4 Comments

Thank you for these insights and illustrating the complementarity problem with the paneer recipe. The hummingbird metaphor is also sticky. Wow, you show how one can make operations accessible and exciting for non-engineers.

Expand full comment

Thanks, Florian! That's great to hear. I was in two minds, and was wondering about if the metaphor worked well.

Expand full comment

I enjoyed reading this post (although I missed your usual cultural meanderings).

The palak paneer example resonated with me as we've had a few similar experiences. Nothing outrageous though, usually parsley for cilantro or one cereal brand for another. That said, it looks like others on the Internet haven't been so lucky. Some funny examples:

https://twitter.com/TrizzleMcDizzle/status/1246788213575950337

https://twitter.com/bexiparsons/status/1588229205883428864

Expand full comment

Oh, I love these twitter examples! (Twitter is great for these 'Reader's Digest' type, slice of life stories). Substitution is just a hard one to figure out on the app, which is often a mere substitution even when it works well, vs. a range of actions available for customers while in store (change recipe, change cooking menu, and serendipitous discoveries).

Groceries are complicated, and too much ground to cover, but will make up on pop culture, next time!

Expand full comment