As we get deeper into the 2010s, the most successful companies in every industry in the United States – from food to fashion – are ditching mass production in favor of customization…
America is becoming a nation of customizers.  And the one new rule for successful businesses across the country is simple:  Customize for your clients.
Anthony Flynn, Emily Flynn Vencat – Custom Nation:  Why Customization is the Future of Business and How to Profit from It

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As I dipped into the book Custom Nation, I sort of just stopped to think about all the ways this has become a way of life.

If you are old enough, you remember the nights when all of America seemed to watch the same television shows.  There was Ed Sullivan and Bonanza night; there was All in the Family night; and later, there was Columbo night.  (I miss Columbo).

Not anymore.  I now watch my TV shows when I want to.  They are either recorded with my DVR, or I click on the magic box and watch Netflix.  (I am currently half-way through the first season of House of Cards.  Yes, I am hooked!).

There are signs of this custom-created living everywhere.  My wife and I both have iPhones.  But she checks hers differently than I do — and, in fact, they are different “devices.”  I have, and use, different apps than she does.  And if you have your own iPhone, I can assure you that you have different apps than your family members, your colleagues.

At restaurants, people order their food “their way” in increasing number.  Custom Nation states that 25% of orders are not according to the menu, but rather “personalized by customers.”  From the book:

In fact, in the Starbucks era, the static menu hanging behind the espresso machines at most coffee shops seems more decorative than informative – retro even.  

We design it ourselves, use it the way we want to, and this “trend” is only going to accelerate.

Here’s a thought exercise to try.  We know that 3D printers are arriving in our office supply stores this fall.  At first, prices  will keep them out of reach for many, but still lower than we could have imagined just a short while back.  And, those prices will go down rapidly – that is practically a certainty.  The number of “designers” for “print-it-yourself” products and items will probably multiply as fast as app designers have.  The thought experiment:  how will the mass use of 3D printers change the way we function?  Brainstorm a list.  I suspect “we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”

So, what are the implications?

As consumers, it is obvious – we will choose more often.  And, as wonderful as this is, it can also be borderline exhausting.  The more choices we have to make, the more time we invest in such choices.  A few weeks ago, I ordered my wife a new coffee maker.  (She drinks coffee – I stick to Dr Pepper products).  She had one simple request – “no bells and whistles.”  And she wanted an on-off switch.  No digital programming, no digital scheduling.  Just an on-off switch.  In the old days, that ‘s what all coffee makers had.  Not anymore! we learned.  (I did find two, and only two – that fit her request.  But there were so many more choices…)

On the other hand, the plethora of choices is terrific.  I really can order things my way, nearly everywhere, nearly every time.  And that does make me happier.

As product or service providers, the challenge is especially clear.  The more that we expect, or at times demand, that a customer purchase what we offer the way we offer it, the more quickly we will lose that customer to a competitor ready to “make it/do it their way.”  Increasingly, we have to learn to listen to the customer – each individual customer — adapt very quickly, and customize, customize, customize.