A trick hidden in an egg (and a paper)

Hey you, today I stumbled back into a story that hasn’t crossed my mind in all years i’ve been alive…

It starts with a guy who landed every single job he applied for.

Now, you’d assume he had a killer résumé, or some monster skills…

Because how else was he getting all the jobs he was applying for?

Nopee.

His secret was that he printed his résumé on HEAVIER paper.

So when recruiters flipped through stacks of résumés—thunk—his stood out.

Simple, obvious. Yet no one else thought to do it.

The novelty of the heavier paper makes the recruiter feel like they've stumbled upon something interesting.

This initial positive feeling can then trigger confirmation bias, where their brain starts looking for reasons to justify that initial good feeling.

They might now read the résumé with more positive expectations, actively searching for skills and experiences that confirm their initial subconscious impression that this candidate is…different.

And it also reminded me of the old Columbus egg story.

After “discovering” America, Columbus was mocked by nobles who said, “Anyone could’ve done what you did.”

So Columbus handed them an egg and challenged them to make it stand upright. Everyone failed.

Then he tapped the egg on the table, flattening the tip, and stood it tall.

While it was true that everyone could have done it…(it seems incredibly simple and obvious in retrospect) but no one did.

So here’s the takeaway: when you’re facing a challenge, don’t just copy what everyone else is doing. Ask yourself:

“What’s the small, seemingly insignificant thing that could make a huge difference here?”

It's often the little, obvious things nobody else bothers to do that win.

Laura

P.S.I really value you as a person, so tell me one small thing you’re stuck on right now, I’ll read it.