Shelf Life

So recently I did something that I have rarely done. I agreed to go on an outdoor date in the daytime. I don’t know whether it was the spontaneity of the plan or the comfort of her picking me up and dropping me back. In fact, I was wearing a quoted black tee and slippers on the date. She, on the other hand, was impeccably dressed. Everything about her, from her cool wayfarers, to the round, chandelier earrings and finger ring, to the floral skirt and chappals, to even a matching facemask, emitted an exquisite artistic vibe. That makes sense as she is a phenomenal painter and art teacher by profession. I could somehow feel that from the touch of her thin, soft fingers.

One of her paintings

We spent the entire ride in endless banter and laughter. She had suggested a place before the meeting, but one look at her and I knew where we needed to go. Despite living in Delhi all her life, she never knew about the quaint, artistic lanes of Champa Gali in South Delhi. While we were endlessly gazing into each other’s faces, she pointed out that I have beautiful eyes. I mean, out of all my facial features, she only found my eyes appealing? I, on the other hand, found her entire look and vibe mesmerizing. Anyway, she sketches daily, so I trust her judgement, but with a pinch of salt.

Anyway, coming to the MBA concept of ‘Shelf Life’. People commonly use it even in daily parlance. Shelf life refers to the time a commodity stays usable before it becomes unfit for use. It applies to cosmetics, foods and beverages, medical devices, medicines, explosives, pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals, Tyres, batteries, and many other perishable items. Product teams aim for high shelf lives to maximise the lifetime value (LTV) they can derive from potential sales.

Insightful analogies can be drawn in the context of modern-day dating from the concept of shelf life. Though, it is more relevant in the case of casual encounters with higher percentages of dopamine. It is the probable number of dates the other person will end going on with you. The aim has to maximize your NPV from those dates. It is different from lead time, and that is a precursor to shelf life. Your shelf life in casual dating starts once the product is opened aka you have gone on the first date.

It is basically the time taken before the other person calls it quits to the casual dating space, and in most cases, also to your escapade with them. My shelf life across over a decade of casual dating has mostly been one date. Another reason why having my own landing page is quite essential for me. It means that the girl meets me just once, and whatever sparks have to fly happen in that meeting. Post that, once she goes back home, she retrospects and regrets; never sees me again.

My Tee

That brings me to the surreal painter. Had my life finally found its artist and blank canvas? She married her crush at 20 and recently ended a long, stressful marriage. Since then, she had dated a few men but never touched or even shaken hands on a first date—until ours. I wore a tee that read “Just Do It” in bold. Our hour-long drive, full of stops at traffic signals, empty lanes of Champa Gali, and the parking lot, sparked intense physical chemistry. But after going home and reflecting, she found nothing else in common, thought I was arrogant, and realised she still wasn’t over someone else. She ended it by blocking me everywhere.

Her Painting

Later,

Sidhant