Does it make the beer taste better?
In 2008, Jeff Bezos gave a talk at Y Combinator.
He told a story about visiting a 300-year-old brewery in Belgium.
A century ago, when electricity first arrived, it wasn’t a utility you could just plug into. To get power, that brewery had to buy its own generators, hire engineers, and become experts in electric power generation.
They spent massive amounts of time, money, and focus on managing electricity.
But here’s the kicker:
Generating their own power didn’t make their beer taste any better.
It was necessary, sure. But it was what Bezos calls "undifferentiated heavy lifting." It didn't set them apart. It just kept the lights on.
Fast forward to today.
Swap "Electricity" for "AI."
I see property managers obsessing over the latest AI tools. We spend hours tweaking chatbots, automating workflows, and optimizing tech stacks.
We convince ourselves this is the work. The book "The Obvious Choice" by Jonathan Goodman says it best:
"We tell ourselves that we're optimizing for scale and efficiency when chasing the latest tech, when in reality, what we're most often doing is best defined as productive procrastination."
The 2026 Reality Check
I’m not saying your software doesn’t matter. It absolutely does.
But software is the electricity. It’s the infrastructure. It is not the product.
The product is Trust. The product is Service.
Our data from 2025 is loud and clear on this. We analyzed roughly 1,000 surveys from owners, and do you know what they want?
They don’t want a faster chatbot. They want to know why the turnover is taking so long.
They want timely, human communication.
Stop Juggling Fire
So, here is the nuance: You need great tools, but you shouldn't be distracted by them. They shouldn't be shiny objects; they should be silent engines.
To help you distinguish between the two, PropertyManagement.com is going to rate the software providers, too.
We are cutting through the noise. We will be releasing rankings for software vendors driven by real data and tied to actual performance outcomes—so you can pick the right tools and get back to business.
My Challenge to You for 2026
As we close the book on 2025, I want to leave you with a challenge.
Use 2026 to show your market that you are different. Not because you have the coolest AI, but because you do the basics better than anyone else.
Focus on your local reputation. Focus on transparency. Focus on the things that actually "make the beer taste better."
If you get the basics right, you become undeniable.
See you in the New Year. Let’s get to work.
P.S. I’m planning my content for Q1 and I want to make it useful for you. What is one thing you want more of next year? Anything you want less of from my weekly content?
Leave a comment and let me know. I read every response.
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Closing Thoughts
It is easy to get addicted to the feeling of being busy. Building complex automations feels like work. Chasing the latest AI tool feels like progress.
But remember the brewery.
While your competitors are spending January fine-tuning their fourth chatbot workflow, I challenge you to go the other direction:
- Stop juggling fire. If your maintenance team isn't communicating, no amount of software will save the relationship. Fix the foundation first.
- Hold off on the shiny objects. We are about to release the industry’s first performance-based rankings for software. Let us do the heavy lifting on vetting the tools so you don't have to guess.
- Be the human in the room. In a world that is rushing toward automation, the highest ROI activity for 2026 is actually picking up the phone.
Don't just be high-tech. Be high-trust.
That is how you make the beer taste better. And that is how you become the obvious choice.
See you in 2026.
P.S. I’m planning my content for Q1 and I want to make it useful for you.
What is one thing you want more of next year? Anything you want less of from my weekly content?
Leave a comment and let me know!