183 The Psychology Behind Habit-Forming Products: Interview with Nir Eyal

Have you ever found yourself in the habit of using a certain product, program, or platform when seeking to alleviate an uncomfortable feeling (such as stress or boredom) or access an overall greater sense of satisfaction? Many of the items that we use in our day-to-day lives were intentionally designed to be habit-forming – and understanding the psychology behind what makes these products so catchy can be beneficial for both their developers and consumers alike. 

In his award-winning book, “Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products,” Nir Eyal examines the factors that drive customer engagement and lead consumers to use certain products again and again. Nir is also the author of “Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life” (which he discussed in Episode 164 of The MINDSet Game® podcast), has taught as a lecturer in marketing at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and has sold to technology companies since 2003. Joining us for the second time in Episode 183 of The MINDSet Game, Nir discusses the following: 

• The 4 steps of the “hook model” behind habit-forming products: external and internal triggers, action, variable rewards, and investment
• Specific examples of how these factors come into play in commonly used products
• How the “lean startup methodology” of building, measuring, and learning can work with the hook model to make products more habit-forming, as well as 5 fundamental questions to ask when striving to develop more engaging products
• Types of products or services to which the hook model does not apply

To learn more, read Nir’s book, “Hooked,” or visit NirAndFar.com. 

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