Why Quality Digital Work Is Becoming Harder to Find

"The digital industry has traded quality for performance, leading to a culture of 'learned timidity' where data overrides judgment and teams prioritize avoiding criticism over genuine creativity."

"Performance and quality are related but not the same; optimizing for one does not reliably produce the other, as evidenced by the disconnect between high conversion rates and well-made products."

"The temptation to let performance metrics stand in for quality is nearly irresistible, as numbers provide a sense of objectivity and safety in a fast-paced industry."

"Rebuilding a craft culture in a metrics-driven industry requires repeated choices to uphold standards that data alone cannot confirm, emphasizing the importance of genuine craftsmanship."

The digital industry has shifted focus from assessing the quality of work to measuring performance metrics. This change, driven by the ability to quantify various aspects of digital products, has led to a reliance on numbers as indicators of success. While performance and quality are interconnected, they are not synonymous. Optimizing for performance does not guarantee quality, resulting in a culture that prioritizes safety and avoids genuine creativity. Rebuilding a focus on quality requires a commitment to standards beyond what data can confirm.

Read at Entrepreneur