My Latte is Worth It

"It's only £2 - less than your morning latte."

I see this a lot, Netflix being the famous recent example. On the surface it seems reasonable; if you would spend this much on a small cup of coffee, why not spend it on our product instead?

But comparing to my morning latte is actually an incredibly high bar to set. What's valuable to me, as a human, is not the coffee itself but the experience. I spend half the morning looking forward to it, and half the afternoon in the afterglow. There's not just a drink, there's a place to sit and relax, free-flowing internet, pictures on the wall, and a waitress who fakes enough interest in my day that I actually believe it. Heck, at the café I'm writing from now the coffee itself is downright awful. But the moment I sat down I felt an eagerness to write. I've got more done in ten minutes here than in the four hours at home preceding it.

A cup of coffee might not be worth £2. But happiness is, and that's what I'm buying. If you want me to buy your thing for £2, it had better bring this much joy into my life. Otherwise, I'd rather have another cup.

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