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Marginally Better

Marginally Better

By: Joe Taylor Jr.
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Marginally Better is a thought-provoking business podcast from Joe Taylor Jr., a Master Certified User Experience consultant and customer service veteran. It explores how investing in exceptional customer experiences drives sustainable growth and profitability.

Join Joe as he explores the intersection of business performance and customer satisfaction, revealing how companies can achieve what seems impossible: improving their margins by investing in customer experience.

Each episode explores triumphs and cautionary tales in customer experience, from industry giants to emerging disruptors. Through deep-dive analysis and compelling storytelling, Marginally Better examines how businesses navigate the delicate balance between innovation and customer needs in today’s rapidly evolving marketplace.

Whether you’re an executive, entrepreneur, or passionate about excellent customer experiences, Marginally Better delivers actionable strategies and thought-provoking perspectives on building businesses that truly put customers first. Thoughtful, engaging, and always focused on practical insights, Marginally Better is essential listening for anyone interested in the future of business, innovation, and customer experience.
2026 Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • The True Cost of Bad Customer Experience

    The True Cost of Bad Customer Experience
    May 13 2026
    What do a billion-dollar retail collapse, a broken app, and an abandoned shopping cart have in common? They’re all part of the same hidden bill, and most companies don’t realize they’re paying it until it’s too late.

    In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. breaks down the true cost of bad customer experience. Not as isolated mistakes, but as a slow, compounding erosion of trust that quietly drains revenue, loyalty, and brand value. From JCPenney’s infamous pricing overhaul to Domino’s brutally honest turnaround, this episode reveals a simple truth: the most expensive decisions businesses make are often the ones they never test—and the ones their customers never forgive.

    Episode Links:
    • Forrester: US Customer Experience Index 2024 — A Quality Crisis
    • Fast Company - CX scores hit a low, Forrester reports
    • Sonos app redesign timeline
    • Sonos warns of app remediation costs
    • Baymard Institute - 49 Cart Abandonment Rate Statistics
    • J.C. Penney’s “Fair and Square” Pricing Strategy
    • Understanding J.C. Penney’s Risky New Pricing Strategy
    • Was Ron Johnson right?
    • NPR — His Makeover Strategy In Shambles, J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson Is Out
    • J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson out after troubled tenure
    • 5 Critical Errors That Triggered Ron Johnson’s Removal at JC Penney
    • Washington Post — J.C. Penney files for bankruptcy (May 15 2020)
    • Domino’s CEO Patrick Doyle: Tech with a side of pizza (Kai Ryssdal interview, Sep 25 2015)
    • Restaurant Business Online — How Patrick Doyle changed Domino’s, and the restaurant industry
    • J. Patrick Doyle (career summary, with cited sources)





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    24 mins
  • The Repair Relationship Revolution

    The Repair Relationship Revolution
    Apr 29 2026
    A century ago, companies deliberately made products that wouldn’t last. Today, that model is being dismantled—by regulators, by consumers, and by a new generation of businesses built around repair, not replacement.In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the repair relationship revolution—from sweeping right-to-repair laws reshaping global manufacturing to companies like Framework and Lodge building loyalty through products designed to last. It’s a story about more than hardware—it’s about how fixing what’s broken can create stronger customer relationships than replacing what works, and why the future belongs to businesses that design for longevity, trust, and connection.Episode Links:Wikipedia — Phoebus cartelThe Great Lightbulb ConspiracyLightbulb Cartel a Dark Spot in Lighting HistoryOregon Passes Right to Repair Law: First to Ban Parts PairingOregon Legislature passes Right to Repair bill after four-year student effortOregon Legislature — SB 1596 Final Text (Chapter 69, 2024 Laws)Common rules promoting the repair of goodsIncoming EU right to repair requirements: The key things every global manufacturer should knowEuropean Parliament — Right to repair: the EU's actions to make repairs more attractiveRight to Repair Europe — The state of Right to Repair in 2026Apple Support — Self Service RepairApple to expand repair options with support for used genuine parts (April 2024)AppleInsider — Apple expands Self Service Repair to iPhone 17 lineupAppleInsider — iPhone 17e & M4 iPad Air parts now on Self Service Repair StoreThe Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (UNITAR / ITU)As electronic waste surges, countries look for answerGlobal E-waste Statistics PartnershipFramework's Series A-1 and Community ParticipationFramework raises $18m to move beyond modular laptopFramework Raises $18M In New FundingPitchBook — Framework Computer 2026 Company ProfileWikipedia — Framework ComputerPCWorld — Framework Laptop 16 reviewTechSpot — Framework Laptop 16 (2025) Pros and ConsEverything Framework Just Revealed at Its 2026 Modular Laptop EventFive Years of FrameworkLodge Cast Iron — About LodgeA Seasoned Family BusinessThe Bitter Southerner — Lodge Cast IronLodge Foundry in South Pittsburg Cooks up an American IconAfter 123 Years, Lodge Cast Iron is Still Family-OwnedLodge Manufacturing Investing $56M In South Pittsburg, TN ExpansionLodge Manufacturing Company to Expand Marion County OperationsWikipedia — Service Recovery ParadoxService Recovery Paradox: A Meta-Analysis (de Matos, Henrique, Rossi 2007)From service failure to brand loyalty: evidence of service recovery paradox (2025)
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    25 mins
  • The Community Currency

    The Community Currency
    Apr 23 2026
    A productivity app on the brink of collapse rebuilt itself in a small apartment in Kyoto—and a decade later became an $11 billion company with 100 million users. What changed? Not the product alone, but the people around it.In this episode of Marginally Better, Joe Taylor, Jr. explores the rise of community as currency—why companies like Notion, Figma, and Discord are growing without massive marketing budgets, while others spend billions trying (and failing) to manufacture connection. It’s a deep dive into what real community looks like, why it can’t be forced, and how businesses can create the conditions for customers to become something more: collaborators, advocates, and builders.Episode Links:Meta burned $19 billion on VR last year, and 2026 won't be any betterMeta's Reality Labs posts $6.02 billion loss in fourth quarterMeta Plans 30% Cut to Metaverse Budget in 2026Meta Metaverse Layoffs 2026: Inside Reality Labs MeltdownThe 5 Phases of Figma's Community-Led GrowthCommunity Growth at FigmaFigma's Community Ecosystem: From Plugins to Proof PointsDiscord Statistics 2026Discord Statistics 2026: Users, Revenue & MoreBranded Discord Community Building Guide 2026LEGO Ideas Blog — 146 Product Ideas Qualify for Second 2025 ReviewLEGO Ideas Case StudyCommunity Growth at LEGONotion's lost years, its near collapse, staying small to move fast (Ivan Zhao)Ivan Zhao: "In 2015, we were weeks away from shutting down"The Kyoto Reboot: How Ivan Zhao Rebuilt NotionNotion CEO Ivan Zhao: Augmenting Human IntellectHow Notion Does Marketing: Community, Influencers & Growth PlaybooksTemplates, Creators, and Power Users: Notion's MAU FlywheelNotion Community Led Growth Case StudyHow Notion Used Community to Scale to 20M+ UsersNotion's Growth Strategy: From 0 to $10 BillionHow Notion Built the Perfect SaaS Brand Ambassador ProgramNotion at $11 Billion: A Masterclass in PatienceNotion Statistics 2026: Growth, Revenue & ImpactNotion Valuation: How a Bootstrapped Startup Hit $10 BillionSephora's Secret Sauce: Exclusive Experiences over DiscountsSephora's loyalty SVP shares tips on creating a best-in-class loyalty programSephora Loyalty: 4 Reasons It Disrupts the MarketUltimate Guide to Community-Led GrowthThe Complete Discord Marketing Strategy for 2026Ravelry — About Our SiteKnit Like Granny — Ravelry Reveals: 79+ Statistics
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    21 mins
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