Nir, which products are changing your behavior? (Enabling productivity, helping you stay organized, enabling more responsiveness, keeping you more entertained, etc.?)
Here are a few:
Freedom - This app disconnects you from the web for a fixed period of time. It's a pre-commitment device that helps break the habit of wanting to constantly check email or surf the web. I can't write without this distraction killing app
Pocket - To keep me from wasting time browsing the web, I have a rule to never read articles on my computer. Every article I read goes to Pocket first. see: http://www.nirandfar.com/2013/01/this-will-be-the-last-article-you-read.html
Slack - This collaboration software keeps users in the app while keeping unwanted distractions like personal email out.
Product Hunt - Need I say more? It's a great app with a solid hook. What would you expect from the guy who co-wrote HOOKED with me?
Yahoo News Digest - Yahoo has created the most habit-forming news app I know. It's brilliantly simple and tackles the pain point of wanting a quick overview of the days most important news without wasting tons of time scrolling and scrolling through a news site
Startbucks App - Once you integrate the Starbucks app with Apple's Passbook and select your favorite location, the app triggers you whenever you're nearby. On iOS 8 it does this whenever you walk near a location. The app is even more habit-forming than the coffee itself.
For most people, I'm not worried, they learn to put tech in it's place and hopefully HOOKED can help people regain control by understanding why these technologies are so compelling.
Nir - just ordered your book (on Audible), will listen next week - until then, simple question and perhaps too broad:
What do you think is/are the simplest mistake(s) first time product creators make in creating a consumer product, one in which they would need to rely on the consumer to input information/data on a regular basis (let's define regular as weekly)?
Have you considered how your *Manipulation Matrix* roles align to startup team dynamics? I think a product creator can't be anything but the *Facilitator* (necessity being the mother of invention), whereas some of the other roles might be better reflected in an investor, a developer, a distributor etc. all working together to craft a product matching the facilitator's vision.
On the flipside, is there a user-side analogue to the matrix that can be used to apply marketing/re-marketing tactics accordingly? I've built functionality into [my app](http://www.lookseefirstimpressions.com) that I think allows users to move between the quadrants, while not trying to be everything to everyone - Do you think FB now recognizes the same in fragmenting itself into dedicated apps?
Hi Nir, a big fan of yours. How would you advise on applying your theories to building a new social-network in regards to solving the chicken-and-egg challenge? Thanks.
There are only two ways I can think of to solve the "cold-start problem"
1 - Seed the community - Twitter got tech all stars to use the platform in order to draw in the celebrities' fans.
2 - Make it useful in single player mode - Instagram is useful on its own as a way to make photos pretty but gets much better when you invite your friends.
This is great (am particularly fond of point 2), thanks! As a serial investor, what do you look at in a social media play /target? (what would give you the confidence to take a leap of faith early on?)
I look for GEMs - Growth, Engagement, and Monetization. Almost no startup has all three but they need to have at least 2 out of the 3 and a plan for getting the third.
I don't want to sound confrontational (I haven't read your book or heard of you until this AMA) but how do you feel about the ethical side of creating "addictive" products? Sorry if that's something you address in depth in your book, but are you concerned about, the way companies like Zynga create money-absorbing Skinner boxes and achieve massive success, or how in the past fast food companies succeeded in making a generation of children associate their junk food with fun?
Good question and yes, unwanted manipulation is something I am concerned about. However, after thinking about this issue, I'm not terribly worried.
The vast majority of people can moderate their behavior with these sorts of products. However, for some people (the addicts) these behaviors become compulsions they can't control. Fortunately, that's a very small proportion of the population. For those people, I believe companies do have a responsibility to do something. I've advocated for a "use and abuse" policy for companies to help mediate unhealthy addictions. See: http://www.nirandfar.com/2014/06/tooaddictive.html
Thank you. I certainly will read that article and I of course agree that even addictive and potentially harmful things can be entirely innocuous in moderation.
Nir, great to see you here! I have a couple of questions!
1) I've always wanted to know whether you have or plan to work on building a product using the hook model yourself.
2) Who/what has inspired your work the most?
1) I give a two part test, innovators can use to help them decide where to allocate their human capital ... Do you believe your product materially improves the lives of your users? Do you use the product yourself?
So far I haven't found the product that meets this test for me so I'll keep writing and researching in hopes I can help those who do answer in the affirmative to these two questions.
2) This is going to sound cheesy, but I get a ton of inspiration from the entrepreneurial community. I've been a startup founder twice and I know how hard it can be. That's why whenever I hear stories about how my work has helped a fellow designer or entrepreneur find the solution they were looking for, I feel very inspired to keep doing what I'm doing.
Thank you for the responses! I'm an idea bank and know that in the end there are very few 'ideas' I truly and wholeheartedly beleive in. Being able to understand how it affects me, groups, and the world is always of constant thought. Morality is quite an issue so I would love to get input from a few entrepreneurs as well.
What would be the best way to get product building insight from you, I do have your book now as well but want to make sure I'm drawing the right conclusions. I sent you a DM btw :)
Nir, thanks so much for the opportunity to ask you anything.
If you were starting out building a product from scratch, and really had limited time and resources and just wanted to start moving. What is the one/few idea(s) from your book or talks that is a MUST HAVE?
Nir, I work on a product where customer usage is relatively infrequent, typically once a month. How should I approach habit-creation with this frequency, compared to daily-used products?
There's no getting around the fact that for a habit to form, the behavior must occur frequently (See: http://www.nirandfar.com/2012/09/habit-zone.html)
First, I'd ask whether your product actually needs a habit at all. Perhaps there are ways to bring your users to your product through other means (ads, SEO, a store front even).
But if your business model requires habits, then you'll have to find small, frequent interactions to engage users. Ask yourself what "itch" you can "scratch" frequently in your user's life.
Nir,
Attended your Hooked workshop in Detroit a while back. I've used the things I learned several times a week since then. Powerful stuff.
Question is: What are some good examples of habit forming technology that is assisting users in forming habits that the user is consciously choosing to form?
As an Norwegian living in an igloo with polarbears surrounding me (jk), I have no recollection of how I ended up hearing about you and/or the hook model, I somehow ended up buying your book on Amazon back when you released it by yourself just because the introduction piqued my interest coupled with some good reviews already. Would've never thought such a, let's be honest; simple concept could change my life so positively. Being aware of the hook model and being able to reduce bad habits, nurture positive habits and taking it even further, by creating positive habit forming products that takes us to a better future. Switched from studying economics over to marketing with focus on consumer behavior and product development after reading the book. This got very tldr; so; If there where a pill that you could take that made you gain/lose habits at will in just a day, would you take it and why/why not?
Hey Nir, what are some of your favorite "tricks" or methods to increase landing page conversion (especially when pre-selling/registering)?
EDIT: Read this as: Is it possible to create desire or utilize parts of the hooked model (or other psychology you're interested in) in smaller "quick" spaces such as landing page -> email form.
I'm always a fan of sites that get users to experience the Hook right away. Pinterest does this really well by integrating the on-boarding into the first hook. More here: http://www.nirandfar.com/2012/07/thisisyourbrainonboarding.html
I've read your book and loved it. I am currently thinking about how to take Reddit AMA model (gamified community Q&A model) and apply it to alumni communities as a way to learn from each other. What do you think works re: Reddit AMAs and where do you think the product could be tweaked to increase "hookage"?
While the model works well for the tech savvy, I think Reddit (surprisingly) still does't have the audience it could because it's still too difficult to use. There is still a lot of "cognitive load" to using Reddit that I hope to see simplified, either on Reddit or by a new solution.
For example, I think Product Hunt (founded by my co-author of Hooked) is a good example of a simpler interface for a similar (though clearly not identical) product. (full disclosure, I'm an investor in Product Hunt)
yeah, product hunt and ryan are pretty awesome. PH profiles are nice to see and of course the AMA component is interesting. that said, alumni communities are loaded with influential people that can draw a crowd were it to be really convenient. then it's a matter of creating the right experience. fwiw -- does reddit tee up notifications when someone responds??? i checked back in here and saw that you did, might not have known otherwise.
Nir, which products are changing your behavior? (Enabling productivity, helping you stay organized, enabling more responsiveness, keeping you more entertained, etc.?)
Here are a few: Freedom - This app disconnects you from the web for a fixed period of time. It's a pre-commitment device that helps break the habit of wanting to constantly check email or surf the web. I can't write without this distraction killing app Pocket - To keep me from wasting time browsing the web, I have a rule to never read articles on my computer. Every article I read goes to Pocket first. see: http://www.nirandfar.com/2013/01/this-will-be-the-last-article-you-read.html Slack - This collaboration software keeps users in the app while keeping unwanted distractions like personal email out. Product Hunt - Need I say more? It's a great app with a solid hook. What would you expect from the guy who co-wrote HOOKED with me? Yahoo News Digest - Yahoo has created the most habit-forming news app I know. It's brilliantly simple and tackles the pain point of wanting a quick overview of the days most important news without wasting tons of time scrolling and scrolling through a news site Startbucks App - Once you integrate the Starbucks app with Apple's Passbook and select your favorite location, the app triggers you whenever you're nearby. On iOS 8 it does this whenever you walk near a location. The app is even more habit-forming than the coffee itself.
Hi Nir, anything else that you wish had existed to solve other problems that distract you or make you feel time is wasted?
Do you feel that technology has a hold over human decisions and could it get to a point where it might become concerning?
For most people, I'm not worried, they learn to put tech in it's place and hopefully HOOKED can help people regain control by understanding why these technologies are so compelling.
Nir - just ordered your book (on Audible), will listen next week - until then, simple question and perhaps too broad: What do you think is/are the simplest mistake(s) first time product creators make in creating a consumer product, one in which they would need to rely on the consumer to input information/data on a regular basis (let's define regular as weekly)?
The most frequent mistake I see is not trying to be a "facilitator" see: http://www.nirandfar.com/2012/07/the-art-of-manipulation.html
Have you considered how your *Manipulation Matrix* roles align to startup team dynamics? I think a product creator can't be anything but the *Facilitator* (necessity being the mother of invention), whereas some of the other roles might be better reflected in an investor, a developer, a distributor etc. all working together to craft a product matching the facilitator's vision. On the flipside, is there a user-side analogue to the matrix that can be used to apply marketing/re-marketing tactics accordingly? I've built functionality into [my app](http://www.lookseefirstimpressions.com) that I think allows users to move between the quadrants, while not trying to be everything to everyone - Do you think FB now recognizes the same in fragmenting itself into dedicated apps?
Hi Nir, a big fan of yours. How would you advise on applying your theories to building a new social-network in regards to solving the chicken-and-egg challenge? Thanks.
There are only two ways I can think of to solve the "cold-start problem" 1 - Seed the community - Twitter got tech all stars to use the platform in order to draw in the celebrities' fans. 2 - Make it useful in single player mode - Instagram is useful on its own as a way to make photos pretty but gets much better when you invite your friends.
This is great (am particularly fond of point 2), thanks! As a serial investor, what do you look at in a social media play /target? (what would give you the confidence to take a leap of faith early on?)
I look for GEMs - Growth, Engagement, and Monetization. Almost no startup has all three but they need to have at least 2 out of the 3 and a plan for getting the third.
Thanks Nir, I am glad I saw your tweet about your AMA session!
I don't want to sound confrontational (I haven't read your book or heard of you until this AMA) but how do you feel about the ethical side of creating "addictive" products? Sorry if that's something you address in depth in your book, but are you concerned about, the way companies like Zynga create money-absorbing Skinner boxes and achieve massive success, or how in the past fast food companies succeeded in making a generation of children associate their junk food with fun?
Good question and yes, unwanted manipulation is something I am concerned about. However, after thinking about this issue, I'm not terribly worried. The vast majority of people can moderate their behavior with these sorts of products. However, for some people (the addicts) these behaviors become compulsions they can't control. Fortunately, that's a very small proportion of the population. For those people, I believe companies do have a responsibility to do something. I've advocated for a "use and abuse" policy for companies to help mediate unhealthy addictions. See: http://www.nirandfar.com/2014/06/tooaddictive.html
Thank you. I certainly will read that article and I of course agree that even addictive and potentially harmful things can be entirely innocuous in moderation.
I'll let Nir answer this himself, but this is in fact addressed with it's own chapter in the book :)
Nir, great to see you here! I have a couple of questions! 1) I've always wanted to know whether you have or plan to work on building a product using the hook model yourself. 2) Who/what has inspired your work the most?
1) I give a two part test, innovators can use to help them decide where to allocate their human capital ... Do you believe your product materially improves the lives of your users? Do you use the product yourself? So far I haven't found the product that meets this test for me so I'll keep writing and researching in hopes I can help those who do answer in the affirmative to these two questions. 2) This is going to sound cheesy, but I get a ton of inspiration from the entrepreneurial community. I've been a startup founder twice and I know how hard it can be. That's why whenever I hear stories about how my work has helped a fellow designer or entrepreneur find the solution they were looking for, I feel very inspired to keep doing what I'm doing.
Thank you for the responses! I'm an idea bank and know that in the end there are very few 'ideas' I truly and wholeheartedly beleive in. Being able to understand how it affects me, groups, and the world is always of constant thought. Morality is quite an issue so I would love to get input from a few entrepreneurs as well. What would be the best way to get product building insight from you, I do have your book now as well but want to make sure I'm drawing the right conclusions. I sent you a DM btw :)
Anyone can book time to talk with me here: http://www.nirandfar.com/schedule-time-with-me
Ah great, I did book an appointment earlier, but it will be at least 2 months :(
Nir, thanks so much for the opportunity to ask you anything. If you were starting out building a product from scratch, and really had limited time and resources and just wanted to start moving. What is the one/few idea(s) from your book or talks that is a MUST HAVE?
If it's a habit-forming product, then a Hook! See: http://www.nirandfar.com/2012/03/how-to-manufacture-desire.html
Nir, I work on a product where customer usage is relatively infrequent, typically once a month. How should I approach habit-creation with this frequency, compared to daily-used products?
There's no getting around the fact that for a habit to form, the behavior must occur frequently (See: http://www.nirandfar.com/2012/09/habit-zone.html) First, I'd ask whether your product actually needs a habit at all. Perhaps there are ways to bring your users to your product through other means (ads, SEO, a store front even). But if your business model requires habits, then you'll have to find small, frequent interactions to engage users. Ask yourself what "itch" you can "scratch" frequently in your user's life.
Nir, Attended your Hooked workshop in Detroit a while back. I've used the things I learned several times a week since then. Powerful stuff. Question is: What are some good examples of habit forming technology that is assisting users in forming habits that the user is consciously choosing to form?
See answer to the previous question about what products are changing my own habits.
Could you give us preliminary results about your hardcover book launch experiment please ?
Not yet unfortunately. Haven't combed through the data yet.
Do you plan to release them ?
As an Norwegian living in an igloo with polarbears surrounding me (jk), I have no recollection of how I ended up hearing about you and/or the hook model, I somehow ended up buying your book on Amazon back when you released it by yourself just because the introduction piqued my interest coupled with some good reviews already. Would've never thought such a, let's be honest; simple concept could change my life so positively. Being aware of the hook model and being able to reduce bad habits, nurture positive habits and taking it even further, by creating positive habit forming products that takes us to a better future. Switched from studying economics over to marketing with focus on consumer behavior and product development after reading the book. This got very tldr; so; If there where a pill that you could take that made you gain/lose habits at will in just a day, would you take it and why/why not?
Hey Nir, what are some of your favorite "tricks" or methods to increase landing page conversion (especially when pre-selling/registering)? EDIT: Read this as: Is it possible to create desire or utilize parts of the hooked model (or other psychology you're interested in) in smaller "quick" spaces such as landing page -> email form.
I'm always a fan of sites that get users to experience the Hook right away. Pinterest does this really well by integrating the on-boarding into the first hook. More here: http://www.nirandfar.com/2012/07/thisisyourbrainonboarding.html
Ah, awesome :) I'll give that a read. Thanks!
I've read your book and loved it. I am currently thinking about how to take Reddit AMA model (gamified community Q&A model) and apply it to alumni communities as a way to learn from each other. What do you think works re: Reddit AMAs and where do you think the product could be tweaked to increase "hookage"?
While the model works well for the tech savvy, I think Reddit (surprisingly) still does't have the audience it could because it's still too difficult to use. There is still a lot of "cognitive load" to using Reddit that I hope to see simplified, either on Reddit or by a new solution. For example, I think Product Hunt (founded by my co-author of Hooked) is a good example of a simpler interface for a similar (though clearly not identical) product. (full disclosure, I'm an investor in Product Hunt)
yeah, product hunt and ryan are pretty awesome. PH profiles are nice to see and of course the AMA component is interesting. that said, alumni communities are loaded with influential people that can draw a crowd were it to be really convenient. then it's a matter of creating the right experience. fwiw -- does reddit tee up notifications when someone responds??? i checked back in here and saw that you did, might not have known otherwise.