At a farmer’s market, specialists are celebrated. The strawberry farmer is the person to buy from if you want strawberries. However, if next week they show up and expand beyond strawberries to offer cleaning detergent, sunscreen, energy drinks, and lottery cards, they would suddenly disrupt their standing as a cultivated specialist. They would be moving into the realm of a convenience store.

Adding services and expanding programs may seem like a great way to scale. However, if it undermines our specialty, we might be on a collision course with existing as average and easy to disregard.