The Bread That Didn't Sell

When Lina opened her small bakery, she believed that good bread would sell itself.

She spent months perfecting her recipes, but she never asked anyone what they actually wanted to buy.

On the first Monday, she baked forty loaves of dark rye bread, because it was her favourite.

By noon, only three people had come in, and two of them asked for white bread.

Lina felt confused and a little hurt.

Instead of changing her plan, she kept baking the same rye bread for two more weeks.

Soon she had to throw away most of it, which cost her a lot of money.

One afternoon, a neighbour named Mr.

Chen stopped by and told her something useful.

He explained that most families nearby had young children who preferred soft, sweet bread.

Lina listened carefully and wrote down every word.

The next morning, she made small milk buns with a little sugar, and they sold out in two hours.

Looking back, Lina says her biggest mistake was loving her own idea more than her customers.

Now she asks people questions before she bakes anything new.