by Nir Eyal
How do successful companies create products people can’t put down?
Why do some products capture widespread attention while others flop? What makes us engage with certain products out of sheer habit? Is there a pattern underlying how technologies hook us?
Nir Eyal answers these questions (and many more) by explaining the Hook Model—a four-step process embedded into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behavior. Through consecutive “hook cycles,” these products reach their ultimate goal of bringing users back again and again without depending on costly advertising or aggressive messaging.
Hooked is based on Eyal’s years of research, consulting, and practical experience. He wrote the book he wished had been available to him as a start-up founder—not abstract theory, but a how-to guide for building better products. Hooked is written for product managers, designers, marketers, start-up founders, and anyone who seeks to understand how products influence our behavior.
Eyal provides readers with:
• Practical insights to create user habits that stick.
• Actionable steps for building products people love.
• Fascinating examples from the iPhone to Twitter, Pinterest to the Bible App, and many other habit-forming products.
How do successful companies create products people can’t put down?
Why do some products capture widespread attention while others flop? What makes us engage with certain products out of sheer habit? Is there a pattern underlying how technologies hook us?
Nir Eyal answers these questions (and many more) by explaining the Hook Model—a four-step process embedded into the products of many successful companies to subtly encourage customer behavior. Through consecutive “hook cycles,” these products reach their ultimate goal of bringing users back again and again without depending on costly advertising or aggressive messaging.
Hooked is based on Eyal’s years of research, consulting, and practical experience. He wrote the book he wished had been available to him as a start-up founder—not abstract theory, but a how-to guide for building better products. Hooked is written for product managers, designers, marketers, start-up founders, and anyone who seeks to understand how products influence our behavior.
Eyal provides readers with:
• Practical insights to create user habits that stick.
• Actionable steps for building products people love.
• Fascinating examples from the iPhone to Twitter, Pinterest to the Bible App, and many other habit-forming products.
Reviews-
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September 29, 2014
Successful product developers don’t quit once they’ve got a prototype in hand, says startup founder and tech journalist Eyal. In fact, he thinks that the most important, and the trickiest, part of the process is figuring out how to make your product indispensable to users. While getting his M.B.A., he became fascinated with the question of how successful tech companies managed to accomplish this goal. Eyal’s answer? Don’t rely on pricey marketing; link your service to your customers’ emotions and daily lives. The two most important factors in getting them “hooked” on a product are the frequency with which they use it and its perceived utility. Eyal aims to simplify this task through the “Hook Model,” consisting of internal and external triggers, action, variable reward, and investment. He names companies that have done it right, from household names like Snapchat and Pinterest to lesser-known examples like the Bible App.
Eyal’s ideas are good, but his real impact comes from his relentless enthusiasm. Also worthwhile is his caution about maintaining ethical practices even while getting customers “hooked.” With concrete advice and tales from the product-development trenches, this is a thoughtful discussion of how to create something that users never knew they couldn’t live without.
