E97 – Social Proof : Always a good thing?
Have you ever wondered why Apple introduced white coloured earphones? Was the advice don’t follow the herd always sound advice? What is the relationship…
E96 – Pause and decide
Like most other people who had a successful education and a successful start to a career, I was always brimming with confidence. While that is a very useful state of mind in many situations…
E95 – Bruce Springsteen – Cognitive Reframing
It was May 2nd, 1972. A 22 year-old struggling musician called Bruce Springsteen is on his way to the office of a very famous producer. He was very nervous as…
E94 – Machiavelli and my boss
In the late 90’s a professor at Berkeley did an interesting experiment. He got together a group of people with the same background, level of education…
E93 – Is it just luck?
What is common between Thomas Edison and Micheal Jordan? Here is what each of them has said about their success. Thomas Edison, the inventor most renowned for his invention…
E92 – Diffusion of Innovation
It was the second half of 1992. I was a student of the finishing school of sales and marketing funded by soaps and detergents – otherwise called Unilever…
E90 – Panenka and the action bias
Have situations like these ever happened to you? (A) You land up at a doctor’s clinic with atypical symptoms that do not immediately threaten your health. The…
E89 – SUBTRACT In a World of Addition Bias
Let’s say you are a marketing manager with a portfolio of 15 brands across three categories. Revenues are under pressure. You are thinking of what…
E88 – The Diderot effect – Why we want things we don’t need
Has something like this ever happened to you?
You bought something. Say a new car.
And then…
E86 – Own Backyard
Let’s imagine you are in an unfortunate situation where there is a medical emergency. Someone in the family needs help. You have never faced this situation earlier.