Shai WiningerFebruary 2016 – Today is a super exciting day for us, as we announce that Prof. Dan Ariely, a world leading behavioral economist, is joining our team as Chief Behavioral Officer!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNOh243EtHc
Dan is a brilliant researcher, a New York Times best-selling author, TED speaker and an all around cool guy. He’s considered a rock star among entrepreneurs, product designers, and economists alike.
That aside, Dan is also my personal hero. His work has had a profound impact on the way I think about product design and user experience with the insights it provides into the psyche of users.
Behavioral Economics studies the psychological, social and emotional drivers that lead us to make the choices we make. It looks at how our decisions and willpower can be influenced, making us behave better or worse. This science touches every aspect of our lives, from going on a successful diet to saving money, or cheating on our tax forms and insurance claims.
Dan spent many years looking for the reasons that cause ordinary people to act dishonestly in particular situations. In one well-known study, he and his team of researchers managed to significantly reduce cheating simply by asking people to recall the Ten Commandments. They discovered that introducing moral cues can influence how we behave.
Why is this important?
The short answer: the fewer false claims we have, the more money our users will save. So it’s in everyone’s best interest that we find new ways to increase overall trust. We’ve been busy implementing Dan’s research into our product with the aim of achieving just that. I can’t wait to show you some of the amazing stuff we’ve built.
Stay tuned for more updates soon!
Dan Ariely
Daniel Schreiber