When Macquarie Dictionary crowned "enshittification" as its word of the year for 2024 they defined it as "the gradual deterioration of a service or product brought about by a reduction in the quality of service provided, especially of an online platform, and as a consequence of profit-seeking". But this isn't just dictionary trivia – it's a warning sign our industry needs to heed, and it struck a deep chord for a reason.
Obvious examples like Uber Facebook and X are high profile case studies, but how about your local café or restaurant that now use QR codes in place of human interaction.
In our own business, we face this battle every single day. Every decision we make either resists or enables enshittification. The choices seem small at first: Will we chase quick profits at the expense of quality? Will we reduce rich strategy into mere performance metrics? Will we use AI to substitute humans rather than amplify their capabilities? These are the crossroads we face, and our choices matter more than ever.
Here's the thing about enshittification – no one wakes up planning to become enshittifactory. It happens in quiet compromises, in those moments when we think "just this once" or "it's good enough." Until suddenly, you find yourself deep in the enshittiscene – that dystopian space where everything looks the same, feels the same, and delivers the same mediocre value. It's a creative wasteland where differentiation dies and authenticity becomes nothing more than a buzzword.
As we look ahead to 2025, we need to ask ourselves: Will we stand firm in the decisions that bring more creativity and humanity to our workplaces? Will we have the courage to prioritize real value over quick wins? The question isn't whether we can afford to resist enshittification – it's whether we can afford not to. The answer, to me, is crystal clear: A business that remembers it’s humanity will win in the long run.
I've crafted an anti-enshittification playbook. While its principles have always existed in our industry, they take on new urgency today and it serves as a reminder for us (myself included) as a reminder to avoid becoming moths to the enshittification flame.
The Human Kind Anti-Enshittification Playbook is built on three core principles: Humanity First, Non-negotiable Quality, and Long-term Value Creation to drive extraordinary outcomes.
Under Humanity First, we prioritize humans at every step. We understand what motivated and inspires our people to do their best work. Creating safe spaces and giving people time to think, explore, and iterate. When we use AI and other tools, they serve to amplify human capabilities, not replace them.
Non negotiable Quality means refusing to compromise on excellence, even when under pressure to do more with less. Every project gets the time and attention it warrants, and our client's partnerships trusted and based on excellent outcomes.
Long-term Value Creation focuses on building sustainable relationships and lasting impact. This means educating clients about the true cost of enshittification and the value of quality work. It means measuring success not just in immediate metrics, It means investing in your people's development and creating an environment where great work can flourish.
Who's with me? Are you choosing humanity over automation? Quality over quick profits? There's so much opportunity in anti-enshittification, and it starts with each of us making conscious choices in our daily work.
Virginia Scully, Founder of Human Kind Collective