In 1969, commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo 11 on the moon. It was the first step to send people into space and discover literal galaxies of new possibilities. This project became the archetypal one for ambitious, exploratory, work; we now use the word “moonshot” to describe projects that have the potential to improve at least 1 billion people’s lives by at least 10x. For example, self-driving cars are a moonshot with the goal of reducing road accident fatalities by 90%. 

As products bump up against the laws of physics, Rory Sutherland believes that there are many opportunities in making an experience 10x more fun, 10x less frustrating, or 10x as effortless. He calls these opportunities “psychological moonshots.” 

One good example is the map on ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft make the experience of waiting for a taxi much less frustrating. He writes, “The invention of the map was perhaps equivalent to multiplying the number of cabs on the road by a factor of ten – not because waiting times got any shorter, but because they felt ten times less irritating.” 

The stories we tell each other offer one such example as well. Stories that make a person’s life 10x happier, or 10x less difficult or painful, are psychological moonshots.

Imagine if you could tell a story that made saving money 10x more energizing or effortless, or made someone feel 10x as proud of themselves or 10x less shame and guilt. Or if you could make it 10x easier for someone to think long-term or find a cheap flight. Maybe you can make spreadsheets 10x as fun.

These stories can make meaningful change for a lot of people. For example, while San Francisco is known to be the point of origin for many successful technology companies (including Uber), it’s also well-known as the home of a psychological moonshot story to make failing much less painful and perhaps 10x more acceptable.