The Continuous cycle of upgrades

The Upgrade Trance

I’m seeing a lot of people in my gym carrying the latest iPhones. Same with the newest Nikes and Jordan hoodies. It’s that time of year.

Living in America means living in a continuous cycle of "new." The observation here isn't just that people have money. It's that they have a burning biological need to exchange that money for the latest shiny object.

While the culture of "showing off" isn't as blatant here as it is in India, the result is the same. I have yet to see a pair of shoes in my gym that looks worn out. You almost never see utility in the wild. You only see status signaling.

The Persuasion Game

This cycle is fantastic for the economy. Companies are motivated to make marginal improvements because they know you can’t help yourself.

As a marketer, you have to admire the elegance of it. Look at the trends for Hydroflasks and Stanley cups. There is no logic there. A cup is a cup. But if you can convince a population that owning a specific metal tube is a personality trait, you have won the game.

UX designers and product teams are essentially hacking the wires in your brain. When they tweak an app and usage goes up, that’s not "improvement." That’s successful hypnosis. They figured out which buttons to push to make the moist robot (you) respond.

The Guinea Pig Problem

Great for the economy. Bad for you.

When you chase the upgrade, you are a guinea pig in a lab who thinks he’s the scientist. You are trying to fill a psychological hole with a physical object. That never works, but it’s profitable for Apple to let you keep trying.

There is a difference between Vanity and Utility.

In my family, we have a system: We buy high quality, and we run it into the ground.

• My last phone: Galaxy Note 9. I used it for 8 years. I only changed it because my wife wanted us to upgrade together.

• Current phone: S23 Ultra. It runs like a tank.

• My laptop: A 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro.

• Previous laptop: A 2011 MacBook Pro that we still own. It’s slow, but it works.

The Output Filter

Most people use a $1,200 phone to scroll Instagram and get angry at strangers on Facebook. You can do that on a potato.

My criteria for an upgrade is simple: Will this significantly improve my workflow and output?

If the answer is no, I don't care about the thinner bezels. I don't care about the titanium finish.

If you aren't upgrading based on a cold calculation of utility, you aren't a consumer. You're the product.