The First Number Always Wins. Here’s Why.
It was a client dinner, eight of us, at a steakhouse that understood exactly what it was doing. The menu opened with a dry-aged ribeye at $145.
November 2, 2025
insights
From Paul Larche and The Divided Brain
These posts and blog articles explore the forces that really shape human behaviour, especially in business, branding, and leadership. Using the Old Brain/New Brain framework from The Divided Brain, I break down why people decide the way they do, and how that understanding can help you communicate with more clarity, influence, and impact.
Nobody Wants to Be First. The Old Brain Wants to Be Next.
Nobody actually wants to be first. We say we do. We celebrate the pioneer, the disruptor, the bold early adopter. But when it comes to actual behavior…
October 25, 2025
Why Some Brands Get Ignored at First Glance
Raymond Loewy was responsible for some of the most recognized visual identities in the twentieth century. The Lucky Strike cigarette package.
October 20, 2025
Why Customers Decide to Trust You Before You Speak
There is a moment that happens before every sales conversation, every first meeting, every proposal review. It takes less than a second.
October 15, 2025
Your Customers Are Not Trying to Win. They’re Trying Not to Lose.
Most sales strategies are built backwards. They are built on the assumption that customers are motivated by gain. Better features, higher returns, improved…
October 12, 2025
More Options Mean Fewer Sales. Here’s the Counterintuitive Proof.
The study is deceptively simple. Researchers set up a tasting booth at a grocery store and offered shoppers samples of jam.
October 10, 2025
Stop Asking Your Customers What They Want. They Don’t Know.
Billions of dollars in market research rest on one faulty assumption. The assumption is that if you ask people what they want, they can tell you accurately.
October 7, 2025
Apple Has Been Four Companies. Here’s Why That Worked.
Think about the 1984 Super Bowl commercial. A woman in an orange athletic uniform runs through a grey corridor pursued by stormtroopers.
October 4, 2025
The Sale You Lost Was About Friction, Not Price
The prospect said they needed more time to think. You ran the debrief in your head afterward. Was the price too high? Was the proposal unclear? Did a…
September 12, 2025
The $65 Million Orange Juice Mistake Brands Still Repeat
In 2009, Tropicana decided it was time for a fresh look. The brand had been around for decades. The packaging was familiar, orange with a straw…
September 9, 2025