Ongoing Projects

The adverse consequence of having to choose from many choices has become a defining focus in scientific research since Iyengar and Lepper’s seminal study in 2000, which introduced what came to be known as the “choice overload” phenomenon. In the current paper, we provide a comprehensive review and meta analysis of this phenomenon, examining how choice overload has been studied by scientists using various paradigms across seven decision domains: everyday consumer goods, experiential choices, healthcare, personal savings, prosocial behavior, interpersonal relationships, and civic responsibility. We conclude by highlighting key factors that have emerged in research that exacerbate or attenuate the effect. By synthesizing evidence across methodologies and domains, this study illuminates the limits of human cognitive capacity in modern decision environments and underscores strategies for navigating an ever-expanding marketplace of options.

Most people stop at the first idea that seems good enough, even when a better one is within reach. This project uses AI to evaluate new business ideas against research-based criteria for what makes an opportunity promising, drawing on thousands of real crowdfunding campaigns to test which factors predict success. The goal is a practical tool that helps entrepreneurs and innovators judge their ideas more rigorously and keep improving them before committing time and money.

Drawing on the Think Bigger framework, this project asks whether the most valuable inventions solve problems by borrowing ideas from outside their own field. Using AI to analyze patents, we trace how inventors break down problems and where their solutions come from. We then examine whether looking beyond one’s own domain leads to more successful inventions.