Everything Should Support Operations, Including the Product

Escape rooms are experience goods: customers can assess how a product or service feels only after experiencing it in person. Players have to play a room to decide whether it is enjoyable. Before that, they often have to rely on what they hear about its reputation through different channels.

My observation is that many players decide to visit on the spur of the moment. They do not necessarily research whether a particular room from a particular brand will suit their tastes and requirements.

The product is one important part of opening and running a venue. Before players have experienced them, a very good room and a very poor room may look quite similar from the outside. Players still need to step inside to experience the actual quality of the product.

For that reason, I believe our strongest efforts should go into operations. Everything should support operations, including the product.