Does Uncle Have a Point?

“Ah, come on… nothing’s gonna come of that.” Uncle Joe delivered his verdict the only way he knows how—slowly, theatrically. He punctuated it with a solemn sip of beer, giving the distinct impression that he’d just solved the world’s economic crises single-handedly.

He was sprawled on the living-room couch like a king on a slightly wobbly throne. Around him: perfect December chaos. Kids running wild, Auntie pulling the third batch of cookies out of the oven way too late, someone yelling from the kitchen that “there’s one chair missing at the table!” And, for the full cinematic effect, Mariah Carey was belting out her evergreen Christmas hit for the third time that evening…

Yet, right in the middle of the festive mayhem, he reigned supreme—as always. The would-be professional footballer, amateur scientist, and eternal victim whose brilliant idea had been snatched right from under his nose by the richest man on earth, who then turned it into fairy-tale wealth. That’s precisely 100% why Uncle Joe loves to be critical in his monologues… usually of everyone else. He sees himself differently.

His belly—a monument to December feasts and all the others besides.

His T-shirt—stretched, faded, washed a thousand times, and loyally decorated with stains from holidays past.

His bank account? Considerably smaller than his ego.

His life achievements? Modest.

His self-confidence? Despite everything above—granite-solid.

Because no matter the topic—crypto investments, politics, business, the stock market, finance, climate change, or corporate loyalty programs—Uncle Joe is always the smartest person in the room. The yardstick of his greatness rests on one highly influential source: his own conviction.

It doesn’t matter that he’s never built a company, read a book on the subject, or actually stepped outside his comfort zone. He still always knows exactly why your idea or approach will never work in practice.

“Young people try too hard these days,” he likes to add with a dismissive wave whenever the conversation turns to solutions the younger generations actually value. And he wraps it up: “…so yeah, no point wasting time on that…”

Yep. It seems every family has at least one relative who fits this category. The one who hasn’t achieved anything noteworthy yet has an opinion on everything. Someone who can kill enthusiasm and motivation with a single raised eyebrow. Or the self-appointed expert who—though meaning well—smothers your ideas before you even get a chance to try them.

These people don’t really comment—they discourage. They drain ambition. They suffocate momentum. And their advice has one fatal flaw: it comes from zero actual experience.

That’s why winners follow a simple rule:

Take advice only from people who have actually built something you respect.

If someone hasn’t successfully done the thing, they can’t teach you how to do it.

Combine that with the golden rule: Whenever possible, be the least smart person in the room.

That’s how you learn, grow, and move forward—surrounded by people who have already walked the path you want to take.

Enough about family gatherings, burnt cookies, and beer-fuelled wisdom.

What does any of this have to do with Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)?

Everything.

Far too many entrepreneurs approach loyalty programs exactly the way your uncle approaches analysing your ideas:

Based on opinions formed from stereotypes. With very little real experience and no proper analysis of customers or the market. Without the necessary data.

That’s why you’ll hear people say:

“Loyalty programs are outdated.”

“Nobody uses those anymore.”

“People simply don- want that kind of thing these days.”

It’s fascinating how often these statements come from people who have never successfully launched even one program. Meanwhile, the market data tells a completely different story. That’s why the most successful brands behave differently.

While some entrepreneurs judge the market by their personal taste and private opinions, the truly successful players base their approach on hard data.

Because the market is the only opinion that actually counts.

That’s why strategies that might look ridiculous to some people generate millions with the right target audience. That’s why successful airlines, hotel chains, retail giants, gyms, pharmacies—everyone who understands the numbers—still run loyalty programs.

Not because it looks nice.

Not because “that’s what everyone does.”

But because the data is merciless:

It’s far easier to sell to people who already know you, trust you, and love your brand than to chase new customers every single day.

The most successful players know this. The all-knowing uncles do not.

So the next time you notice eye-rolling at a family gathering, or a sceptical beer sip while an omniscient relative dismisses an idea before dessert even hits the table… ask yourself:

Is this advice coming from someone who has actually built something—or from someone who just loves sounding smart?

A company’s success largely depends on whether its people can make decisions based on reality rather than wishful thinking.

Yet entrepreneurs face another danger that doesn’t come from uncles, cousins, or anyone gathered around the holiday table. It comes from companies that love selling the dream of a magical “set-it-and-forget-it” loyalty solution. You’ve probably heard the pitch:

“It’s really that simple. Just a few clicks of the mouse! Once you do that, the system runs itself and you can sit back and watch the millions roll into your account.”

Unfortunately… reality is considerably less fairy-tale-like.

Even the best loyalty software alone is not enough for success. It’s like a perfectly engineered race car—blisteringly fast, powerful, built to win. But even the most flawless car can’t win a single race on its own.

It needs a skilled, synchronised team. People who handle upgrades, refine the experience, analyse the track, and make sure lap times keep getting faster.

A loyalty program works the same way. It only becomes world-class with the right team behind it—a team that constantly measures customer response and keeps asking:

“What can we do to make the user experience even better? How can we give our guests even more value?”

With that mindset, a loyalty program becomes one of your biggest competitive advantages.

Neglect it, and it turns into just another shiny tool slowly gathering digital dust.