Like chewing gum? You could go to jail
If you’re standing on a sidewalk in New York City, look down and you’ll see dozens of gray spots, each about an inch wide.
They blend in with the concrete.
So they’re easy to miss.
I’ve been living in NYC for over a decade, and I’ve never thought much about these “gum spots.”
Until yesterday.
I picked up my 4-year-old from school.
We’re walking home, and I’ve got our 1-year-old in the stroller, so I’m gripping the push bar with one hand and holding his hand in the other, maneuvering the sidewalk during rush hour…
His steps become increasingly erratic.
I see him hop, step, hop again, sprint forward.
It felt like steering an outboard motor with a fish on the line.
“Let’s go…..,” I said.
I squeeze his hand.
“WATCH OUT!” he says back.
I turn my head and look down.
“You’re stepping on the dots, Daddy!!!”
He points at the gum spots, and I listen as he explains more rules:
• Avoid all cracks.
• Don’t step on orange paint.
• Earn ‘jackpot points’ by stepping on mini manhole covers (gas valve covers).
I follow his spot-hopping — while pushing the stroller — and the sidewalk turns into Guitar Hero on expert mode.
Then everything stops.
I look up and we’re at the end of the block.
But something’s not right, something feels off.
Standing there, waiting for the light, I notice construction cones nearby, new sewer drains, and freshly laid concrete.
The street corner is immaculate, not a single gum spot.
It reminded me of the sterile survey templates on Survey Monkey or Typeform…
… and the survey quant-tards who want to “clean the sidewalk.”
They act like the Singapore police, dishing out huge fines for minor infractions like chewing gum.
(Don’t let them catch you spitting gum onto the sidewalk… that’s jail time.)
Have you ever encountered sterile templates?
Or a nerdy analyst who points out all the rules?
Do you feel like you’re living in the Singapore of quant research?
Want a way out?
Want to see why asking “dirty” questions gets shoppers sharing the details you need?
If so, there’s something you can do right now: get a $45 Survey Roast.
I’ll show you that one of the simplest things you can do to improve your surveys is to forget about being accurate and embrace the mess.
Design with people in mind, not methodological rules.
Turn imperfections into features....
… just like a kid turns a dirty sidewalk into a game.
Click on the link below.
I’d love to help.
https://www.sammcnerney.com/45-dollar-survey-roast
Sam
PS: Has anyone been to Singapore? Is the gum rule actually enforced?