The greatest marketing and behavioral breakthroughs come not from logical, data-driven thinking, but from “psycho-logic” – understanding irrational human desires, context, and meaning. Sutherland argues that “logic” explains the world, but “alchemy” changes it by turning the ordinary into the magical.
Before spending money to fix a functional flaw, see if you can fix the perception of it. When Uber added a map showing the live location of the arriving car, they didn't make the drivers go any faster. However, they eliminated the psychological agony of waiting in uncertainty, making the wait feel half as long. alchemy rory sutherland pdf