back in the 70s, game theory was hyped the exact same way AI is today. every genius was obsessed with one thing: how to win.
then one guy watched his kids play with legos and realized everybody was completely missing the point.
in short: if you're constantly trying to "beat the competition," you're playing the wrong game entirely.
hands down one of the clearest explanations of strategic game theory applied to real life by @simonsinek
I mapped out the key rules and action points below.
Technology can be copied.
Capital can be raised.
Features can be replicated.
But a deep understanding of human behavior remains one of the most durable competitive advantages in business.
The companies that win the future may not be built by the best coders alone.
They were psychology products disguised as technology products.
Many entrepreneurs build features.
A few build businesses.
The rare ones build systems that align with fundamental human motivations.
Kunal belongs to the third category.
He approached consumer behavior less like a businessman and more like a behavioral scientist.
Whether it was FreeCharge’s cashback model or CRED’s ability to make credit card bill payments feel aspirational, his products were never merely technology products.
What makes Kunal Shah fascinating is not just his entrepreneurial journey.
It’s the way he thinks. Long before AI made consumer behavior fashionable, Kunal was obsessively studying human psychology, incentives, trust, status, habits, and decision-making.
At a time when the world often associates India with engineering talent and operational excellence, this appointment signals something deeper: the growing global recognition of Indian product thinkers.