This article was written by Seth Godin.
When Betty Crocker (not her real name) first started selling cake mixes, all you had to do was add water. They failed.
But when they changed the recipe and required users to add oil and an egg, sales went up.
Because people like to feel as though they’re cooking. It made the mix an activity that felt like home making.
If you order a high-end table saw (and you should, so you don’t get injured) you might discover that there are a fair number of nuts and bolts to install. For the premium that’s charged, there’s no reason for this–except that assembling the last bit yourself feels worthy.
And you’ve probably guessed the punchline, so I won’t tell it to you. When you assemble it yourself…