This year, it pushed me to buy a book on quantum computing — a short read that packs the absolute basics about quantum mechanics and computing.
The core concept: as we keep zooming in, from the solar system to a book to a speck of dust, the basic laws of motion and gravity continue to work. But when we zoom in too much and get to the subatomic level, these laws don't work. Collectively, particles operate on these laws, but individually they don't. Key characteristics:
- You can't exactly predict their exact location and momentum (Remember the name Heisenberg?)
- Their behavior changes depending on whether you are observing them or not (Double-slit experiment)
- They exist in multiple states together — they are only probabilities unless measured (superposition)
The Consumer Parallel
There is a strange similarity with markets and consumers. When we take a 30,000-foot view, often the TAM looks great. You can zoom in and find a sharper target segment as well. However, if you zoom in too much, then you end up in the heads of the consumer making the decision. At that level:
- You can't definitively predict the consumer decision unless they actually make the choice. A consumer can be assumed to be in a state of superposition.
- Similar to how observing a particle changes its behavior, the way marketers present information can influence consumer behavior. Consumers tell you one thing and behave differently.
- If you consider group decision-making, it's not a summation of individual decisions. The linkage between the TAM and the consumer insight starts to break down.
Einstein used the term "spooky action" to explain one of the behaviors of quantum particles. For consumers, we could probably use the terms "emotional and social."