Why would a business care?
What if knowing one customer well were enough?
For a long time, brands couldn't afford to understand one person deeply—so they guessed from crowds. If you can safely share a few clear preferences, they might simply do a better job for you. Better product first; any money or perks that follow are a possible structure, not something I've proven.
Why they needed crowds
Modern personalization has largely relied on finding “people like you” in a huge behavioral pile, then predicting. That approach needs scale—because the system isn't really reading you; it's finding lookalikes.
Today a model can act directly on clear statements—quiet table, dairy-free, walkable evenings—without first triangulating from a crowd. One person's context can now contain enough usable information to matter. That's the hypothesis: share a little, on purpose → better product → a reason for the business to participate.
How it usually works
Millions of customers → put you in a bucket → guess
- Watch what lots of people do
- ↓ Sort them into groups
- ↓ “People like you often choose…”
What I'm exploring
You → a few clear preferences you approved → something that fits
- One person
- ↓ Only what you said yes to
- ↓ “For you, because…”
Better product first
Not “sell your data.”
I'm arguing there could be economic value—not that brands already will pay, or that Si must replace Booking.com. A more direct relationship between you and a business is interesting; how value gets divided (perks, upgrades, points, better terms) is open.
- Hotel. Quiet room, walkable evenings, how they greet you—a better stay without your whole history. Loyalty budgets already exist; whether they fund this is what I’m testing. See →
- Restaurant. Table, menu, pacing that fit this person tonight—because of what they shared and who they trust, not a “people like you” bucket. See →
- Wine shop / store. Taste and fit that can enter the brand’s chat as a few clear preferences—not a rebuilt profile every time. See →