Cogitovirus - Ideas Are Contagious
Welcome, curious mind. My name is Wiktor Żołnierowicz.
In 2025, I rebooted my writing with a new focus.
uncovering the real psychology behind online business growth — the subtle tricks, the smart plays, and how to win without losing yourself.
This isn't another "hustle harder" newsletter.
It's a cold, honest analysis of topics like:
How do businesses use scarcity and urgency to push consumers to act?
How do they leverage psychological triggers to spark viral growth?
How do they exploit cognitive biases to lock in long-term customers?
Because the reality is:
The world isn’t fair — and the internet is even less so.
We'll combine psychology with my technical expertise to explore how businesses use design patterns, persuasive techniques, and algorithmic strategies to drive organic growth.
To kick things off, I wrote this opening piece:
Manufactured consensus on x.com
Note: This is a cross-post from rook2root.co, a project I’m currently building.
While it may sound a little grandiose, I think it sends a message.
Algorithms manipulate what people see. Good products get buried. Visibility isn’t luck — it’s strategy.
And speaking of strategies here's an example of the kind of strategy analysis I'll be referencing in my essay's: rook2root.co - social proof manipulation.
(Spoiler: It’s a tactic that’s rampant across legitimate businesses, not just shady ones — and it’s backed by solid psychological research. My goal is to document these patterns — not preach, not judge, but illuminate.)
If you're ready to learn how the system works (and how to beat it without losing your integrity), you’re in the right place.
Where this is going
At cogitovirus, essays will be more customer-oriented — thoughtful, practical, and personal.
If you want the unfiltered, hardcore side of business psychology — the raw tactics, dark patterns, and competitive intelligence — you’ll find it over at rook2root.co, with its own dedicated newsletter.
If this sounds interesting — subscribe!
(It’s 100% free and will stay 100% free for the foreseeable future.)
P.S.
Every now and then, I'll step away from analysis and share a more personal or technical piece — just to let some creative steam off.
