During past week three things inspired me:
Quote
“The world is more addictive than it was 40 years ago. And unless the forms of technological progress that produced these things are subject to different laws than technological progress in general, the world will get more addictive in the next 40 years than it did in the last 40.”
~Paul Graham
Idea
Getting hooked or addicted means doing something so regularly that it becomes a habit, often without conscious thought. It typically begins with a small action prompted by an internal feeling, like boredom or curiosity, or an external cue, like a ping or notification. If the action brings some reward or satisfaction, we tend to repeat it. Over time, this repetition becomes automatic.
The easier and more rewarding the experience, the more naturally it fits into our daily routine. Whether it's scrolling through social media, sipping evening tea, or playing a game, the cycle reinforces itself through action, reward, and repeat process until it feels like second nature.
Book
Nir Eyal’s book Hooked : How to Build Habit-Forming Products explains how to create products that people use every day without thinking. Habits are important because they make users return to a product without ads, saving companies money and building loyalty. The book introduces the Hook Model, a four-step process—Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment that helps designers build products that become part of users’ routines, giving businesses an edge.
The Hook Model starts with triggers, which are cues like notifications or emotions that prompt users to act. Actions are simple tasks, like clicking a button, made easier by removing barriers like time or effort. Variable rewards, such as likes or new content, keep users engaged by adding surprise, while investments, like saving preferences, make users feel committed to the product. By repeating this cycle, products become habits, as seen in apps like Amazon, where trust and ease turn occasional use into daily routines. The hook model in short explain addiction to any thing like social media, sports, caffeine, shopping or gambling.
Nir stresses simplicity and ethics in design. Products should be easy to use and respect users’ control to avoid feeling pushy. Designers should aim to create products they believe in and use themselves, ensuring they genuinely improve lives. The book also offers a Habit Testing framework to analyze and improve products by studying loyal users and tweaking features. Hooked is a practical guide for anyone wanting to build engaging, habit-forming products while keeping user trust first.
PS: The sixth episode of Keep it Simple is out. Please check in the following link-
Have a great week !