Who moved my cheese?

The book ‘Who moved my cheese?’ by Spencer Johnson might now be 27 years old but it is still very relevant today and is essential reading for anybody in business. Or should you prefer, watching the video on Youtube.

The cheese that has moved in 2025 is ‘website clicks’. Businesses invest and spend considerable time and money working on their websites to drive up their SEO in an attempt to secure a first page listing on google. This should transpose into the result of attracting brand new customers.

Yet, in 2025, ‘website clicks’ were down by up to 79% for many businesses.

The Cause

The cause is simple. Because of AI and the summary provided on google every time anybody searches, the information requested is usually satisfied by the summary, removing the need to click on a website.  This saves time.  There is no need to search websites, accept cookies or feel you are ‘being sold to’.

So if a main source of ‘new customers’ for a business is through their website, that business now has a problem. The cheese has moved!

The Solution to the problem?

The solutions that I have read about so far, I don’t feel will make a difference.  They all seem to be focused on how to make your website more attractive to improve SEO and compete with the AI summary.

When I look back at the development of new technology, the approach to improve and compete using the ‘old cheese’ tends to fail. Blacksmiths v cars, passenger ships v aeroplanes, letter marketing v email marketing, high street shops v shopping on-line, the list is endless.

Yes, there are exceptions – Kindle and Amazon v Waterstones. However, on the whole, investing more time and effort in the ‘old cheese’ seems to produce ever diminishing returns and eventually extinction.

My challenge to entrepreneurs

Thus, I have a challenge for all entrepreneurs out there. ‘Where or what is the new cheese that businesses should be focusing on to attract new customers?’

Back to the book

We should also remember, that this will not be the last piece of cheese to move.  The six lessons from the book ‘Who moved my cheese’ should constantly be borne in mind:

1:  Change happens -They keep moving the cheese.

2:  Anticipate Change – Get ready for the cheese to move.

3:  Monitor Change – Smell the cheese often to you know when it’s getting old.

4:  Adapt to Change quickly -The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you can enjoy new cheese.

5:  Change – Move with the cheese.

6:  Enjoy Change – Savour the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese.

Change Management training by Unlock Staff Potential Ltd.