Steve Shu | Perspectives

Nudging Democratized: A Guide to Applying Behavioral Science

16 Apr

Inside Nudging has been re-released as a special edition book published by The Decision Lab, entitled Nudging Democratized: A Guide to Applying Behavioral Science. Many thanks to my brilliant co-author, Andrew Lewis, for collaborating with me on this release. Also, ... Read more »

Podcast Interview on 401(k) Plans and Behavioral Finance Trends

7 Mar

Thanks to Rick Unser for having me recently on his 401(k) Fridays podcast. This interview is geared toward defined contribution plan sponsors and those closely related with this segment of the market (e.g., advisors, consultants, recordkeepers, investment only). I do ... Read more »

When Implementing Behavioral Science, What Is the Role of a Choice Architect?

23 Nov

This post is based on an answer I wrote in response to a question posed to me on Quora, “What do choice architects do?” I wanted to repost my answer here because I still feel there is a lack of understanding ... Read more »

How Do Management Consultants Quickly Come Up To Speed On Projects?

20 Aug

This answer is based on the response to a question I was posed on Quora. Here are some of the main ways I’ve seen consultants get briefed on projects. Engagement manager – The engagement manager has responsibility for the client ... Read more »

Quick Thoughts on Boosting Versus Nudging

20 Aug

I only recently learned about the term “boosting”. Boosting takes a different worldview of addressing a person’s competencies whereas nudging tends to address immediate behavior. There does appear to be some overlap between boosting and System 2 nudges (where the ... Read more »

An Anecdote on How Experimental Design and Statistics Are Used in Behavioral Economics and Business

7 Jul

In recent study I having been working with Hal Hershfield and Shlomo Benartzi at UCLA, we worked with a FinTech company that had its roots in providing a mobile app to Millennials to get them to save incremental money through ... Read more »

Example Companies Involved with Behavioral Economics

1 Jul

Here are some consulting firms and practice groups in the behavioral science and economics space: ALULA Aprio Behavioral Insights Team – Home – Behavioural Insights Team BEworks – Home – BEworks BeSmart at Boston Consulting Group – The Persuasive Power ... Read more »

One of the Best Ways to Market Yourself as a New Consultant

20 May

One of the best ways to market yourself as a consultant is by having someone refer you to a client prospect. This type of marketing can be viewed through the lens of “networking by helping someone” (in contrast to networking ... Read more »

What Is It Like to Work in a Nudge Unit?

16 May

This post is based on a question that was posed to me on Quora, What does it look like to work at the Behavioural Insights Team, or any other Nudge Unit? If you are interested in nudging within the government context, ... Read more »

How Do Consultants Stay Organized Before Creating Client Deliverables?

4 May

This post is based on a question posed to me on Quora. Individual consultants and engagement managers usually develop their own ways of organizing information. Here are a few concepts I have used (but situations vary widely based on the ... Read more »