Have you ever wondered why some people always seem to get the best opportunities — the ideal job, the perfect house, or even a place for the kids in the school everyone wants — while others, just as qualified, miss out?

It’s tempting to call it luck. But what if luck isn’t random at all — what if it’s designed?

My guest today, Judd Kessler, is a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and one of the leading thinkers in behavioural economics and market design. His new book, Lucky by Design: The Hidden Economics You Need To Get More of What You Want, reveals the invisible systems that quietly decide who gets what — not through prices or money, but through rules, algorithms, and priorities we rarely think about.

In this conversation, we’ll explore how these hidden markets shape everything from job offers to organ donations, why fairness and efficiency don’t always go hand in hand, and what you can do to navigate these systems more wisely.

It’s a conversation about luck, design, and the unseen forces organising our lives.

Links:

Book- Lucky by Design: The Hidden Economics You Need To Get More of What You Want

Judd's website - https://juddbkessler.com/

Question or comment? Send us a text message.

www.undercurrentstories.com