Questions from the Bleachers

This past Sunday, I had the absolute pleasure of attending my first @Oakland Ballers game. If anyone reading this has yet to go, let me be the first to tell you that there is something really, really special happening at Raimondi Park in West Oakland.

That something special also happens to include a B’s Pioneer League Championship – huge congrats to the ownership group and IBP for all the work that has gone in to building something so successful in a very short period of time.

It must be said that first Ballers experience was on Championship Night, which guaranteed its own electricity. But what struck me throughout my time in the stands was the unfettered joy within the crowd. What made this particular joy so remarkable? There was absolutely nothing premium about the experience—it was fully democratized. Just bleachers, baseball, community, and magic.

Since that night, I've been wrestling with a question: In our focus on premium experiences, have we unintentionally shifted away from what made these moments magical in the first place?

Let me be crystal clear about the business reality: premium offerings are crucial revenue drivers. Suites, all-inclusive luxury spaces, VIP packages, and first-class experiences generate the margins that keep venues profitable and artists touring. That's not inherently problematic; neither is the fact that the market for premium is immensely wealthy and, some would argue, growing.

But I'm curious about the balance, particularly as I look across industries.

Airlines have evolved to where basic economy offers little beyond a seat and seatbelt, while premium cabins deliver five-star hotel quality on long-haul flights. Sports venues dedicate increasing portions of their budgets to premium renovations. Theme parks now offer "VVIP" experiences requiring five-figure expenditures for exclusive access.

Something else that’s been nagging at me since Sunday: what happens to customers who get pushed further back in line as a result? What's the cost—both to our industry and emotionally to fans—when the entry-level experience feels diminished or even shameful rather than foundational?

As someone wired to challenge thinking and amplify joy in experiences, my continued reflection this week has led me to see this as an opportunity for us to:

A) Intentionally think about and then design customer experiences that matter at every spend level—strengthen the foundation AND make the top of the spending pyramid meaningful

B) Recognize the gap between entry-point and premium as a separate market that minor leagues, independent teams like the Ballers, and smaller venues can serve.

C) Both A & B

Lastly, I want to be fully transparent: I'm not advocating for making everything the same. After all, I am the same person who thoroughly enjoyed my Sunday-night-top-of-the-bleachers-bench-seat-on-the-rail experience AND recently paid to upgrade a long-haul flight to savor every bit of that five-star treatment.

Maybe the answer lies in designing for people like me—ensuring we're truly crafting value and connection at each tier, rather than treating the entry level as something to escape from.

What would this look like in practice? It might mean ensuring that general admission ticket holders still feel the electricity of pre-game energy, not just those in club seats. It could mean designing airline experiences where even basic economy passengers feel the wonder of flight, not just the inconvenience of restrictions. Or creating theme park experiences where every visitor—regardless of what they spend—leaves with stories worth telling.

The Oakland Ballers proved something important that championship night: authentic experiences don't require premium price tags. But they do require intentional design.

So here's my challenge to our industry:

How might we create more moments like that Sunday night in Oakland?

How do we honor both business imperatives and democratize joy that makes experiences truly memorable?

Connect with me to share your thoughts on examples you have of creating value across all price points and/or questions you’re wrestling with in your own work: https://www.blueprintsandplaybooks.com/letstalk