A while back, David posted about what Gordon Ramsay can teach software developers.
Since then, I’ve been soaking in the BBC America version of Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares and loving it. Even if there is some reality TV BS going on, the program does a great job of showing the power of determination, attitude, and attention to detail when it comes to running a small business.
If you’re looking for a place to start, I recommend “The Curry Lounge” episode…
This do-it-yourself curry house puts the customers in control – allowing them to create their own dishes, and making life hell for the head chef.
This “create your own curry” scheme is the brainchild of the restaurant’s owner, a former sales director. He figures the best way to please customers is by letting them call the shots. But it’s not working. The food is bad, the chefs are apathetic, and the business is failing.
Enter Gordon. He scales back the menu, gets rid of the DIY ordering, creates a low cost lunch option to lure in new customers, builds buzz via a marketing event, and puts regional Indian favorites that the chefs love on the menu in order to rekindle their passion for cooking.
That last item reveals one more reason to design for yourself first: It keeps your passion alive. There’s no substitute for that.
Here’s Part 1 of the episode:
Links to the rest: Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.
Joe Sak
on 18 Mar 08Oh man I’ve been watching the BBC version, too, and I loved your article about what Gordon Ramsey can teach software developers.
I like how he always cuts out peoples’ pre-conceived notions of what their customers are like.
Scott
on 18 Mar 08If you haven’t seen the show “Gordon Ramsey’s F Word”, I strongly recommond it. It’s amazing how well he can lead and inspire a team that he’s never even worked with.
FredS
on 18 Mar 08Great show… but why do they have to show him changing into his chef’s shirt??
Mitch
on 18 Mar 08I, too, have been enjoying Gordon’s BBC show.
Funny how the same theme repeats itself over and over.
It’s all about simplify, simplify, simplify and quality, execution and value. A core lesson that translates to many other things.
Luke Redpath
on 18 Mar 08Incidentally, the UK version of Kitchen Nightmares is actually produced for Channel 4, not the BBC. I didn’t realize BBC America should shows from other UK broadcasters.
http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/ramsays-kitchen-nightmares/
The above site is currently advertising the US version of the show as they have just started showing that over there. The US version is entertaining in an OTT kind of way but it’s not a patch on the UK version.
Luke Redpath
on 18 Mar 08Must remember to hit preview before submitting…Must remember to hit preview before submitting….
Of course, that should read “I didn’t realize BBC America showed shows…”
Graeme Shaw
on 18 Mar 08I’ve been a big fan of the UK version of the show on Channel 4, and have more recently been watching Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares USA as it’s billed over here.
The thing that’s really struck me is how horribly produced the US version is. It’s lazily edited together out of sequence, so you clearly see peoples clothes changing between shots, or it changing from light to darkness and back again outside.
There’s a constant stream of annoying reaction shots, they’ll show someone shouting at a waitress, followed by the waitress crying, followed by a talking head shot of the waitress speaking to camera saying “when he shouted at me, I cried”. Strangely we know that you cried when he shouted at you, we just saw the clip of him shouting and you, and you crying!
It’s fascinating to compare the differences between the two shows which nominally have the same format. The US version is really hard work to watch, and there only seems to be about 20-30 minutes of actual content in each episode.
Craig
on 18 Mar 08I think your script to replace “Don” with “Norman” is going a little too far!
tyler rooney
on 18 Mar 08It’s just depressing that the US version of this show basically ruined everything that is great about the UK version. Also, it’s amazing how often Gordon can find the chance to take his shirt off while talking to the camera.
Vladimir
on 18 Mar 08This guy is amazing. He is more than a chef … that’s for sure! Thanks for the tip. I’ll have to watch this show!
ML
on 18 Mar 08Also, it’s amazing how often Gordon can find the chance to take his shirt off while talking to the camera.
I think the shirt change is the show’s (silly) way of showing that Gordon is “getting down to business.” It’s always the transition scene between when he’s evaluating the place and when he starts to dive in and help in the kitchen.
matt
on 18 Mar 08“That last item reveals one more reason to design for yourself first: It keeps your passion alive. There’s no substitute for that.”
Maybe I’m missing something, but the owner attempted that. And ended up with a totally fucked up menu. The chefs, on the other hand, would be designing for themselves…and would be happy.
So in the end…sometimes to be more successful you can’t design for yourself. You have to do what makes others happy or makes more fiscal sense.
You probably should’ve thrown in the 37 signals standard “simplify” lines instead showing that reduction in the menu allowed them to focus on the ingredients and perfecting the fewer dishes.
Anonymous Coward
on 18 Mar 08Maybe I’m missing something, but the owner attempted that. And ended up with a totally fucked up menu.
No, you’ve got it backwards.
He attempted a menu that would make everyone single possible customer happy. That’s why it was fucked up. No one was happy because he tried to make everyone happy.
matt
on 18 Mar 08Odd. I see what the owner was doing as very similar to those kinds of places that sell really expensive jeans that are built to customer specifications.
He offered a huge amount of choices. While generally this is bad for a product it works in some areas.
I still see it as the owner designing for himself; however, I still think that design is / was flawed.
it would be like me putting all of my favorite dishes on a single menu. That would be complex and would most importantly, lack cohesion.
Peter
on 18 Mar 08Another interesting thing that at least the ‘curry lounge’ episode made very clear to me is the very often overlooked marketing factor of authenticity. Food that is authentic with a culture or history is more appealing then say new creations although most of the guests don’t actually know what authentic food from a specific region in India tastes like. Sports cars from certain Italian manufacturers have great appeal to many people not the least because the founders character and charisma brought a certain authenticity and uniqueness to the company and it’s products. Hand crafted shoes are not just lovely because they wear great but because they are not coming form a mass production line. The appeal of 37signals or Apple’s products to many people is not just based on how useful they are or what features they deliver or how easy they are to use, it’s also based on the fact that these products are being authentic with the believe systems and opinions of their creators (have you ever seen a hatchback on a Ferrari…?).
I think there is a good marketing lesson to learn from this. Obviously for a startup creating their first software product it is more difficult to be authentic with their history (since their is none) but it becomes clear that making a strong point and showing some attitude (if it’s truly yours) can go a long way against the mediocre bla bla that we usually hear from startups that want to fit the standard corporate venture capital bill.
I’d be interested to explore more on this topic
David R. Spotts
on 19 Mar 08The great thing about Gordon (other than the swearing and the stylish way that he mocks people) is that he both a creative type and a person that knows that the numbers don’t lie.
Financial statements tell the tell in a business. Both he and 37 seem to be growing both profits and revenues. That means they have a winning combo. It’s that simple.
Ric
on 19 Mar 08I saw this episode on the TV in the UK a while back. I love your analogy to software development! :-)
Lee
on 19 Mar 08Gotta love Gordon, I think he could turn any business around. He’s on Channel 4 tonight so I’ll go get some inspiration.
dandan
on 25 Mar 08Great footballer too. :-D
This discussion is closed.