So What Do the Unemployed Do?

Write newsletter.

Being unemployed is fun.

First, I worked hard for the last year so this break is well deserved and feels enjoyable. On top of that, I still have some savings to splurge on things like this 👇

unfortunately that’s not me, nobody wanted to bring their phone..

and this 👇

Secondly, I still have other things to work on. Mostly stuff that I’ve neglected every time I ran out of brainpower after a day in the office.

I finally published the YouTube video that I've been editing, blasted ads for my toy store (the ROI has been great after initial trial early Jan) and shipped this newsletter again!

Reason number three is why I’m telling you all this. My current unemployment period is fun because I learned so much from that job, so taking the time to reflect and write actually helps me process all the wisdom and insights that I absorbed.

The point of difference about the creative agency I worked for is that they look at marketing through the lens of behavioural science, more specifically behavioural biases. The biases provide a useful framework to think about problems and is the foundation to the solutions offered. Lucky for me, the biggest behavioural economics buff was my direct manager, who’s also one of the co-founders of the agency.

Here are the three behavioural biases that changed the way I think (h/t my boss!):

1. Projection Bias: We overestimate how much our future selves will share the same beliefs, values and behaviours as our current selves. Dan Gilbert explains better than I ever could here.

What’s fascinating to me is our current selves make decisions for our future selves all the time when we actually don’t know our future selves. We’re basically living on the consequences of a stranger’s choice!

2. Peak End Rule: people judge an experience largely based on how they felt at its peak and at its end, not their average feeling during the experience.
   Exactly why we’re always excited to go to theme parks when we wait in line 90% of the time - the thrill of one 30secs ride is enough to make us wait in 90mins line.

In business and in life, this bias takes a lot of pressure off us because we don’t need to be perfect in everything that we do. My action plan is to offer free drinks for my toy store’s customers. It doesn’t cost much but it’s something memorable because no competitor does it.

3. Halo Effect: One trait of a person or thing is used to make an overall judgment of that person or thing. This is why you keep old iPhone boxes when they technically and literally have zero value.

On a personal level, the Halo Effect means that first impression matters.

In the commercial world, the Halo Effect means that what we sell and what people buy aren’t the same thing. To leverage the bias, we can have projects for show - ones that tell people who you are and what you’re about, and projects for dough - ones that make money and keep the business running.

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I never expected that I would enjoy a 9-5 job so I’m super grateful to my boss and coworkers for making it a wonderful and rewarding experience ❤️

My next move is in the works and I’m legit hyped! Hint: it’s marketing + basketball. Hopefully everything works out🤞