What if luck has less to do with chance and more to do with understanding the systems around us? We talk with Judd Kessler about the hidden markets shaping opportunities in everything from concert tickets and jobs to relationships and organ transplants. Together, we explore why so many systems feel unfair, how behavioral economics can improve them, and why learning the rules behind these invisible structures may be the key to getting a little luckier in life.
Topics
[0:00] Introduction and Speed Round with Judd Kessler
[13:18] The Hidden Markets Behind Organ Donation
[18:30] Market Design in Medicine
[29:13] How Incentives Work
[35:30] TSA PreCheck, Scarcity, and Making Better Systems
[40:14] The Ticketmaster Problem
[46:20] The Ticketmaster Solution
[53:34] Hidden Markets in Podcasts and Beyond
[59:18] “The Room Where it Happens” with Lin-Manuel Miranda
[1:05:30] Desert Island Music Picks
[1:08:00] Grooving Session: Creating Luck Wherever You Go
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Links
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Lucky by Design by Judd Kessler
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Musical Links
Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso
The Beatles - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds