Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal
Nir Eyal is an author, educator, and entrepreneur. In addition to his personal blog, (which I’ll link to in the show notes), he is a frequent contributing writer for Forbes, TechCrunch, and Psychology Today – writing about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business.
Nir frequently writes about how technology shapes user behavior by creating new habits.
A co-founder of two startups, he has also taught at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.
The Host’s Perspective:
So, have you ever seen Penn and Teller do an amazing magic trick and then watch in awe as they then explain how they did it? I had a similar experience when reading “Hooked” where Nir Eyal explains how successful companies are able to weave their products and services into customer habits. Just about every chapter I was saying to myself “So THAT’s how they do it!”
Hooked also reminded me of reading the book “Persuasion, The Psychology of Influence” where Robert Cialdini explains why people say yes.
If you liked Cialdini’s book, you’ll like “Hooked”, too.
Hooked is also very practical in showing you how to replicate this habit-forming magic for your own company. At the book’s core is the Hook model, which is a four-step process that companies bake into their habit-forming products. Now, not every product or service can take advantage of all four parts of this “Hooked” model. But most can. You’ll be surprised.
“Hooked” is a really fascinating read so there’s little surprise why the book has been so popular.
Listen to the interview:
Show Notes:
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
The IKEA Effect (Dan Ariely and Michael Norton)
Addiction by Design: Machine Gambling in Las Vegas
The End of Absence: Reclaiming What Weve Lost in a World of Constant Connection
Unplugged: How to Live Mindfully in a Digital World
Platform Thinking (Sangeet Choudary)
Nir And Far (Nir Eyal’s blog)
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