The Taste Subsidy

Musing #11 | Everything is easier when tastes align.

For someone to buy what you're selling, they need to perceive it as worth the cost. I’m using a transactional metaphor, but almost everything in life can be thought about as an exchange that people must decide to make — whether it’s buying and selling, giving and receiving, or seeing and believing.

We tend to talk about the tangible factors that go into this calculation but less often the intangibles. One of the most powerful of these is taste. And while there is some objectivity to taste, much of it is actually subjective. Sometimes the subjectivity is influenced by people around the decision-maker, and other times it stems from a unique opinion held by that person alone.

When something aligns with a person’s taste, the transaction or exchange is more likely to happen. And when it does, it’s more likely to feel good for both parties.