Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products
by Nir Eyal
Overview
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.
Key Takeaways
- The four phases of the Hook Model: Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, Investment
- How to create internal triggers that drive user behavior
- Building products that form lasting habits
- Ethical considerations in habit-forming design
Who Should Read This Book?
Why Read Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products?
Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products is widely regarded as essential reading in the product design & uxspace for product managers. Nir Eyal's insights have helped thousands of product professionals improve their craft and deliver better products.
Whether you're an aspiring product manager looking to break into the field or an experienced PM seeking to deepen your expertise in product design & ux, this book provides practical frameworks and real-world examples that you can apply immediately.
With 3,832 reviews and an average rating of 4.6 out of 5, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products has proven its value to the product management community. Join the thousands of professionals who have benefited from this essential resource.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hooked about manipulating users?
Nir Eyal emphasizes ethical use of the Hook Model to create healthy habits, not manipulation. The book includes a section on manipulation ethics and encourages using these techniques to improve users' lives. That said, readers should thoughtfully consider the ethical implications.
What is the Hook Model?
The Hook Model describes how products create user habits through four phases: Trigger (internal or external cue), Action (simplest behavior in anticipation of reward), Variable Reward (satisfying user needs while leaving them wanting more), and Investment (user puts something in to improve future experience).
Should product managers read Hooked?
Yes, especially if you're building consumer products, apps, or platforms where engagement and retention are critical. Understanding how habit-forming products work helps you design better experiences and compete with addictive products. Just use these techniques ethically.
What products successfully use the Hook Model?
Many successful products use the Hook Model: Instagram (trigger: notifications, action: scroll, reward: interesting content, investment: likes/follows), Slack (trigger: message notification, action: check, reward: information, investment: conversations), and countless others. The book analyzes these examples in detail.
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