The Art of Quality

A Story About Coffee and Analytics

When my brother-in-law arrives at my house, i instinctively make my way to my Breville Barista Express. It's a $700 espresso machine. It’s not the most expensive machine you could buy, not by far, but it gets the job done.

As i begin crafting his vanilla latte, i can already anticipate his reaction. It happened again just this past weekend, that moment of wonder, followed by the inevitable conclusion that it must be the machine making all the difference.

"What is it that you're doing that I'm not doing?" he asked, cradling the warm cup in his hands. "There's just something amazing about this latte that I can't create at home. It must be the machine. I need to buy a better machine."

i smiled. His own machine, while more modest, is more than capable of making espresso. But as i watched him enjoy that first sip, i knew what he was tasting wasn't the result of expensive equipment. It wasn’t the machine. It was something far more fundamental.

In my kitchen, this story that plays out every day, not just with coffee but with everything i create. My $200 pizza oven tells the same story. People taste the results and immediately want to know about the equipment, the tools, the machines. But they're looking in the wrong place for the source of quality.

When it comes to that delicious latte, the truth is both simpler and more complex than the price tag of the equipment. It begins with the beans. i look for single-origin varieties from farms and roasters i trust, each with specific flavor profiles that i've carefully chosen. These beans might cost more than your generic grocery store blend but this discernment is the foundation of everything that follows.

Next, the technique. A meticulous ballet of variables that i've perfected over years of practice. Every bean tells its own story, demanding its own preparation. i take detailed notes on grind size, distribution, tamping pressure, extraction time. It's a science and an art, learned through countless hours of study, practice, and occasionally, failure.

But perhaps most importantly, there's the unwavering commitment to quality in the final output. i watch every extraction like a hawk, measuring time and weight with precision. If something isn't right, i start over. The thought of serving a subpar cup of coffee is simply unacceptable.

This journey of craftsmanship has taught me something profound about my other passion: Analytics Consulting. After two decades in the industry, i've watched as clients fall into the same trap as my brother-in-law, believing that bigger, more expensive "machines" (in this case, larger consulting firms) automatically translate to better results.

Just as in my kitchen, i've seen how the industry's equivalent of a $20,000 espresso machine can still produce bitter, disappointing results without the right ingredients, preparation, and standards. The parallels are all there, major consulting firms have positioned themselves as premium "machines," but they often miss the essential elements that truly create quality.

These large firms are often like using pre-ground grocery store beans and a standardized recipe for every cup. There's no room for the artisanal approach that quality analytics demands. They push projects through an assembly line process, treating every client engagement the same way, regardless of unique needs or circumstances, in search of better profit margins.

At 33 Sticks, we've taken a different approach. Like adjusting the grind size or pressure for different coffee beans, we adapt our methods to each client's unique situation, each client’s unique needs, wants, and desires. We're nimble, able to fine-tune our approach when needed, much like i adjust my coffee preparation based on the specific beans i'm using.

The truth i've learned, both in my kitchen and in consulting, is that quality isn't about the machine, it's about the craftsperson's commitment to excellence at every step. It's about starting with the right ingredients, whether that's single-origin beans or highly skilled consultants. It's about having the knowledge and flexibility to adapt your process to each specific situation. And above all, it's about maintaining uncompromising standards for the final product.

Just as i wouldn't serve a poorly extracted espresso, we won't deliver analytics work that doesn't meet our exacting standards. Because in the end, whether you're crafting the perfect vanilla latte or delivering sophisticated analytics solutions, the path to quality isn't paved with expensive equipment, it's built on expertise, attention to detail, and an unwavering commitment to excellence in every cup, or in every project, we serve.

Much Love 💛

-jason