I was listening to a brilliant speaker at the Specialty Coffee Expo break down something deceptively simple.

He described coffee quality on a scale from 0 to 10.

Ten being the most premium coffee you could possibly produce.

Complex. Nuanced. Layered.

The kind of cup that growers and owners can dissect and describe with precision.

But here’s what stuck with me.

Most general buyers cap out at about a 6.

And they cannot reliably distinguish between a 6 and a 10.

Let that sit for a second.

If your customer can only taste up to a 6, what makes someone invest the extended time, labor, and cost in developing a 10?

Is that a product–audience mismatch?

Or is that simply the cost of being the expert?

So… Do You Stop at 6?

This is where it gets uncomfortable.

If your audience already thinks the 6 is spectacular, should you hang up your coat and surrender the pursuit of excellence?

Should you cut costs?

Should you simplify?

Should you admit that the difference only matters to a small group of specialists?

It opens up an entire category of strategic conversations.

And it applies far beyond coffee.

Are We Overengineering for Each Other?

This tension shows up everywhere.

In product development.

In technology.

In architecture.

In branding.

In design.

Are we building for the audience?

Or are we building for our peers?

As a designer, I ask myself this constantly.

Am I refining this because it genuinely improves the experience for the end user?

Or am I fluffing my feathers for the design community?

Sometimes it’s both.

But not always.

And as a business owner, that distinction matters.

When Expertise Outpaces the Market

Being an expert can cost extra.

Extra time.

Extra refinement.

Extra materials.

Extra thinking.

But if your audience cannot perceive that extra, is it strategic?

Or is it indulgent?

This isn’t about lowering standards.

It’s about alignment.

You can intentionally build for the 6 and optimize margin.

You can educate your audience and raise their palate over time.

Or you can target the small group who can taste the 10 and price accordingly.

All are valid.

But pretending you are serving one while operating like another is where things get expensive.

When 10 Is in the Wrong Place

When a 10 is in the wrong place, it goes invisible.

All of that refinement.

All of that effort.

Maybe even an award.

And no one outside your field can comprehend what it means.

When a 6 is in the wrong place, it’s immediately felt.

Because now you have no differentiation.

You are in the sea of other options.

And suddenly you are competing on price.

Alignment is what protects you from both.

It protects unnecessary spend.

It protects ego-driven decisions.

It protects you from polishing the invisible while neglecting the visible.

Sometimes the move is to educate your audience so they can taste the 10.

Other times, bringing them a 6 — when that is all they truly care about — is not settling.

It is smart.

It is margin-aware.

It is strategic.

So where does this sit?

This is positioning.

This is differentiation.

This is value design.

This is business framing.

Being the expert is not the hard part.

Knowing where your expertise should show up is.

And most founders are too close to their own craft to decide that alone.