Why do we buy the things we buy? Is it logic, habit, emotion, or something much deeper?

In this episode of Startup Mindsets, I sit down with Mehdi Bouhassoune, author of Why Did You Buy That Drink?, to explore the fascinating psychology behind consumer behavior and purchasing decisions. Drawing from behavioral science, marketing, and real-world examples, Mehdi breaks down the hidden forces that influence what ends up in our shopping carts—and why understanding them matters for entrepreneurs, marketers, and everyday consumers alike.

We discuss:
✅ The science behind everyday purchasing decisions
✅ Why emotions often outweigh logic in consumer behavior
✅ How brands influence perception and decision-making
✅ The psychology of pricing, packaging, and product positioning
✅ Lessons founders can apply to build products people actually want
✅ Common misconceptions about what drives consumer choices

Whether you're building a startup, working in marketing, or simply curious about human behavior, this conversation offers valuable insights into the invisible factors shaping our decisions every day.

📖 Guest: Mehdi Bouhassoune
Author of Why Did You Buy That Drink?: The Surprising Science Behind Everyday Purchases

🎧 Listen now and discover the surprising reasons behind what you buy.

A word from our Sponsors

Startup Mindsets is sponsored by Gamma.App take your presentation to the next level with an an AI-powered content creation tool that allows users to generate presentations, documents, and webpages from simple text prompts. It eliminates the need for manual formatting by instantly producing polished, visual layouts that can be shared via a web link or exported to PowerPoint, Google Slides.

STARTUP MINDSETS is Sponsored by DELVE

If you’ve ever spent hours: clicking through dashboards, taking screenshots, labeling files, and then re-doing it all again for the next audit.

…this one’s for you. Today, Delve is launching Delve CUA: a computer-using AI agent that takes compliance screenshots for you.

Delve’s agent securely navigates your tools, captures screenshots at the right moments, and attaches them directly to the correct controls, while you focus on actually building security.

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Popular video editing product founder, Arto, enters the studio for this podcast. As the needs of video creation climb, Async helps creators scale their content with an easy to use video editor. It's what we used for our podcast editing needs.

We discussed:

• Cutting through the noise of being a creator with the science of content
• How living in Armenia influenced his career aspirations from wanting to direct films to creating technology that allows ppl to make videos.

A word from our Sponsors

Startup Mindsets is sponsored by Gamma.App take your presentation to the next level with an an AI-powered content creation tool that allows users to generate presentations, documents, and webpages from simple text prompts. It eliminates the need for manual formatting by instantly producing polished, visual layouts that can be shared via a web link or exported to PowerPoint, Google Slides.

STARTUP MINDSETS is Sponsored by DELVE

If you’ve ever spent hours: clicking through dashboards, taking screenshots, labeling files, and then re-doing it all again for the next audit.

…this one’s for you. Today, Delve is launching Delve CUA: a computer-using AI agent that takes compliance screenshots for you.

Delve’s agent securely navigates your tools, captures screenshots at the right moments, and attaches them directly to the correct controls, while you focus on actually building security.

You build. Delve documents. That’s compliance, finally automated end-to-end.

Trusted by 1,000+ of the fastest-growing companies, including 11x, Instantly, micro1, Wisprflow, Greptile, Browser Use, and more.

👉 ⁠Book a demo⁠ to see Delve CUA in action and get $1,500 off with code CUA1.5K

Click below and Cut hundreds of hours of compliance busywork with Delve

⁠https://delve.co/book-demo?utm_source=startupmindsets&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=startupmindsets-primary-feb23-26⁠

Connect with Arto on Linkedin

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This is a fascinating conversation you won't want to miss.

In this episode of Startup Mindsets, I sit down with author Ritu Mehrish to unpack the ideas behind her book “Rewrite the Rules

and the evolving expectations around work and family.

One of the most thought-provoking parts of our conversation explores a cultural shift that doesn’t get talked about enough—why having a family is no longer as universally glamorized as it once was, and how that ties into changing definitions of fulfillment, freedom, and identity in modern careers.
We also talk about building startup-style thinking in everyday life, and how questioning traditional “rules” can open up more intentional paths in both business and personal decisions.

Read her book https://www.amazon.com/Rewrite-Rules-changing-leadership-scenario-ebook/dp/B0DKF1XMXK

Key Themes we talked about

• Writing books
• Work Culture in South East Asia vs. America
• Quitting Corporate Life to be an Entrepreneur

This episode is brought to you by Gamma.app and Delve —tools helping founders and operators think, build, and communicate faster in today’s startup landscape.

If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, career reinvention, or how mindset shifts shape modern success, this conversation is for you.

Thank you for your continued support over the last 6 years, we've eclipsed 10K downloads on streaming and are looking forward to the future of this show.

Startup Mindsets the book is available for purchase only $10!

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That was my cousin, Rocko Steady, on the intro song: What I want Them to Know 🎵