Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Why the smallest actions can unlock big behavioral change in a distracted world
About This Book
Discover the secret science behind products and technologies that shape our daily lives, often without us even noticing. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, designer, student, or simply curious about your own habits, this book unveils the psychological patterns that make us check our phones before breakfast, binge social media, or build positive routines. You’ll travel through vivid case studies and actionable frameworks, learning how triggers, subtle rewards, and small investments can forge lasting behaviors. By applying these insights, you’ll not only transform how you design products but also how you cultivate motivation and positive change in yourself and others.About the Author
Nir Eyal is a renowned behavioral design expert, entrepreneur, and lecturer at Stanford, where he developed—and teaches—innovative courses on the intersection of psychology, technology, and product design. Drawing on real-life consulting with startups and Fortune 500s, as well as robust academic research, Nir crafts practical, inspiring insights that have helped thousands shape products and behaviors for good. Ryan Hoover, the contributing author, is a product leader and founder, spotlighting new tech and connecting creators worldwide.
Biggest Takeaway
By mastering the models and techniques in this book, you’ll be able to create experiences and products that people love—and keep coming back to. You’ll learn exactly how to influence habits with integrity, understand what truly motivates users, and design for meaningful engagement rather than mindless distraction. The frameworks you’ll pick up can help you build apps, launch businesses, or simply reshape personal routines for greater well-being, productivity, and joy.
Key Insights from This Book
Explore the most important ideas and learn how to apply them in your life.
The Surprising Power of Triggers: Why Emotional Itches Drive Repeated Behavior
Why Making It Easy Beats Motivation: The Counterintuitive Path to Consistent Action
Craving the Unexpected: How Variable Rewards Hijack Attention and Make Habits Stick
The Investment Illusion: Why Effort Makes Us Value Products and Habits More Than We Think
The Ethics of Manipulation: Deciding When Changing Habits Crosses the Line
Build Habits That Last: Why Frequency and Utility Are the Core of Sustainable Change
Testing for Habit Formation: The Hidden Process That Turns Ideas Into User Engagement
Trigger Action Reward Investment: The Four-Part Loop That Rewires Any Behavior
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