You’re About to Make a Terrible Mistake! by Olivier Sibony Summary
Overview of You’re About to Make a Terrible Mistake!
Discover why your brain betrays you in crucial moments. Endorsed by Daniel Kahneman, this 4.7-rated guide reveals 40 methods to outsmart cognitive biases. "The best, funniest guide to cognitive bias in business" - Safi Bahcall. Warren Buffett's decision-making secrets inside.
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Key takeaways
The Hidden Traps Behind Our Worst Decisions
Ever watched a brilliant leader make an astonishingly bad decision and wondered how it happened? Even the smartest executives consistently fall into predictable decision traps. These aren't failures of intelligence or character-they're systematic cognitive biases that affect us all. Despite warnings, executives repeatedly make identical mistakes: overpaying for acquisitions, creating wildly optimistic budgets, ignoring disruption signals, and doubling down on failing ventures. The puzzle is that these bad decisions come from extremely successful individuals with good advice and proper incentives. The solution lies in behavioral science. We make systematic, predictable mistakes called cognitive biases. While unconscious-bias training has become popular for addressing discrimination, it rarely tackles how our own biases affect strategic decisions. Overcoming these biases requires three fundamental ideas: First, our biases create predictable patterns of strategic error. Second, individuals cannot overcome their own biases, but organizations can compensate through collaboration and process. Third, organizations don't naturally overcome biases-they often amplify them. Leaders must become "decision architects" who deliberately design processes to counteract these predictable errors.
When Compelling Stories Override Critical Thinking
The Dangerous Allure of Business Genius
When Gut Feelings Lead You Astray
The Confidence Paradox
Breaking Through Organizational Inertia
Designing Better Decision Processes
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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