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New series32 levels~5 min eachAlex × Jordan

Incentives,

Find the payoff, predict the person.

Why do smart people do dumb things? Follow the payoff. Alex and Jordan decode the hidden rewards behind work, money, status, and your own habits in a 32-chapter audio series that turns the world into a game you can finally read.

Level select ↓
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Incentives, Decoded cover art: the title on a sticker over violet, with a coin, a die and a game pawn
2h 46m of hidden games

How to play

Every level is one hidden game, decoded.

Step 01

Spot the game

Every level opens on a story where people act weird. Then we zoom out to the board they're actually playing on.

Step 02

Find the payoff

Who gets rewarded? Who gets punished? Once you see the payoff, the weird behavior suddenly makes total sense.

Step 03

Make your move

Each level ends with one move to try today: on your boss, your feed, your group chat, or yourself.

Level select

Pick a level. Any level.

XP0/32 cleared
  1. Level01The Iron Law5:10
  2. Level02The World Is a Game4:50
  3. Level03Stated vs. Revealed5:06
  4. Level04Follow the Money4:58
  5. Level05Systems Get What They Reward5:30
  6. Level06Self-Interest Isn't Selfish5:19
  7. Level07Status: The Hidden Currency5:16
  8. Level08Fear and Greed5:25
  9. Level09Belonging and Tribes5:22
  10. Level10The Law of Least Effort5:18
  11. Level11Your Own Hidden Incentives5:17
  12. Level12The Principal-Agent Problem5:02
  13. Level13Goodhart's Law5:06
  14. Level14The Cobra Effect5:10
  15. Level15Tragedy of the Commons5:24
  16. Level16Signaling5:24
  17. Level17Zero-Sum vs. Positive-Sum5:30
  18. Level18The Tournament4:53
  19. Level19Who Writes the Rules Wins4:12
  20. Level20Reading the Room5:06
  21. Level21Negotiation: Find Their Payoff4:59
  22. Level22Designing Incentives5:59
  23. Level23Skin in the Game5:15
  24. Level24Reputation Systems4:40
  25. Level25Choosing Your Games5:17
  26. Level26Defecting Wisely5:13
  27. Level27Align, Don't Fight5:11
  28. Level28Win-Win Design5:00
  29. Level29Incentives for Yourself5:10
  30. Level30Teaching the Game4:45
  31. Level31The Meta-Game5:14
  32. Level32Play Beautiful Games5:32

Don't miss a level

Put it in your queue.

Follow on Spotify, watch on YouTube, or add the feed to any podcast app (Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts) and every chapter lands where you already listen.

Listen on SpotifyWatch on YouTube

https://www.thejoydigi.com/podcasts/incentives-decoded/feed.xml