughtful builders who lost the thread not because they didn’t care, but because they cared too much about the wrong signals.

Consider this: Are you building for everyone or the select few that matter most?

Let’s dive in.

When you stretch your membership to accommodate every request, trend, or persona, it doesn’t grow - it swells with unnecessary noise.

Your onboarding gets longer. Your messaging gets watered down. Your roadmap gets crowded.

You added a feature to quiet the feedback. You shifted positioning to match the market. You created a new tier to make everyone feel included.

But in the process, you lost sight of who this was really for. And worse, you lost the feeling that made them join in the first place.

There’s a real cost to trying to please everyone:

It erodes the identity your membership once had and the core purpose your people were aligned with.

The people who used to feel seen now aren’t sure if you still see them.

The ones who signed up for your point of view now get a menu of options instead of meaningful direction.

After hundreds of conversations with operators just like you, I’ve noticed a pattern when it comes to member feedback - the majority of it comes from those who are the least satisfied with a product.

Not because the operator was doing something wrong, but because the product likely wasn’t right for that customer in the first place.

So what about the happy customers - where are they? Usually, they’re hanging out in the background, quietly consuming your content. You often don’t hear from them.

Why?

Because they’re satisfied.

Here’s an insight that every operator should know when building and running a membership:

No feedback is feedback.

But if you indiscriminately chase and build for negative feedback, you risk diluting the value of your offering and erode the satisfaction of the satisfied members in the process.

Here’s a perspective for you to consider:

Negative feedback isn’t necessarily an indication of a gap in your product. Rather, it’s a signal that your messaging needs to be sharpened to draw a clearer line between who it’s for and who it’s not.

The strongest memberships don’t try to capture everyone. Instead, they repel most people by design.

They don’t chase consensus.

They hold conviction.

They say: This is who we’re for and we’re okay with being wrong for the rest.

I can tell you that your long term success as an operator is not tied to how well you reach the masses. Rather, it hinges on how effectively your product draws the line between who’s it’s for and who it’s not.

That kind of clarity is magnetic. It builds trust, loyalty, and identity - all before your prospects even become customers.

You don’t need a product that checks every box.

You need one that feels like home for the right person.

Here’s a simple, yet effective, action you can take right now to ensure you’re building for the right people:

Audit your last 3 product changes and ask yourself:

Then, ask your members one focused question:

“What part of this membership made you feel like it was built for you?”

Their answers will show you where the signal is still strong and where the edges need to be reclaimed.

Every time you dilute your offer, you trade short-term inclusion for long-term identity.

The future of strong membership businesses isn’t in wider appeal - it’s in deeper connection.

It’s in standing for something clear, and making the right people feel like they’re exactly where they belong.

So I’ll leave you with this question:

After all the tweaking, stretching and reacting, would your best members still say your product was built for them?

Think about it.

Tell me: How can I help you with your membership? Respond to this email and let me know (I always read every reply).

Share: I want Operator to be the most valuable thing that comes across your inbox each Tuesday. If I’m hitting that mark, share this newsletter with your staff, a team member or friend (just copy and share this URL).

See you next Tuesday.

-Michael