Thank you to everyone on the Decode Econ team for the time and effort you put into this project.
1. From my perspective, one thing you are doing very well and should definitely continue is the length of the readings and the “Economics Behind” section. That part is the real differentiator of Decode Econ. It is what makes the content especially valuable for my students and, honestly, for me as well.
2. One area that could be improved relates to the leadership pieces. I really enjoy them, I truly love that section. However, since I tend to appreciate structure, it currently feels a bit random when those readings appear in my inbox. If a new reader happened to receive a leadership article as their first Decode Econ email, it might be a little confusing. One idea could be to create a dedicated section and release those pieces on a specific day, for example every Wednesday or Friday, with a catchy title that signals it is a special feature. This may just be my preference for structure, but it could help with clarity.
3. Another idea that could add value would be a monthly economic recap highlighting key indicators. Something brief and storytelling oriented that helps readers stay informed, almost like saying “life moves fast, but here are the main economic signals you should keep an eye on.” If it is helpful, I would be happy to contribute to something like this. I already produce similar visual economic summaries in my work, so translating that into a short narrative format would be very feasible.
Dr. Cecilia, thank you so much for your input. I like the leadership day recommendation. The content is well received but having it on a specific day might send a clearer message. Let us talk about item 3. We would love to have our community contribute to our growth and content. If you are already doing it, we can help amplify it on here.
I'll just do the "What would I like to see more of" piece. I'd like to see more deconstructed averages. Averages in economics very often are misleading, often because the people at the top skew the average upwards. This is most obvious with income and wealth statistics, but also applies to things like "What is the average income of the lower 50% of US workers, and how does it compare with the average income of the lower 50% of French workers?" -- a question I asked and replied to among my recent posts here. Digging into the data can reveal situations that standard questions do not, especially about inequality or opportunity -- paying attention to how much the variance of US stats compare with other countries can be very eye-opening. For example: "What is the infant mortality of the lower 50% of US income-earners, compared to infant mortality among the top 10%?", or "What is the savings rate of the lower 50% compared to that of the top 10%?" or stock-ownership among these demographics, or home ownership, or education level.
I have really enjoyed working on Decode Econ, and here is how I think about the three questions:
1.) What I find most valuable in our work is the community we have built. The post I made about Ozempic was especially fun not only to write, but also to watch people interact with and share their thoughts. I enjoyed responding to comments and learning more about everyone through the conversations with Dr. A . The support from the group has been amazing, and it truly feels like we are making an impact. One thing that is clearly working is the DEEN Program. The network we have built is strong, and it is great to see our work being incorporated into classrooms.
2.) One area that could be improved is the length of some of the posts. As the posts have gotten longer, it seems like engagement drops off toward the end of the week. While we are still figuring out exactly why that happens, it might be worth exploring strategies keep readers coming back later in the week and maintaining engagement.
3.) Something we should do that we have stopped doing recently is more unexpected or spontaneous stories that people bring to us. The Saks Fifth Avenue post recommended by Aidan was a great example of something different but still recognizable. Posts like that add variety and keep things interesting. The 2016 trend post was another example that came to mind, not recommended, but just unexpected, that was both fun to work on and enjoyable to read. Trying ideas like that helps keep the project creative and engaging.
As we take a break, I really appreciate the support from everyone and I’m excited to come back stronger and with many ideas.
Bayesian Observer Effect - The agent updates their behaviors/beliefs in response to an observation. Not quite Heisenberg where the physical intereaction with the studied subject affects further behavior, but also not False Concensus Bias where the observer injects egocentric factors into the situations.
Translation - Allow for organic growth or change. Your audience projecting their expectations may result in a negative feedback loop.
My reply is an Authority Bias exercise? But in any case, rest/relax and come back offering how you and the TAs see they world. Unique perspectives that further a discussion have great value.
Thanks, Lary. Getting feedback and identifying what to act on is difficult. Over the years I have noticed the negative feedback loop on social media. Nonetheless, it is always great to hear from you, the readers. What to act on is more challenging.
One of the things I found most difficult about advising students was how to interpret Choice Supported Bias. It was one thing to have me make suggestions on how to adapt a paper but I always feared my input altered the outcome in negative ways.
Thank you to everyone on the Decode Econ team for the time and effort you put into this project.
1. From my perspective, one thing you are doing very well and should definitely continue is the length of the readings and the “Economics Behind” section. That part is the real differentiator of Decode Econ. It is what makes the content especially valuable for my students and, honestly, for me as well.
2. One area that could be improved relates to the leadership pieces. I really enjoy them, I truly love that section. However, since I tend to appreciate structure, it currently feels a bit random when those readings appear in my inbox. If a new reader happened to receive a leadership article as their first Decode Econ email, it might be a little confusing. One idea could be to create a dedicated section and release those pieces on a specific day, for example every Wednesday or Friday, with a catchy title that signals it is a special feature. This may just be my preference for structure, but it could help with clarity.
3. Another idea that could add value would be a monthly economic recap highlighting key indicators. Something brief and storytelling oriented that helps readers stay informed, almost like saying “life moves fast, but here are the main economic signals you should keep an eye on.” If it is helpful, I would be happy to contribute to something like this. I already produce similar visual economic summaries in my work, so translating that into a short narrative format would be very feasible.
Thank you, again!
Dr. Cecilia, thank you so much for your input. I like the leadership day recommendation. The content is well received but having it on a specific day might send a clearer message. Let us talk about item 3. We would love to have our community contribute to our growth and content. If you are already doing it, we can help amplify it on here.
Let’s talk about it, Dr. Al-Bahrani. I would be glad to contribute and collaborate with the Decode Econ team.
I'll just do the "What would I like to see more of" piece. I'd like to see more deconstructed averages. Averages in economics very often are misleading, often because the people at the top skew the average upwards. This is most obvious with income and wealth statistics, but also applies to things like "What is the average income of the lower 50% of US workers, and how does it compare with the average income of the lower 50% of French workers?" -- a question I asked and replied to among my recent posts here. Digging into the data can reveal situations that standard questions do not, especially about inequality or opportunity -- paying attention to how much the variance of US stats compare with other countries can be very eye-opening. For example: "What is the infant mortality of the lower 50% of US income-earners, compared to infant mortality among the top 10%?", or "What is the savings rate of the lower 50% compared to that of the top 10%?" or stock-ownership among these demographics, or home ownership, or education level.
I have really enjoyed working on Decode Econ, and here is how I think about the three questions:
1.) What I find most valuable in our work is the community we have built. The post I made about Ozempic was especially fun not only to write, but also to watch people interact with and share their thoughts. I enjoyed responding to comments and learning more about everyone through the conversations with Dr. A . The support from the group has been amazing, and it truly feels like we are making an impact. One thing that is clearly working is the DEEN Program. The network we have built is strong, and it is great to see our work being incorporated into classrooms.
2.) One area that could be improved is the length of some of the posts. As the posts have gotten longer, it seems like engagement drops off toward the end of the week. While we are still figuring out exactly why that happens, it might be worth exploring strategies keep readers coming back later in the week and maintaining engagement.
3.) Something we should do that we have stopped doing recently is more unexpected or spontaneous stories that people bring to us. The Saks Fifth Avenue post recommended by Aidan was a great example of something different but still recognizable. Posts like that add variety and keep things interesting. The 2016 trend post was another example that came to mind, not recommended, but just unexpected, that was both fun to work on and enjoyable to read. Trying ideas like that helps keep the project creative and engaging.
As we take a break, I really appreciate the support from everyone and I’m excited to come back stronger and with many ideas.
Bayesian Observer Effect - The agent updates their behaviors/beliefs in response to an observation. Not quite Heisenberg where the physical intereaction with the studied subject affects further behavior, but also not False Concensus Bias where the observer injects egocentric factors into the situations.
Translation - Allow for organic growth or change. Your audience projecting their expectations may result in a negative feedback loop.
My reply is an Authority Bias exercise? But in any case, rest/relax and come back offering how you and the TAs see they world. Unique perspectives that further a discussion have great value.
Thanks, Lary. Getting feedback and identifying what to act on is difficult. Over the years I have noticed the negative feedback loop on social media. Nonetheless, it is always great to hear from you, the readers. What to act on is more challenging.
One of the things I found most difficult about advising students was how to interpret Choice Supported Bias. It was one thing to have me make suggestions on how to adapt a paper but I always feared my input altered the outcome in negative ways.
We appreciate the support and viewership of the community! We will be back and better than ever!