Welcome back to the 1st Law Newsletter.

Behavior change as a business model

A framework I heard for thinking about business: being a founder or starting a company just means getting people to change their behavior.

Some details—there’s an activation cost, meaning how much it costs, in money or energy (and how separate are those, really?), to actually change the behavior. And there’s stickiness—how effective and permanent the change is once it happens.

Generally, the higher the activation cost, the stickier the behavior change. The lower the activation cost, the less sticky the change. For example, trying a new social media app has a very low activation cost—just download and tap. But it’s hard to make people permanently change their social media habits.

Conversely, buying a bike is a higher activation cost—you actually have to spend money, do research, maybe rearrange your routine—but it makes you much more likely to stick with biking as a regular behavior.

The tradeoff is crucial: if you want to build something that lasts, you may have to accept higher activation costs—and figure out how to help people over that initial hump. Or you need to figure out a way to make the behavior change sticky (ever wonder why social media apps send you so many notifications?).

Speaking up in meetings

Sometimes I feel like I need to say something just to say something. I actually have nothing constructive to say, but if I’m quiet the whole meeting, then people think you’re either stupid or not paying attention. Im paying attention of course, but sometimes I have no questions or need to chime in. In these situations, I try to just say something anyways, put my 2 cents in. It doesn’t really matter what, just get vocal. Yap to yap. It makes me more noticeable—and sometimes that’s all that matters in a meeting: not being invisible.

You already know what to do

It helps to have someone to bounce ideas off of, or to keep you acocuntable. And yes, sometimes all we need is a little nudge or for someone to show us something. Even if we knew how to do it the whole time… A little external influence can get us going.

But if you really want to boss up, you must be self motivated and trust your instincts. You must be able to have conviciton about what to do, and doing it. Trust yourself.

Observing the self

Why do you care so much about these things? What is the truth of the matter?

Not just what are you thinking, but why? How does it make you feel? Why does it make you feel that way? I try to ask myself these questions, without judgement.

I did this when the Leafs lost yet another game 7. Yes, my dreams were crushed again, and I was overwhelmed with defeat and disappointment. But did I really think it would be any other way? I think I did. Did I have any control over the matter? None whatsoever. I did what I could—I sang the national anthem, knocked on wood when anyone said anything jinx like, and cheered my heart out. What could I have done differently? Nothing. Then why be sad? Im not sure, but I still am. Why am I a Leafs fan? Why cant I just switch my favourite team to the Panthers and be happy? I am not sure, but it definitely doesn’t work that way. I will never be a Panthers fan, no matter how much I could try, there is something in me that would not allow it. I think that it is burned into me. Perhaps something about the sunk cost fallacy, idk…

Anyways, thanks for reading my rambles.

Quote to go

Are these wise words?

Thanks for reading!

Lucas