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The article “2 Ways The ‘IKEA Effect’ Dooms Passion Projects, By A Psychologist” discusses the psychological biases that can prevent us from letting go of failed projects and moving on to better opportunities. The author, a psychologist, highlights two main ways in which this happens:
**1. The IKEA Effect (Emotional Attachment)**
The IKEA Effect refers to our tendency to overvalue things we’ve created or invested ourselves in. This leads to an emotional attachment that makes it difficult for us to abandon projects, even if they’re not performing well.
* **Switch from identity to evaluation**: When you feel like a failure, remind yourself that there’s always room for improvement and data should guide your decisions.
* **Take time away**: Give yourself space to re-evaluate the project with fresh eyes. Ask others for feedback, and don’t be afraid to pivot if necessary.
**2. The Completion Fallacy (Sunk Cost)**
This bias tricks us into thinking that completed work is automatically good work, regardless of its quality. This can lead to wasting resources and time on a failing project.
* **Predefine exit signals**: Before starting a project, define clear outcomes and potential failure scenarios. If those criteria aren’t met, pivot or abandon the project.
* **Separate ego from outcome**: Ask yourself if you would still invest in the project if someone else had built it.
* **Run “pre-mortems”**: Imagine hypothetical scenarios where the project fails and identify potential blind spots.
The author concludes that while it’s natural to take pride in our work, we must balance this with clarity, feedback, and real-world results. Allowing ourselves to get emotionally attached can stifle flexibility, discourage fresh thinking, and lower team morale.
By recognizing these biases and taking steps to mitigate their impact, we can make more informed decisions about whether to continue investing in a project or not.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2025/05/01/2-ways-the-ikea-effect-dooms-passion-projects-by-a-psychologist/
