In Rory Sutherland 's Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense
Small changes in perception can yield massive results. (e.g., adding a countdown timer to a train platform doesn't make the train faster, but it makes the wait feel shorter and less frustrating). Signaling: We don't just buy products; we buy what they
When you treat human beings as logical machines, they will eventually detect the algorithm and resent it. The 'magic' of the potato story wasn't the restriction—it was the story. You gave them a restriction without a soul.
The perceived value matters more than the actual value. A train journey with a countdown board feels shorter, even if the travel time is identical, because the uncertainty is removed.
: Rory Sutherland’s own Substack where he provides updated insights and "Reverse Benchmarking" examples. Rory Sutherland's "Rules of Alchemy"