Alchemy
The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life
The most valuable ideas often make no logical sense.
Sutherland argues that human behavior is driven by psychology and perception more than by economic logic, so the best business and marketing solutions are often illogical ones. Drawing on behavioral science and advertising stories, he shows how reframing, signaling, and small psychological tweaks create outsized value. The book is a witty case for embracing the irrational.
Founders trained to optimize rationally learn to find cheap, counterintuitive levers that change how customers perceive and value a product. It expands the toolkit beyond features and price into psychology and meaning.
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