Hooked

Quotes from Hooked

“The Hooked Model describes an experience designed to connect the user’s problem to a company’s product frequently enough to form a habit.”

“Habit-forming products often start as nice-to-haves (vitamins) but once the habit is formed, they become must-haves (painkillers).“

“To improve entrepreneurial outcomes and hold innovators accountable, we need to focus on the boring stuff: how to measure progress, how to set up milestones, and how to prioritize work.”

“Identifying areas where a new technology makes cycling through the Hooked Model faster, more frequent, or more rewarding provides fertile ground for developing new habit-forming products.”

Expert Reviews

“Hooked gives you the blueprint for the next generation of products. Read Hooked or the company that replaces you will.”

~Matt Mullenweg, Founder of WordPress

“A must-read for everyone who cares about driving customer engagement.”

~Eric Ries, author of  The Lean Startup

“The most high bandwidth, high octane, and valuable presentation I have ever seen on this subject.”

~ Rory Sutherland, Vice-Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather

“You’ll read this. Then you’ll hope your competition isn’t reading this. It’s that good.”

~Stephen P. Anderson, Author of  Seductive Interaction Design

“I’ve learned a great deal from Nir, and you will too. He’ll help you design habits to benefit your users and your company.”

~ Dr. Stephen Wendel, author  Designing for Behavior Change

Who should read this book

• Product Designers and Developers: Those involved in creating digital products and applications can benefit from understanding the Hook Model to design engaging and habit-forming experiences.
• Entrepreneurs and Start-up Founders: Individuals looking to build successful products from the ground up can learn techniques to drive user retention and engagement without relying heavily on costly marketing campaigns.
• Marketers and Growth Hackers: Professionals focused on user acquisition and retention can apply the principles outlined in the book to create more effective marketing strategies that drive long-term engagement.
• Behavioral Scientists and Psychologists: Those interested in the intersection of psychology and technology will find the book’s insights into human behavior and habit formation valuable for both academic and practical applications.

Publisher’s Note

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.