Introduction: The underlying logic of product thinking and life decision-making
In the daily work of product managers, requirements analysis, path selection and iterative optimization are eternal themes. User surveys show that 83% of product managers have made the assumption that “if a strategy is adjusted at that time” when reviewing a project (Source: Product Manager Survival Report 2024). This kind of “counterfactual thinking” is essentially the same as ordinary people’s fantasy of “starting over again” – it is essentially the pursuit of the “optimal solution”.
When you flip through old photos late at night, have you ever flashed “if only …… then?” The thought? Psychological research shows that more than 76% of adults have fantasized about “life restart” when faced with major life milestones (source: Frontiers in Social Psychology 2023 survey). Behind this collective subconscious is the instinctive pursuit of “perfection” – neuroscience has discovered that the prefrontal cortex of the brain continuously evaluates potential alternatives to events that have occurred, and this “counterfactual thinking” mechanism allows us to constantly review the script of life.
In 2019, Japan’s NHK TV station filmed a documentary called “Life Over Simulator”, which tracked 10 dying elderly people writing down their wishes to “live again”. What is shocking is that80% of the wishes are not to change major decisions, but to “want to be more courageous in expressing love” or “stay up less late”。 This small but profound regret reveals the nature of human beings’ obsession with “starting over” – what we really desire may not be to change the past, but to change itBeyond the limitations of current cognition。
From a product perspective, life is like a product that needs to be continuously iterated: users (individuals) meet their self-fulfilling needs (product value) through repeated decisions (function development) in a complex market environment (social system). 80% of the dying wishes in Japan’s NHK documentary “Life Over Simulator” focus on “emotional connection”, which coincides with the logic of “deep user needs are often hidden under superficial functions” in product design – just like users say “they need a faster horse”, which is essentially the need for “efficient travel”.
Source: 2024 Nature Human Behaviour Global Survey (sample size of 15,000 people)
The essence of regret is the violent collision of expectations and reality.
The German philosopher Schopenhauer likened it to “the rupture of will and appearance”: we are always planning a blueprint for our ideal life, but we are shattered by the force majeure of reality.
Sociologists summarize it as the “choice paradox” – every decision means giving up other possibilities, and the existence of this “opportunity cost” is destined to make regret an inevitable proposition in life. A follow-up study by Stanford University showed that even when subjects were given the opportunity to simulate “start over”, 43% of participants developed new regrets about their new choices.
Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert states in “Crashing into Happiness”:“The human brain is a ‘simulator of the future’, but its predictive ability is terrible.”This is where regret comes from – we always think a different choice would be better, but science has proven that this may just be an illusion.
This article will break the cognitive misconception of “starting over is perfect” and discuss it from three dimensions: neuroplasticity, decision-making psychology, and social network theory. Through brain science analysis of memory reconstruction mechanisms, combined with real life stories and sociological experiments, the butterfly effect that “restarting” may bring. Whether life can be repeated or not, perhaps what is really important is to understand how regret shapes us at this moment – this is not only a reflection on life, but also an in-depth practice of product thinking in real scenarios.
Chapter 1: The Question of the Meaning of Life – The Matching of Product Value and User Drive
When the hypothesis that “if life can be repeated” is presented in front of us, most people will subconsciously equate it with “a more meaningful life”. But interdisciplinary research in philosophy, psychology and religion reveals that the answer is far more complex than imagined. This question about the meaning of life may allow us to re-examine our current life choices.
1.1 Existential perspective: elasticity of demand and cost of choice
Product managers are well aware of the “Occam Razor Principle”: eliminate redundant functions and focus on core requirements. The existentialist philosopher Sartre proposed that “existence precedes essence”, believing that people do not have a predetermined essence at birth, but shape themselves through free choice, and that the “core function” of life is not set by nature, but is dynamically constructed through choice.
Just like a tool product may evolve into a social platform in iteration, people’s self-worth will also be reshaped with their choices. This means that even if we start over, we still have to face countless choices, and each choice is accompanied by giving up other possible regrets.
For example, if a professional gives up a stable job to start a business, even if he starts over, he may regret missing the opportunity to realize his self-worth if he chooses a stable job. As Sartre said: “Man is destined to be free, freedom is man’s destiny, and man must be free to make a series of choices for himself.” ”
Camus’s myth of Sisyphus is a metaphor for the cycle of life. Sisyphus, who was punished for pushing the stone up the mountain, rolled down every time he reached the top of the mountain, which seemed absurd, just like we repeated the cycle of “choice – regret – re-choice”. Even if we start over, will we fall into a Sisyphan dilemma, repeating the same helplessness in endless reincarnation?
The French philosopher Sartre once said: “Man is forced to be free.” “Even if life starts over, we still have to face it“Existence precedes essence”The dilemma. Just like in the popular game Cyberpunk 2077 in 2021, players have 100 life path choices, but they will still end up in a similar moral dilemma – becauseThe construction of meaning always requires trade-offs。
For example, an e-commerce product manager chose the latter in the entrepreneurial and stable workplace, but unfortunately missed the explosive period of the industry. From a product perspective, this is a trade-off between “elasticity of demand” and “opportunity cost” – stable work meets “security needs”, entrepreneurship aims at “self-realization”, and limited resources determine that some possibilities must be abandoned. Just like Camus’s Sisyphus myth, there is also a “functional cycle” in product iteration: the contradiction between optimizing existing modules and opening up new scenarios is eternal.
1.2 Psychological perspective: user life cycle and value curve
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs divides human needs from low to high into physiological needs, security needs, belonging and love needs, respect needs and self-actualization needs. When people meet lower-level needs and move towards self-realization, new regrets often arise.
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs corresponds to the “user life cycle” of a product: meeting basic needs (such as tool availability) in the initial stage, exploring value-added services (such as emotional connection) in the growth stage, and pursuing brand identity (such as value resonance) in the mature stage. However, the “happiness adaptation effect” shows that user satisfaction with the product decreases with the time of use, which explains why entrepreneurs who achieve financial freedom still have new regrets – just as users need continuous functional innovation to maintain stickiness after the novelty of an app fades.
For example, an entrepreneur who has achieved financial freedom may regret spending too little time with his family in his pursuit of higher social impact. Studies have shown that people’s happiness increases in proportion to the resources invested after basic needs are met (Diener, 2000), which means that even if you pursue a higher level of needs again, new regrets may follow.
The “well-being adaptation effect” in positive psychology states that people’s happiness with new environments and achievements gradually fades over time and returns to baseline levels. Just like the person who won the lottery, after a period of time, the happiness will return to the pre-winning state (Brickman et al., 1978). Even if we start over and achieve new success, we may fall into a cycle of regret again due to the adaptation effect, and it is difficult to obtain lasting satisfaction.
User activity of similar products peaked at the beginning of the launch and then gradually declined. Product managers’ coping strategies are designed to “surprise mechanisms” (such as random rewards), which correspond to life, breaking the adaptation cycle through continuous learning and new experiences.
1.3 Buddhist enlightenment: Reincarnation is not liberation, enlightenment is
Buddhism believes that life is governed by “karma” and is constantly reincarnated in a cycle of cause and effect. The experience of each life is the result of the actions of the previous life, and even if the life is repeated, if the karma is not eliminated, the similar predicament will still be repeated. For example, a person who is in financial crisis due to greed may repeat the same mistakes even if he does not change his mind.
Nietzsche’s idea of “eternal reincarnation” is more radical, assuming that life will repeat itself indefinitely. This forces people to think: if every choice, every experience will be repeated countless times, can we still face it calmly? Nietzsche believed that truly powerful people will welcome reincarnation with a “positive affirmation” attitude and live every present without regrets. This perspective breaks the illusion that “all over again is perfect” and emphasizes the importance of choices in the moment.
Tibetan Buddhist guru Sogyal Rinpoche recorded a case in the Tibetan Book of Life and Death: a monk who meditated on “recalling past lives” found that he was repeating the pattern of “not daring to express love” in each life. This confirms this“Karma” is not a shackle of fate, but a continuation of cognitive inertia。
Buddhist “karmic reincarnation” emphasizes the influence of cognitive inertia on choice, which is highly similar to the “behavioral path dependence” of product users. For example, users who are accustomed to using a payment app may maintain the old model due to “switching costs” even if new competitors appear.
Nietzsche’s “Eternal Reincarnation” prompted the product manager: If all feature iterations will be repeated, are you willing to invest the utmost ingenuity in each version? This requires us to establish “irreplaceability” in our life choices – just as products build technical barriers, individuals also need to accumulate unique cognitive assets.
Can life be more meaningful? Perhaps the answer lies not in the hypothetical future, but in examining the choices of the present. Whether it is existential freedom, the laws of psychology, or the wisdom of religious philosophy, they all remind us that instead of fantasizing about it, it is better to face every choice with a more sober attitude and write our own meaning in a limited life.
Chapter 2: Answers to Brain Science – Cognitive Biases and Product Decision Traps
When we are immersed in the reverie of “if life can start over”, the brain has already quietly planted the seeds of regret. Modern neuroscience research has found that our brains have a natural “physiological program” to create regrets, from memory encoding to decision-making, which may explain why regrets can still follow even if life starts over.
2.1 Memory system: negative list and user experience optimization
The amygdala and hippocampus in the brain form the core system of “regret memory”. A study from the University of California, Los Angeles showed that the amygdala is 230% more active in the face of negative events (reference: Neuron 2019 study), a physiological response that strengthens memory storage and impresses us with regretful experiences.
The amygdala reinforces the mechanism of negative memories, corresponding to the product manager’s “error log” system: one serious user complaint (such as a failed payment) damages brand trust far more than the accumulation of ten successful experiences. The University of California study showed that negative events have three times the weight of user retention than positive events (Neuron, 2019), which explains why people remember one workplace mistake far more than multiple successful projects.
This trait stems from the evolutionary need – ancient humans needed to quickly remember dangers and failures in order to survive in a brutal environment. Just like a newcomer in the workplace is criticized for a major mistake, even if he performs well in the future, the brain will continue to replay the scene of that mistake. This explains why we always remember to be embarrassed in public, but it is easy to forget the moment of winning the award. Evolutionary biologist Robert Trivers points out: “Remembering danger is more life-saving than remembering pleasure.” ”
The hippocampus, which is responsible for integrating memory, is malleable, but “rewriting the past” is far more difficult than imagined. Neuroscientists have found that each time they recall, the hippocampus recodes memories that appear to modify details, but key information is “locked”. This means that even if life starts over, our memories of past regrets will still subconsciously influence new choices.
Product response strategy: Establish a “negative experience circuit breaker mechanism”, such as the “72-hour after-sales response commitment” of e-commerce platforms, which corresponds to life, and reconstructs the meaning of regret events through “cognitive reevaluation” (CBT technology) – interpreting “rejected by customers” as “opportunities for demand insight”.
2.2 Decision-making system: data-driven and intuitive game
The prefrontal cortex, as the “decision-making center” of the brain, together with the dopamine system, constitutes the “regret circuit”. When we make a choice, the prefrontal lobe continuously evaluates the results and compares them with expectations. If the actual result is lower than expected, dopamine secretion decreases, triggering feelings of regret.
The “regret circuit” composed of the prefrontal lobe and dopamine is similar to the “data-intuition” game in product decision-making. According to an experiment conducted by the Max Planck Institute in Germany, 68% of “repeaters” adjust their decisions, but 35% fall into new regrets, which is similar to the dilemma of product managers who “rely on data but ignore users’ hidden needs”. For example, an educational product optimizes its recommendation algorithm based on background data, but it loses users due to ignoring “personalized learning paths.”
This is like an investor who misses the best time to sell in the stock market due to hesitation, and even if he does it again, he may still make a similar choice due to greed or fear based on similar neural decision-making mechanisms. The brain’s decision-making system seems flexible, but in fact it is firmly bound by physiological laws.
University College London’s brain imaging study found that:When people regret it, the prefrontal cortex and the ventral striatum will have a “nerve tug-of-war”。 Just like during the 2020 epidemic, many people struggled with “whether to return to China”, the neuroeconomist explained: “It’s not rational decision-making, it’s the fear circuit hijacking the brain.” ”
2.3 Time-aware systems: version planning and long-termism
Humans’ unique ability to “mental time travel” allows us to look back and envision the future in our minds. But Harvard research shows that this ability is significantly flawed: our memories of the past are often glorified or vilified, and our visions of the future are overly idealized (Reference: Psychological Review 2020 study). This cognitive bias makes “counterfactual thinking” constantly amplify regrets – always feel that “if at that time…… It will be better.”
For example, students who fail the college entrance examination may over-magnify their efforts and over-idealize the school they did not choose, exacerbating their sense of regret. The gap between the “possible world” constructed by the brain and reality continues to stimulate the generation of regret.
This is similar to the “roadmap trap” of product managers: over-promising forward-looking features (such as “AI will be covered in all scenarios in the future”) while ignoring the current version of the experience polish. Similar users often expect more from the “next release” than the actual delivered value.
Coping strategy: Adopt an “agile development” mindset to break down life goals into executable “iterative cycles”. For example, plan for upskilling with “quarterly OKRs” instead of indulging in “if you learn to code that year” vacation
Brain science research clearly shows that regret is not a simple subjective emotion, but an inevitable product determined by the physiological mechanisms of the brain. Even if life can be repeated, we still face life with the same “brain program”, and regrets may still appear in different forms. But understanding these mechanisms allows us to look at regret more rationally and turn it into a driving force for growth.
Chapter 3: Behavioral Insights: Habitual Systems and Product Iteration Resistance
When we fantasize about life coming over, we always think we can get rid of the mistakes of the past, but behavioral science research has revealed that human behavior patterns are far more “stubborn” than imagined. From habitual circuits deep in the brain, to deep-seated cognitive biases, to invisible social pressures, these factors constitute a behavioral “cage” that is difficult for us to break through, and regrets can still reappear in similar trajectories even if life is restarted.
3.1 Neural Locking of Habits: User Education and Behavior Transfer
The automated behavior pattern of the basal ganglia corresponds to the “habitual moat” of the product user. Duke University research shows that 40% of daily behaviors are habit-driven (European Journal of Social Psychology, 2006), which explains why senior product managers struggle to break free from the old “feature stacking” mentality.
Even if people who stay up late for a long time make up their minds to go to bed early, at a familiar point in time, their bodies will still unconsciously pick up their mobile phones to watch videos, which is exactly what the basal ganglia are “calling the shots”.
What’s trickier is that once a habit is formed, it’s like being solidified by “nerve glue”. Scientists have found through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) observations that repetitive behavior creates strong connections between neurons and forms solid neural pathways.
This means that even if we start over again, with the same brain structure, we will most likely still be dominated by old habits. Just like a person who has smoked for many years, even if he returns to his youth, if he does not deliberately intervene, he is likely to become addicted to smoking again.
For example, users of a tool product are accustomed to complex workflows, and even with the simplified version, the migration rate is still less than 20%. Breaking the game: Design “habit triggers”, such as binding “daily review” with “clocking in after work”, and use the existing behavior chain to implant new habits. At the product level, you can help users complete behavior migration through “onboarding + progressive disclosure”.
3.2 Cognitive bias: user portraits and information cocoons
Confirmation bias leads product managers into an “information cocoon”: focusing only on data that supports existing strategies (such as retention) and ignoring negative signals (such as declining Net Promoter Scores, NPS). In the Stanford experiment, 79% of participants adhered to the initial investment plan, even though the data showed that the new plan was better (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1979). This is essentially the same as the phenomenon of “sticking to the wrong career path” in life choices.
In a psychology experiment at Stanford University, participants were asked to evaluate two investment options, and even when objective data were provided, people tended to choose the option that met their initial expectations (Ref: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1979 study). This deviation leads us to repeat familiar patterns in our life choices, and it is difficult to think outside the box even if we repeat it.
Loss aversion makes us more sensitive to “loss”. Research by Nobel laureate Kahneman shows that people need to get $200 to make up for the pain caused by losing $100 (Reference: Prospect Theory: An Analysis of Decision under Risk, 1979).
This mentality is especially evident in major life choices: when faced with stable jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities, graduates often give up potential high returns for fear of losing stable income, and even if they do it again, they may still make conservative choices based on the same loss aversion.
Solution: Establish “counter-consensus mechanisms”, such as regularly inviting “opposition” for requirements reviews, or introducing a “dissident perspective” in life decisions – assuming you are a competitor’s product manager and how you would evaluate current options.
3.3 Social imitation: group needs and value ranking
The group pressure revealed by Ashi’s herd experiment corresponds to the “mainstream demand trap” in product design. 75% of participants will follow the wrong answer, similar to product managers who abandon exploring niche needs to cater to the mainstream market. For example, in the “Internet + Education” craze, many teams blindly develop live classes, ignoring the real needs of personalized recording scenarios.
As social animals, human behavior is deeply influenced by groups. This herd mentality is also significant in life choices, for example, when young people choose a major or career, they often give up their real interests in order to meet their parents’ expectations or mainstream social concepts.
Social norms are like invisible ropes that limit our choices. Even if we start over, we are still in a similar cultural environment and social circle, and it is difficult to completely break free from these constraints. For example, in a social atmosphere that emphasizes “stability first”, many people may still prioritize work within the system over their true desires.
Product implications: Adopt a “user segmentation” strategy to identify the difference in demand between “early adopters” and “mainstream market”. In life choices, it is necessary to clarify the priorities of “core users” (such as one’s own values) and “secondary users” (such as social expectations) to avoid sacrificing core values for “herd function”.
Behavioral research tells us that starting over may not be able to avoid regrets, because our behavior has long been deeply shaped by habits, cognitive biases, and social pressures. But recognizing these limitations can allow us to take the initiative to break inertia in our current life and reduce future regrets, which may be more meaningful than simply fantasizing about it.
Chapter 4: Limitations of Personal Cognition – Self-Iteration and Product Cognition Upgrade
When we fantasize about life coming back, we always hope to look at life from a new perspective, but the inherent limitations of personal cognition may allow regret to grow quietly again. From the psychological mechanism of self-deception, to the deep imprint of the upbringing, to the differences in trauma coping, these factors are like invisible shackles that restrict us from making completely different choices.
4.1 Self-deception: User interviews and authenticity filtering
The cognitive dissonance theory was proposed by psychologist Leon Festinger, who states that when people’s behavior conflicts with their beliefs, they reduce their inner discomfort by adjusting their attitudes or cognitions (Festinger, 1957).
For example, people who choose high salaries but don’t like their jobs may rationalize their choices by constantly emphasizing that “money is an important measure of success.” This mechanism of self-deception allows us to construct a set of “self-narratives” that are in line with our own interests.
Cognitive dissonance theory suggests that people construct “self-narratives” to rationalize choices, similar to the “surface needs” trap in user interviews. For example, when a user says “I need a faster search,” it’s actually an anxiety about “information overload.” Product managers need to use the “5 Whys” method to dig out deep needs, which corresponds to life, and use a “reflection diary” to record the real motivation behind the choice – such as whether “choosing a stable job” is really out of “risk aversion” or avoidance of “lack of ability”.
Even if we start over again, based on similar cognitive patterns, we will most likely still fall into similar self-deception. A tracking study at Harvard University found that participants in the simulation of a “life start over” scenario, although they realized that there were problems with past choices, they still reconstructed their self-narratives in new ways to maintain cognitive balance. It’s like an entrepreneur who fails to start a business, and even if he starts over, he may make a risky decision again due to overconfident self-awareness.
4.2 Growth environment: user scenarios and constraints
The family of origin plays a profound role in shaping personality. Developmental psychologist Erickson’s theory of personality development suggests that childhood experiences influence an individual’s subsequent psychological development and life choices (Erikson, 1950).
For example, children who grow up in strict families may develop a cautious personality and are more likely to withdraw in the face of life opportunities. Even if life starts over, as long as the growth environment remains unchanged, this personality trait and behavior pattern will continue.
Educational background also limits our cognitive boundaries. A study by Columbia University shows that students trained by different education systems have significant differences in their mindset and value orientation (Reference: Journal of Educational Psychology, 2018). This difference will be reflected in major life choices, such as students who receive test-oriented education and tend to be more stable in their career choices, and even if they do it again, they may be limited by the cognitive inertia brought about by this education.
4.3 Psychological toughness: stress resistance test and fault review
Differences in mental toughness determine how to deal with setbacks, similar to the “resilience” of products. Tugade & Fredrickson research shows that highly resilient individuals recover faster from negative events (2004), which is directly related to the “fault recovery” ability of good product managers – to quickly locate problems and optimize architecture after a server crash, rather than falling into self-blame. In life, you can improve resilience through “simulated stress tests”, such as taking on challenging tasks regularly to establish a positive cycle of “failure – learning”.
In the face of regrets and traumas in life, different people will show different ways of coping. Some people are able to achieve “post-traumatic growth”, turning regret into motivation to move forward; While some people get stuck in a cycle of repeated injuries.
Psychological research has found that mental toughness is a key factor in determining this difference. People with strong mental resilience can better cope with setbacks and adjust their mentality; People with weaker mental resilience are more likely to be trapped by negative emotions (Tugade & Fredrickson, 2004).
The original family and educational background constitute the “initial configuration” of life, and the “technology stack limitation” of similar products. Columbia University research shows that the mindset shaped by the education system influences career choices (Journal of Educational Psychology, 2018), just as teams using different development frameworks tend to favor different product forms.
The product manager’s response strategy is to “innovate under constraints” – such as using existing technology to differentiate functions, and life choices are to identify environmental limitations and focus on changeable “controllable variables” (such as upskilling).
Even if life starts over, differences in mental toughness will still affect the direction of our lives. Taking people who have experienced emotional trauma as an example, people with strong mental resilience may treat their feelings more rationally after starting over and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past; People with weak mental toughness may be hurt again in their relationships due to the same cognitive and coping patterns. However, mental toughness is not completely fixed, and through acquired learning and training, we can improve our ability to cope with setbacks.
The limitations of personal cognition are like fog, and even if life starts over, it is difficult to completely dispel them. But by recognizing these limitations, we can stay awake in our current lives, try to break through our existing cognitions, and reduce future regrets. Perhaps, this is the true meaning of this discussion about “starting over”.
Chapter 5: Constraints of Social Structure – Systems Thinking and Niche Selection
When we imagine life starting over, we often focus on personal choices, but it is easy to overlook how the invisible social structure is like an impenetrable net, firmly framing the possibilities of life. From the “life script” shaped by culture, to the unequal distribution of economic resources, to the coercion of historical tides, these factors constitute a force more powerful than personal will, and even if life is restarted, regret may still appear in a similar form.
5.1 Social clock: market cycles and product rhythms
The expectation of “starting a family at the age of 30” in East Asian culture corresponds to the pressure of the “market window period” in the product industry. If a startup does not complete financing during the explosive period of the industry, the probability of survival will drop significantly.
The product manager’s response strategy is to “dynamically adjust the roadmap” – such as focusing on user experience polishing during the trough period of the industry, and identifying “soft constraints” of social rules in life choices, and “off-peak iteration” when necessary.
The concept of the “social clock” proposed by sociologists refers to the invisible timeline in culture about what should be done at the stage of life. For example, in East Asian culture, “get married and have children before the age of 30” and “have a successful career at the age of 40” have become the default life goals of most people. A study by Northwestern University showed that people who deviated from the social clock had an average of 32% higher levels of psychological stress (Reference: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2016).
This pressure profoundly affects individual choices. Mr. Lin, a 35-year-old Internet practitioner, missed the opportunity to start a business because his family urged him to get married and have children during the rising period of his career. Even if he assumes that his life starts over, he may still prioritize the “expected” life path due to the pressure of the social clock in a similar cultural environment. Social expectations are like invisible batons, causing many people to unconsciously follow old frameworks when rewriting the script of life.
5.2 Economy and class solidification: resource matrix and value lever
The inequality of economic resources is like a solid ceiling, limiting the upside of life. Harvard’s Opportunity Insights, which tracks the life trajectories of 40 million Americans, found that children from low-income families, even with equal talents, are only 1/5 more likely to obtain higher education and high-paying jobs (Reference: Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2017).Even if children from low-income families get the opportunity to go to prestigious schools, they will still lag behind in the workplace due to differences in “cultural capital”。
This kind of class solidification is still difficult to break in the assumption of “life starts over”. Taking the British documentary “Seven Years of Life” as an example, even if children from the poor class start over, they may still not be able to obtain high-quality education due to the economic conditions and social resources of their original families, and it is difficult to get rid of the bottom fate. The economic foundation determines the superstructure, and the unequal distribution of resources has caused many people to lose the opportunity to compete fairly from the beginning on the track of life.
This aligns with the dilemma of startups lacking capital, making it difficult to capture traffic. The “leverage strategy” in the product methodology can be used as a reference: using low-cost channels (such as social media) to reach users, and looking for “asymmetric opportunities” in life – such as breaking through geographical restrictions through Internet skills to achieve class leaps.
5.3 Historical and Historical Factors: Technological Waves and Trend Predictions
Individual fate can never be separated from the background of the times. Jews during World War II, no matter how they chose, could not escape the doom of concentration camps; White-collar workers who lost their jobs in the 2008 financial crisis still have to face the impact of the global economic recession even if their lives start again. A study by the Department of History at Stanford University pointed out that the impact of major historical events on an individual’s life far exceeds that of individual decision-making (Reference: History and Theory, 2020).
The technological revolution has also profoundly changed the trajectory of life. People who missed going to sea to do business in the 80s and Internet entrepreneurship in the 00s, even if they start over, may still pass by opportunities under the same wave of the times, limited by the cognition and environment at that time. The wheel of history is rolling forward, and individuals appear small and passive in the torrent of the times, which is also an important reason why it is difficult to eliminate regrets when life starts over.
One of the core competencies of product managers is “trend sniffing” – predicting industry cycles through the technology maturity curve (Gartner Hype Cycle), and cultivating a “macro vision” in life choices to identify “strategic opportunity points” in the tide of the times.
The constraints of social structure tell us that starting over may not completely eliminate regrets, because the root of many dilemmas lies not in personal choices, but in the broader social context. But seeing these shackles clearly allows us to plan our lives more rationally at the moment and find the possibility of breakthroughs in a limited space, which may be the most powerful way to fight regret.
Chapter 6: The Ultimate Problem – The Deterministic Boundary between Free Will and Product
When we keep asking, “If life can be repeated, will there be regrets in life”, it inevitably leads to a fundamental question: Does free will really exist? If each of our choices has already been predetermined, then starting over is nothing more than repeating the established script; And if there is the possibility of change, can small variables really rewrite the regrettable ending? The answers to these questions may bring a new perspective to our thinking about life.
6.1 Determinism vs. Free Will: Algorithmic Recommendation and User Autonomy
When short video apps dominate content distribution through algorithms, users seem to be “browsing freely” but are actually data-driven. The ethical dilemma for product managers is: Do you retain the entry point for users to “actively explore”? Corresponding to life, even if decision-making is influenced by neural mechanisms, it is still possible to strive for limited autonomy through “metacognition” (thinking about thinking) – such as conducting regular “decision audits” to examine whether choices are in line with long-term goals.
A series of experiments in neuroscience pose serious challenges to free will. In 1983, Benjamin Libet’s classic experiment found that the brain already has neural signals that determine behavior a few hundred milliseconds before an individual realizes that they have “made a decision” (Ref: Brain, 1983).
B-end product manager’s ability model and learning improvement
The first challenge faced by B-end product managers is how to correctly analyze and diagnose business problems. This is also the most difficult part, product design knowledge is basically not helpful for this part of the work, if you want to do a good job in business analysis and diagnosis, you must have a solid …
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Subsequent studies further confirm that human decision-making processes are largely influenced by the pre-influence of neural activity in the brain. This means that the choices we make that we think we are “free” may simply be the corollary of neural signaling.
If all choices are already determined by brain programs, then even if life starts over, we will only repeat the past according to the same neural instructions. It’s like a machine with a program set up, and no matter how many times it is restarted, the output will not change. This deterministic view makes the assumption of “life all over again” meaningless, because regret may be inevitable from the beginning.
6.2 Quantum Mechanics and Chaos Theory: AB Testing and Minimum Feasibility Verification
The uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics has brought a ray of light to free will. In the microscopic world, the state of particles is random and cannot be fully predicted. Some scholars believe that this uncertainty may affect the brain’s neural activity, leaving room for free will. The “butterfly effect” in chaos theory states that small changes in initial conditions can trigger a huge chain reaction in the system.
Applying these theories to life, perhaps a small change can turn the entire trajectory of destiny upside down. For example, a chance encounter or a momentary thought may be like the flapping of a butterfly’s wings, which will eventually trigger a huge change in life.
However, reality is far more complex than theory. Simulations from the University of Sydney in Australia showed that even if small variables are introduced into virtual life, about 65% of key events will still occur in a similar pattern (Ref: Complexity, 2022). This shows that although there is a possibility of change, the general direction of life still seems to be constrained by some deep laws.
This aligns with the “minimum viable product (MVP)” methodology: validating hypotheses through small-scale testing, such as “experience weeks” in life, rather than relying on perfect predictions. For example, technicians who want to transform into product managers can first experience the daily work of the position through part-time orders before deciding whether to commit full-time.
6.3 Ethical Dilemma: Product Life Cycle and Value Density
French writer Albert Camus’s Sisyphus found the meaning of life in the endless process of pushing stones. This enlightens us that it is precisely because there is no chance to start over in life that every choice and experience is so precious. When life loses its “one-time” character, regrets may be reduced, but the value of life itself will also dissipate.
The inevitability of death is precisely an important source of the meaning of life. The philosopher Heidegger pointed out that the consciousness of “living to death” makes people cherish limited life more (Reference: Being and Time, 1927). If life could be repeated indefinitely, then failure no longer had consequences, choices lost weight, and everything would fall into nothingness.
Heidegger’s philosophy of “living to death” corresponds to the “life cycle management” of products. The value of a product that is destined to be eliminated by the market lies in solving the user’s problem at a certain stage. The same goes for the finiteness of life: even if there is no chance to start over, each choice creates unique value in the “present”. Product managers’ “value density” thinking can be moved here – focusing on the depth of experience per unit of time, rather than pursuing infinite iterations. For example, use the “double-drill model” (divergence-convergence) to plan major decisions: first explore the possibilities extensively, and then focus resources on the optimal solution.
The debate about the existence of free will is still inconclusive. But this discussion makes us understand that the preciousness of life may not lie in whether we can start over or eliminate regrets, but how we can face our choices with a positive attitude and give life a unique meaning in our limited lives. Whatever the answer, thinking about these ultimate questions has already made our lives more profound.
Conclusion: Using product thinking to build an “anti-fragile system” for life
Back to the core proposition at the beginning of the article: even if life can be repeated, product thinking reveals that regret may still exist – but this is not a negative conclusion, but guides us to establish an “anti-fragile” life iteration system. We move from philosophical speculation to scientific empirical evidence, from individual cognition to the social structure, and finally find that regret may be the background of life that cannot be escaped, but it is by no means a burden of life, but an “evolutionary gift” with profound meaning.
A middle-aged man who has experienced entrepreneurial failure and marriage breakdown sighed when looking back on his life: “If I do it all over again, I may make the same choice.” Because of those regrettable experiences, I became who I am now. The finite nature of life makes every encounter and every decision precious. Instead of fantasizing about rewriting the past, it is better to embrace the present with a more sober attitude and write your own wonders in imperfections.
Today I watched the movie “What’s in the Zoo” starring Bao Beier, Song Xiaofeng, Pan Binlong, Jia Bing, etc. at home? It happened that a sentence written by Lao Liu on the whiteboard in the movie attracted me, “On the clock of time, there are only two words now”, and I suddenly had an epiphany.
“If life can be repeated, will there be regrets in life?” There may not be a standard answer to this question, but the process of exploration itself has given us a deeper understanding of the nature of life. May we all accept the imperfections of life, find the power of growth in regrets, and make every present a memory without regrets in the future.
When I was writing this article, I happened to hear the two songs “Don’t Panic and Moonlight Under the Sun Mountain” and “If the Moon Doesn’t Come”, and found that the lyrics of these two songs are well written: “Don’t be confused, don’t panic, the sun goes down and there is moonlight, it will illuminate the road of life and accompany you to where you want to go”, “If it is the most difficult to get perfection, it is better to choose calmly.” ”
As psychologist Victor Frankel said in “The Meaning of Living Life”: “When we can’t change our situation, we still have a choice about how to face it.This may be the ultimate answer to fighting regret.
The ultimate ability of a product manager is to grasp the rhythm of “iteration now” – not to pursue the perfect version 1.0, but to make every “now” a reusable asset in the future through continuous version 0.1 upgrades. May we all use the rationality and temperature of product managers to create our own MVP in the inevitability of regret.
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