Ever told yourself, “I’ll get that done by next week”… and then watched it drift?

This episode explores a very human tendency we all experience, whether we’re building a business, writing a book, or just trying to clear the inbox.

After what was meant to be a one-year book project turned into three, this episode unpacks the psychology behind why we consistently underestimate time, effort, and complexity.

And more importantly, how we can design better ways of working around it.

We explore:

• The Planning Fallacy - our tendency to underestimate how long something will take, even when past experience tells us otherwise.
• The Inside View - how we focus on the task itself, rather than learning from similar past experiences.
• Optimism Bias - that we’re wired to believe the future will go better than the past.
• Reference Class Forecasting - how using real-world data from similar projects helps us make better predictions.

So perhaps armed with this we can make better predictions moving forwards. And hopefully the new book, Customer Experience Thinking (out 21st May) will have been worth the wait!

Studies & further reading:

• Kahneman, D. & Tversky, A. – Prospect Theory
• Kahneman, D. – Thinking, Fast and Slow
• Buehler, Griffin & Ross – The Planning Fallacy
• Sharot, T. – The Optimism Bias

Thanks for listening. Don’t miss out on your copy of Fabricx’s Behavioural Bias Framework https://fabricx.agency/

Connect with us!

Instagram: @fabricxlabs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fabricxagency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/si-elliott/

We all love a good deal, but at what expense?

Flash sales, countdown timers, “only 3 seats left”. They’re everywhere, ever present, promotions urging us to act. Mostly because in the moment they work. But while these promotional tactics tap deep into our instincts, they can come with a cost to your business and brand.

And it's not just to margins and profitability, but to meaning and perception people have of your brand.

In this episode, we dig into the psychology behind sales promotions. Why they work. What they trigger. And what brands might be giving up in return.

We examine:

• Scarcity, urgency and anchoring. How short-term offers hijack decision-making
• Brand erosion and shifting reference points. Why overusing sales can cheapen your brand
• The psychology of value, and why perception matters more than price
• How to balance promotion with purpose. Practical tips for brands who want to drive action without damaging trust

We regularly think about hyperbolic discounting and the hidden cost to individuals, but this turns that on it's head and looks at brand hyperbolic discounting. What's the impact of brands making decisions for the immediacy, without the consideration of the longer term?

Rethink your relationship with discount culture, and keep building brands with enduring value in the minds of consumers.

Studies & further reading:

• Worchel, Stephen & Lee, Jerry & Adewole, Akanbi. (1975). Effects of supply and demand on ratings of object value.
• Hodgkinson (2016): ‘Fear of Missing Out’ (FOMO) marketing appeals: A conceptual model
• Ariely, Loewenstein, Prelec (2003): Coherent arbitrariness, stable demand curves without stable preferences

Thanks for listening. Don’t miss out on your copy of Fabricx’s Behavioural Bias Framework https://fabricx.agency/

Connect with us!

Instagram: @fabricxlabs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fabricxagency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/si-elliott/

We all say we want to change. To grow. To improve.

But when it comes to behaviour, from our New Year’s resolutions to customers’ adoption of new products and services, most change fails to stick.

In this episode, we explore the psychology of resistance. The very real friction that stops people doing what they say they want to do. And how understanding the hidden forces of human behaviour can help brands, leaders and individuals support meaningful, sustainable change.

We consider:

• Why Status Quo Bias makes us default to comfort, even when it’s no longer serving us
• What loss aversion and risk perception mean for customer loyalty and switching
• How thinking small can win big. The power of small, incremental changes
• Simple ways to reduce friction and build trust in moments of change

It’s the perfect time of year to discuss change and works well alongside a previous episode ‘Fresh Start Effect Incoming…’ which dissects our desire for change at certain points in time.

Whether you’re looking to inspire habitual or behaviour change over the coming months, or just keen to understand why you find it difficult to stick to resolutions. This brings together behavioural science, psychology and practical strategy, to help make more sense of the challenge of moving the status quo.

Studies & further reading:

• Samuelson & Zeckhauser (1988) Status quo bias in decision making
• Norcross et al. (2002) New Year’s resolution success rates
• Kahneman & Tversky (1979) Loss aversion and Prospect Theory
• Wikipedia: Status Quo Bias explained

Thanks for listening. Don’t miss out on your copy of Fabricx’s Behavioural Bias Framework https://fabricx.agency/

Connect with us!

Instagram: @fabricxlabs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fabricxagency

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/si-elliott/