I’ll preface this by saying this will read like a blatant commercial. It probably is. I will also say it’s the primary motivation for me going to work every day. I love what we’re doing at Anonyome.
I was lucky enough over the Christmas break to be able to unplug a bit. I caught up on some reading, writing, and binged-watched Black Mirror (loved it!) and Westworld (was anyone else confused?). I also spent hours on my new iPad (am I the only one who thinks we’ve reached peak Apple?) endlessly trolling the news, favorite blogs, and various missives about how bad 2016 was. Being cursed with ADHD and somewhat prone to impulsiveness, I found myself on a site where the new 2018 Ford F-150 Raptor was being advertised; and of course I clicked. What happened next was frustrating, interesting, and ultimately empowering. I’ll summarize:
Within seconds, a pop-up appears on the Ford site: “Would you like to chat with an agent?” I always enjoy the fake pictures they pose next to the dialog box…as if. I immediately hit “No thank you.” But I do want to build my Raptor. If you’re a truck nerd, and have already seen these Raptors, then you understand what I mean. (If you’re not, just imagine your favorite “thing” since the rest of the steps are identical). The old adage of “imagine yourself in…” sales technique was working its magic on me. I built the most expensive, tricked-out truck I could muster, and miraculously, there was one available. Again, I’m going to click.
Here’s where it gets all-too familiar: Enter your zip code. Enter your name. Enter your phone number. Enter your email. I hesitate, but I do want that truck. I start to enter my zip code…and then the dopamine hits. My name is Steve Shillingford. My phone number is — wait, I’ll use a Sudo. One that isn’t necessary to keep. Three taps later, I enter my SudoPhone number and my SudoMail address. Submit.
Literally, and I mean literally, I got two emails and a text message within a minute. Six minutes later, my SudoNumber begins to ring; this was 3:00pm on a Thursday. My phone continues to ping — more texts.
[Email] “Thanks for registering!”
[Email] “Welcome to the Ford F-150 Raptor Newsletter…” (I expressly unchecked the box)
[Text] “Steve, we’ve seen you’re interested in a Raptor! We’ve got three available near you!” (none of them were my configuration — why even bother with that?)
[Voicemail] “Steve, I saw you were in the market for a Raptor. Can we set up an appointment to show you what we have? I’m here until 8:00pm. Call me back!”
[Text-this was my favorite] “Steve, are you there?”
You know how this ends. After an annoying few hours of fervent emails, texts, and phone calls, I decided I had had enough. So I tapped on my “SudoRaptor” identity in my SudoApp, and instantly “I” was gone. No email to try to unsubscribe from (which requires a 6-week waiting period), no texts or phone calls to try to block — it was as if I never existed. I went all Keyser Söze on them! It was so profoundly liberating, that I can’t overstate the power and control I felt. No more leaving my name and contact information in the “Glenn Gary” leads bucket for the next guy to pester the Sh!% out of me. No wasted paper flyers cluttering my mailbox. No random calls from unknown numbers. No digital trail to mine, sell, or offer up to some third party I was privy to or asked permission for. Just a simple question. A simple answer. It was akin to asking someone in Starbucks for the time.
Now, of course, this reads like my own self-interested blog to promote Sudo, and that’s a totally fair presumption, but I challenge you to try this in your own life. See how it feels. See if your ability to change the terms with which you share your personal identity and information doesn’t give you a bit of dopamine.
Given how hard 2016 was, I’m betting we could all use a little salve for that loss of control we sometimes feel. At Anonyome, we go to work every day, making that “salve”. My experience is just one example of more to come. I hope you stay tuned!
S.
