The Behavioral Perspective – A Cooking Ingredient Not Garnish
Normally, our clients ask for our help in cases where users don’t act in the manner that the company intended to. Some clients expect that a big change in KPIs will be achieved by a fairly small “behavioral garnish” – a minor reframing to the micro-copy, an additional notification at just the right time, […]
Mathiness
You’re sitting in front of a client. You’ve spent the last several weeks researching relevant and existing models for them to use to gauge their business’ success. You’re presenting the three indicators you’ve come up with, as demonstrated by previous studies to be the best predictors of future success. For example’s sake, let’s say they […]
Dieting and Behavior: Concepts That Shed Light (And Possibly Pounds)
My life has been filled with many accomplishments: a fulfilling career that combines my interests such as innovation, education and research; a spouse who is also a true friend; two smart, funny, and kind-hearted children; good friendships and meaningful relationships; relative financial stability; and a Dyson vacuum cleaner. However, there is one achievement of which […]
What Puppy Love Can Teach Us About Broken Education Systems
“To do nothing is within the power of all men.” ~ Samuel Johnson Ages ago, when I was in my early twenties I had a huge crush on someone. Do you remember that feeling? It’s like butterflies are flapping their wings in your stomach, you have rose-flushed cheeks when he comes around, you spend […]
Why Sink, When You Can Swim?
Have you ever felt trapped or stuck in a commitment, yet insisted to power through when the rational thing to do would be to change course or simply quit? Why is it so hard for us to take a step back? I set out to write this blog post after reading an article about the […]
Context, Your Majesty
If there’s one thing I learned while earning my degree in Cognitive Psychology, it’s that context matters. It matters so much because it always exists. This means that there is no such thing as a universal behavior because behavior depends on context. Surely, patterns do exist. But if you don’t pay attention to the surrounding […]
AARRR + Behavioral Thinking: A Treasure Trove of Possibility
500Startups founder Dave McClure was quoted saying, “A ‘startup’ is a company that is confused about 1. What its product is. 2. Who its customers are. 3. How to make money.“ What if I told you that Behavioral Thinking provides the answers to all of these questions? Dave McClure developed the AARRR model (also known as the […]
Cross-Pollination of Ideas: The Case for Being Curious in Business and in Life
“Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses — especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.” — Leonardo Da Vinci I’ve always thought I’m too curious for my own good. Even as a child, my intrinsic curiosity seemed to get me in trouble, from taking apart […]
The Why’s Why
In his talk, “Be A Player, Not A Victim,” Fred Koffman, an executive coach and advisor on leadership and culture, holds an apple in one hand and lets it fall down. The apple falls into his other hand below. Then, he asks the question, “Why did the apple fall?” The audience answers almost unanimously, “Gravity.” A single […]
The Curse of Behavioral Science
“Oh, that’s obvious!” This exclamation is a dreadful familiarity for anyone who has ever taught a social psychology class. You present a seminal paper which revolutionized an entire field – and everyone in class just yawns. I even have to admit that while taking my freshman social psychology class, I summed it up to my […]