So I finally got around to seeing the video below, which is Malcolm Gladwell’s talk on spaghetti sauces. A good number of colleagues had already briefed me a long time ago on the main idea of Gladwell’s speech, but as always, there’s nothing quite like hearing it from the source.

I think Gladwell does a great job of driving home the point, which in its essence is one of the pillars of the modern commerce system. Humans vary in their preferences, and we feel empowered when someone gives us the opportunity to choose.

This is what Prego came to understand, and soon thereafter the rest of the product world. It transformed marketing from a push-centered business to a pull-centered business. We don’t want just one thing that panders to everyone. We want a choice on what fits our life best. Even if this choice we’ve made might not be the “smart” move for us, the fact that it’s OUR move allows us to feel happy about our purchase. And happy customers come back for more. And more. And more.

Check out Gladwell’s TED talk below. Tomorrowfy>> at its best.