Tag: psychology
Dunning-Kruger for Vibe Coders
The first thing AI teaches you about coding is confidence. The second is why that's a problem. Let's talk about the Dunning-Kruger effect.
The Science of Spotting Hidden Product Ideas
The best product ideas hide in plain sight, in your habits and everyone else's. Watch what people actually do, not what they say they want. Build for that.
The Psychology Hack Hiding in Great Products
Every message is a moment of influence. Make the nudge helpful and you'll create power users and build loyalty.
I want to feel the hand of the f%#king creator
It's not divine intervention; it's just someone who did a damn good job.
Serendipity isn't an accident
Career opportunities don't "just happen" - they come from staying connected, helping others generously, and trusting your instincts when the right path shows up.
Christmas on Repeat
Despite often being terrible, we watch the same holiday movies every year. Why's that? Well, it's not often about the movies—it's about our memories.
Don't just listen. Interpret feedback wisely.
User feedback is your product's compass. Listen intently, act wisely, and stay true to your vision to navigate towards success.
How Contrast Elevates Perception
Why a seamless experience can make your work feel superior - even if it's not.
Impostor Syndrome: The monster in your head
Impostor syndrome is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud.
Gestalt: Design principles every developer should know
Ever felt that you've seen a design that just makes sense to you, but you couldn't quite put your finger on why? There's rules for that. Let's talk about Gestalt
Why your favorite apps and creators all pivot in January
The new year is a time for change. But why do so many apps and creators pivot in January? We explore the psychology behind the new year's pivot.
Descartes was wrong: ‘a person is a person through other persons’
"Nothing simply is itself, outside the matrix of relationships in which it appears. Instead, being is an act or event that must happen in the space between the self and the world." Abeba Birhane does not simply regard human beings as either self-contained or self-sufficient. But can relational and autonomous accounts of the self be...
Why Liquid Death's branding is murderously effective
Discover the science behind naming and branding, and how the Bouba/Kiki effect can help you create a brand identity that resonates with your audience.
Twitter and the Perils of Obedience
Reflections on the current state of Twitter, and its similarity to the shocking results of a 1961 experiment by Yale Researcher Stanley Milgram.
Dunning-Kruger, self-assessment, and software work
What Kruger and Dunning measured in their studies, why the pop account misleads teams, and how to run reviews and hiring without treating confidence as a personality probe.
Retro Psychology
Two memory scholars published a 1983 book on the psychology of video games. What elements of gaming culture are still with us, and what have faded away?
Has it been four years already?
MLK, presidential inauguration, time illusions, new features in Gatsby, and designing for musicians.
On seasonal change, open source, and carbon offsets
Cognitive science and the framing effect, Open Source software and Working in Public, language learning, creating online courses, and reforestation.
Not Toying Around
What gives hit toys such a strong gravitational pull? Lots of marketing helps, as a hit Netflix series shows, but our own relationship with toys matters most.
Let's Get Profane
Swearing is often seen as a societal taboo that defines class or social level. Let's be honest, though: Profanity has more bark than bite.
Livin' on the Edge
People will always push the edges of creativity when they can—that's why we have Marilyn Manson. Today's issue analyzes art and decency.
Despite All My Rage …
Why does it seem like everyone's always angry about everything? We're not sure, but hopefully we can figure it out with some psychology.
Quitting is OK
Blogger Andrew Sullivan's decision to quit daily blogging is the kind of decision that everyone else eventually makes when they quit stuff.