logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
16m 18s

Backlog Psychology - Hyperbolic Discount...

JONATHAN CUTRELL
About this episode

In this episode we continue the mini-series "Backlog psychology."

Would you rather have $5 now or $50 next week? The answer to this question, though it seems logically obvious which is better, does not always produce the same response. The required incentive to convince someone to wait tends to follow an exponential curve upward.

This is not just true with money, but for any benefit and incentive: monetary, social, emotional, physical, etc.

What does this mean for our backlogs? What about our daily habits?

📮 Ask a Question

If you enjoyed this episode and would like me to discuss a question that you have on the show, drop it over at: developertea.com.

📮 Join the Discord

If you want to be a part of a supportive community of engineers (non-engineers welcome!) working to improve their lives and careers, join us on the Developer Tea Discord community by visiting https://developertea.com/discord today!

🧡 Leave a Review

If you're enjoying the show and want to support the content head over to iTunes and leave a review! It helps other developers discover the show and keep us focused on what matters to you.

Up next
Aug 22
Second Order Consequences and Forcing Functions
Todays episode delves into understanding and leveraging second and third-order consequences – the ripple effects that occur after an initial action – and introduces forcing functions, which are an inverted way of thinking about these consequences, designed to drive desired outcom ... Show More
23m 45s
Aug 17
Don't Try to Solve Hyperobject Problems Once
This episode delves into the philosophical concept of hyperobjects – problems so vast and complex they lack clear boundaries and cannot be "solved" once and for all. It explores why attempting to permanently fix issues like technical debt, user experience, or performance manageme ... Show More
15m 46s
Aug 10
Behavior Change 101: Trigger, Incentive, and Ability
This episode delves into a powerful model for encouraging behaviour change, applicable to both managing others and self-improvement, by focusing on three critical factors: Trigger, Incentive, and Ability. It challenges common, ineffective management approaches and provides insigh ... Show More
20m 16s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2020
Book Discussion - The Psychology of Money Part 2
This is the second part of our discussion of Morgan Housel’s book The Psychology of Money. We continue to explore some of the key points, like the role that luck plays in success, why poor people buy lottery tickets, and the differences between getting wealthy and staying wealthy ... Show More
1h 1m
Oct 2020
Book Discussion - The Psychology of Money
In this episode, we discuss Morgan Housel’s book The Psychology of Money. We explore some of the key points, like the role that luck plays in success, why poor people buy lottery tickets, and the differences between getting wealthy and staying wealthy.LinksThe Psychology of Money ... Show More
43m 39s
Sep 2020
Book Discussion - The 4-Hour Work Week
Sponsored by BrilliantThis episode is kindly supported by Brilliant, the best way to learn maths, science, and computer science online. Brilliant focuses on helping you learn how to think, rather than just memorising methods and facts. Sign up at https://brilliant.org/notoverthin ... Show More
1h 22m
Jun 2022
Money 101: How to Track Your Cash & Why It Matters
 I’m so excited about these new money 101 episodes. Over the course of the next few months, I’ll be breaking down some topics like how to pay off debt, ways to easily start investing, how to improve your credit score, and so much more. This episode is dedicated to the much-hated ... Show More
34m 30s
Apr 2021
Toxic Productivity, Competition & Framing Work
After a week away, we’re back with a typically wide-ranging episode. Our discussion ranges from toxic productivity to mindsets around competition and competitiveness to how we should frame the abstract nature of work that we ‘have’ to do. Ali’s also looking for a name for his new ... Show More
48m 52s
Mar 2021
Introverts, Extroverts and Identity Signals
In this episode, we begin by talking about Ali’s theory for what makes for a good blog post or YouTube video before a tweet from none other than Agnes Callard about introverts sends us down a path debating introversion, extroversion and signalling.-------------------------------- ... Show More
58m 8s
Nov 2023
Broke Student Series | Money Story
Welcome back to Mental Status! A massive thank you to our sponsors for today's episode - ShopBack. Sign up using our code "BROKESTUDENT" for a bonus $20 Cashback, or access using the link below!https://app.shopback.com/aus/partner/BROKESTUDENT Today's episode is the first in our ... Show More
32m 43s
Jan 2021
Book Discussion - The Tyranny of Merit
In this episode, we discuss Michael J Samuel's book the Tyranny of Merit, which talks about the problems with the ideals of Meritocracy. We take a look at the history of the Rhetoric of Rising, and end with a discussion about why praising people for their achievements feels probl ... Show More
1h 37m
Jan 2023
MONEY & MANIFESTING - Sistahood Program Sneak Peek
You might be thinking WHY would there be a module on Money & Manifesting in the Sistahood?  If you haven’t gathered already this entire coaching program is not about confidence, it’s about the things in your life that may or may not get in the way so you can have results in every ... Show More
24m 52s
Jan 2021
Misogyny, Generalisation and Controversial Topics
In this episode, we’re joined by our friend Sheen to discuss some complaints that a few listeners have raised over the years about this podcast having misogynistic undertones. We discuss some complaints about last week’s episode, and discuss the extent to which generalisation abo ... Show More
1h 52m