Even in 2026, necessity and value beat novelty way more often than we want to think. I see a contrarian signal hiding in plain sight right now. Despite all the noise around emerging tech, retail reinvention and AI-driven everything, consumer buying behavior is staying stubbornly grounded. Value first. Essentials prioritized. Discretionary buys and upsells getting swatted away like pesky flies. McKinsey’s latest consumer research confirms what many founders feel but few plan around. Households...