EVOLUTION FAVORS THE LAZY Science correlates lower metabolic rates & slower lives to better chances of species survival. WE’RE BUILT TO BE LAZY - For most of our existence, conserving energy for when it was absolutely needed was a survival necessity. The tools we use to avoid thinking are called “Heuristics”, or “Cognitive Biases”. Understanding these “shortcuts”, that help us make decisions without having to think, is key to the practice of behavioral design because, they’re hard-wired in our brain, AND AFFECT ALL OF US...

1. 1
INTRODUCING
SOUTHEAST ASIA’S
NEWEST ACCELERATION
CONSULTANCY
GROWING
BETTER
LIVES
THROUGH
BUSINESS

2. 2
EVOLUTION FAVORS THE LAZY
Science correlates lower
metabolic rates & slower lives to
better chances of species
survival
Just ask this lady >>>
Not as cool as a T-rex,
but she’s been with us for
+200 MILLION years...

3. 3
WE’RE BUILT TO BE LAZY
For most of our existence,
conserving energy for when
it was absolutely needed
was a survival necessity.
….burning calories on
treadmills is a luxury we
can afford only recently

4. SO WHY ARE WE HERE?

5. 5
...BECAUSE EVOLUTION IS
UNFORGIVING
The extinction of many
species, including some
hominids, shows that a
least-effort approach costs us
dearly if it leaves us unable to
adapt to a RAPIDLY
CHANGING WORLD...

6. 6
...AND TODAY WAS THE LAST
DAY THE WORLD CHANGED
THIS SLOWLY

7. PROSEED.ASIA WHY?
PROSEED is an acceleration consultancy nurturing
selected budding businesses in ASEAN with
friendship, mentoring and access to funding,
in order to increase opportunity and develop a
culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in the
region.

8. PROSEED.ASIA HOW?
★ Startups accepted on merits
★ You enjoy a TAILORED MENTORSHIP
PROGRAM ADDRESSING YOUR UNIQUE
STRENGTHS AND NEEDS
★ Meet our investors on graduation

9. PROSEED ASIA
WHO?

10. BACK TO
BEING LAZY…
Thinking is effortful,
and since we’re lazy,
we’ve evolved to avoid
doing it as much as
possible.

11. The tools we use to avoid
thinking are called “Heuristics”, or
“Cognitive Biases”.
Cognitive Biases are “shortcuts”
that help us make decisions
without having to think.
They’re hard-wired in our brain
AND AFFECT ALL OF US

12. Here’s an
example...
12

13. 13
RUN!!!!

14. Fight-or-Flight
responses are the
evolutionary
grandfather of
heuristics
They FORCE us to
make survival
decisions, LITERALLY
WITHOUT THINKING

15. But heuristics
don’t end there...
15

16. WHICH OF THESE GUYS
WOULD YOUR BANKER
PREFER TO GIVE A LOAN?

17. 21 3

18. Don Blankenship
conspired to violate
mine safety standards.
He spent a year in prison
and paid a $250,000 fine
Eddie Tipton won
millions by rigging the
lottery system in several
states - Is serving 25
years in prison
AKON - This rapper
helped set up 100,000
solar street lamps for
480 communities in 15
countries across Africa

19. WHICH OF THESE IS YOUR
PREFERRED
COMFORT FOOD?

20. 21 3

21. THESE WERE BOTH
DEMONSTRATIONS OF
FAMILIARITY BIAS

22. FAMILIARITY BIAS
Is our tendency to prefer the
familiar (safe) over the new &
unknown (unsafe)...
...especially when we’re tired /
upset / hungry (cognitively depleted)...

23. - i know we’ll get along...
It’s also why when i go to a meeting
and someone looks like this -

24. One more...
24

25. 3 years ago you
launched a line of
fashion bags.
Business was good
& you now have 3
shops!
YOU’RE
AWESOME!!!

26. Unfortunately
a supplier crisis
& 2 weak
quarters are
forcing you to
make a tough
decision...

27. (A)
Invest company assets to
save 1 shop & 20 jobs
____________
100%
GUARANTEED
SUCCESS
(B)
Invest company assets
equally between 3 shops
to save 60 jobs
____________
CHANCE OF SUCCESS: 33%
RISK OF FAILURE =
YOU LOSE ALL
SHOPS & JOBS: 66%

28. (A)
Close 2 shops
Lose 40 jobs
(B)
66% chance of losing
3 shops & 60 jobs
33% to SAVE
EVERYTHING

29. Raise your hand
if you swapped choices from
CASE 1 to CASE 2

30. (A)
Invest company
assets to save
1 shop & 20 jobs
____________
GUARANTEED TO
SUCCEED 100%
(A)
Close 2 shops
Lose 40 jobs
=

31. CONGRATULATIONS!!!
1) You suck at math
2) You’re in good company -
In the original study
~80% of people chose
option A in slide 1,
but reversed their choices
in slide 2

32. LOSS AVERSION
...humans prefer avoiding a
loss over acquiring an equal
gain.
Perceived losses are
psychologically 2x more
powerful than gains

33. =

34. Last one...
34

35. WHAT’S THE
MOST YOU’D
PAY FOR A
PINEAPPLE?

36. PINEAPPLES,
once symbolized
extreme wealth
In the 1,700’s the
sold in the US for
+$8,000

37. HM. CHARLES II
PRESENTED
WITH A
PINEAPPLE
C.1675-80

38. WHY?
Because pineapples were very very rare -
They didn’t survive the trip to Europe,
& couldn’t be grown in colder climates.

39. We INSTINCTIVELY value
scarce things.
Scarcity has 3 dimensions:
1. QUANTITY: How much is there?
2. COMPETITION: How many
people want it?
3. TIME: How long do i have?

40. BOOKED 31 TIMES IN 24 HOURS!!!
ONLY 7 ROOMS LEFT!!!!!!
LAST AVAILABLE ROOMS!!!!!!!!!
Are you stressed yet?

41. BLACK FRIDAY
IS A SCARCITY
BLOODBATH

42. 42
CONCLUSION
To run your business you
must know how your
clients feel & think.

43. 43
Cognitive biases offer a glimpse
into our shared psyche.
How you leverage them to drive
action - for better, or worse,
is up to you...

44. To learn more check
out Daniel Kahneman on
TED & read his book
“Thinking Fast & Slow”
In 2002 Dr. Kahneman was
awarded the Nobel prize in
Economics for his work on
decision making & bias

45. THANK YOU