Welcome to Dumbify

👋 Hi there,

Today’s dumb thought starts with a simple question:

Have you ever noticed how the most successful people often do exactly what they’re told NOT to do?

I mean, isn’t that just a little strange? Everyone's out there saying "Don’t touch the stove! Don't eat the expired yogurt! Don't do that dumb thing!" and then, boom, someone does it, and they’re suddenly sipping margaritas on a yacht named The Risky Decision.

Take 👧 Emma Chamberlain, for instance. She took every perfectly curated influencer guide, ran it through a shredder, and set the remnants on fire. Instead of glamor and pristine vibes, she gave us pajamas, awkward cuts, and the kind of honesty that made most PR teams break into a cold sweat. "You need perfection to succeed online," they said. Emma shrugged and casually became a sensation, proving that chaos and authenticity go together like peanut butter and just about anything.

Or consider 👨‍🦲 Tim Ferriss. In 2022, he pulled a Ferris Bueller move and essentially said, "You know what? Let’s all just take a nap." He launched a course advocating for doing less, slowing down, and actually resting — an affront to every productivity bro out there trying to build an empire before breakfast. The expected Tim, the hustle harder Tim? He was nowhere to be found. Instead, there was Tim sipping tea, telling everyone to chill out, and wouldn't you know it, the world loved it.

These people didn’t just break the rules; they ripped the pages out, made a paper mache sculpture of a llama, and called it modern art. Because here’s the deal about being contrary: it’s not about being different just to be annoying at Thanksgiving dinner. It’s about spotting what everyone else glosses over—the invisible why not? that makes the "no way" suddenly feel possible.

Cheers to that.

Definition: While this word is hyper-specific, referring to someone from the Käpylä district in Helsinki, it has come to symbolize being unconventional and proud of it—someone who goes against the mainstream just because it’s their nature.

People who can be described as Käpyläinen (pronounced: KAH-poo-lye-nen) tend to go against the grain by using the power of opposites. But it’s not just people that can exhibit this powerfully dumb way of thinking.

Consider this reverse vending machine from 🇳🇴 Norway where they've flipped the vending machine concept on its head. Instead of paying to get something out, you get paid to put something in. These reverse vending machines reward people for recycling bottles and cans, helping Norway achieve a mind-boggling 97% recycling rate.

• 🥑 Restaurants: Pay what you think the meal is worth

• 🤸 Gyms: Get paid for every workout you complete

• 🏫 Schools: Students teach one class per semester

• 👗 Retail: The more you return, the bigger your discount

Examples from real companies:

• 😱 Cards Against Humanity: Card games tended to be clean, wholesome fun for the family until Cards Against Humanity said, "What if we make a game that's the polar opposite?" They wound up making something so vile and outrageous that it became a massive hit, turning uncomfortable humor into the entire point of the game. They didn't just break the mold—they smashed it, laughed at the pieces, and somehow became a cultural phenomenon.

• 😅 Scrub Daddy: Cleaning is the opposite of fun. So, Scrub Daddy came along and said, "Let’s make a weird smiley-faced sponge that looks like it belongs in a deranged cartoon. You know, for fun." They sold a reason to smile while you clean, turning a mundane task into something oddly delightful.

• ☠️ Liquid Death: Imagine you're launching a new water brand, and the market is overflowing with health-conscious names like "Pure Springs" or "Aqua Serenity." You might think to play it safe, and be equally as “pure” and “serene”. Instead, Liquid Death said, "Let’s be the opposite of that, and in fact, let’s scare the hell out of people a little bit too." They canned mountain water, slapped a logo on it that looked like it belonged on a norwegian death-metal album, and branded it with the energy of a beer. People thought it was a joke—until it wasn’t.

Go on, give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe that "dumb" idea will be the one that has you lounging on The Risky Decision next summer.

The Contrary Thinker's Toolkit: 

✓ Question especially when "everyone knows" something 

✓ Look for what others consider impossible 

✓ Find problems others think are "just the way things are" 

✓ Ask "What if the opposite were true?"

Thanks for embracing the power of contrary thinking with me today!

SHARE YOUR CONTRARY WIN: Reply with a time you succeeded by doing the opposite of conventional wisdom. The best story gets featured in our next newsletter AND wins a signed copy of "Dumbify"!

Stay brilliantly backward, David

P.S. Know someone who needs to break free from conventional thinking? Forward this email—sometimes the best way to move forward is to think backward.